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Moto News Weekly Wrap
November 10, 2020

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Tim Gajser wins 2020 MXGP World Championship

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser has won his fourth world motocross championship in just six years, after winning this year’s 2020 MXGP title. Crowned at the Trentino circuit in Italy, home to many great memories for the Slovenian rider, Gajser wrapped up the title with three motos left to go in another season of fast, controlled riding. This title now moves him to the top of the list of HRC world champions, one clear of greats like Dave Thorpe, Eric Geboers, Georges Jobe and Andre Malherbe and it confirms his place as one of the best ever riders in motocross history.

Tim Gajser and team celebrate the world title win
Tim Gajser

“It feels unbelievable to be world champion for a fourth time. Winning one time is amazing, but four times, I’m just speechless. It was a weird season with the COVID-19 and then the break between the rounds two and three, but in the end, everything came together and we won another title! Racing today was very nice, in the first race, I didn’t have the best start but I was still able to come through the field and finish second and that meant that if I could win race two, I would take the overall. In the second moto I grabbed the holeshot and then had a really good battle with Romain all the way to the chequered flag. We were pushing the whole time so I’m super happy to win this title and the overall on the same day. A big thanks to the whole of Team HRC, there are a lot of people who are involved who couldn’t be here today so a big thank you to all of them and to everyone who has supported me all year long. It is a privilege to ride for this team and I appreciate every single person who has helped me. Thank you!”

Tim Gajser clinches the 2020 MXGP Championship a round early

In what has been a difficult season due to the global pandemic, the #243 has consistently shown he is the fastest rider on the track, winning 13 races and 4 overalls (before the MXGP of Pietramurata) on his way to this historic moment. Starting off the year back in March with moto wins at Matterley Basin, UK and Valkenswaard, Netherlands, Gajser immediately showed that he was a threat for victories on whatever surface they rode on, and that form continued when he won the first race back after the restart in Kegums, Latvia.

With the new one-day format in place, qualification was just a 25-minute timed session after 20 minutes of free practice and while other riders struggled to adapt, Gajser again showed the speed of the new Honda CRF450RW by getting first gate pick at six out of the next 10 rounds, and inside the top three in nine of them. Good gate picks led to good starts and holeshots and it also meant the Honda rider has led more laps, and has led in more races than any other rider in the field.

Tim Gajser

While race wins were coming often, an overall remained elusive and it wasn’t until round 11 when Gajser was able to put in two strong motos and get onto the top step of the podium at the MXGP of Europe in Mantova, Italy. It was nothing more than he deserved and it allowed him to cement his position at the top of the class, after first getting the red plate at round nine. Since that moment, he has gone from strength to strength, podiuming in 12 straight races and extending his lead to over 70 points. This was highlighted at the triple-header in Belgium where Gajser won two of the three overalls, picking up an incredible 142 out of 150 points in the deep sand of Lommel, known as the toughest race on the motocross calendar.

Tim Gajser

From Lommel, it was back to Italy for the season-finale three rounds in Trentino, the venue where Gajser won his first ever world championship overall in 2015 and also where his 2019 campaign was kick-started after an epic encounter that ended with him going one-one, sparking amazing scenes of celebration. Unfortunately, fans weren’t allowed to witness this years’ success but the outpouring of support from the around the world has been immense and shows just what a popular figure ‘Tiga243’ is within the motocross community and beyond. With one round left, there is still chance for him to add to his amazing statistics but for now, Gajser is celebrating his amazing achievement of winning his fourth world championship title.

See below for the final MXGP report and standings.

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Tom Vialle clinches MX2 title at mid-week MXGP

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle was crowned 2020 FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion after winning the first moto aboard his KTM 250 SX-F at the MXGP of Pietramurata in Arco di Trento, Italy today, Wednesday November 4, with three races remaining for the season.

Tom Vialle – FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion

“I’m so happy but there have been a lot of emotions today. I was a bit angry with the verdict (in qualifying) this morning but to make the holeshot and lead the first moto was fantastic. I was almost crying on the last lap. There was so much emotion. It was really special. Crazy. In the second moto we had some bad luck, but the important thing is that we achieved our goal. I want to say a big thanks to the whole team and everybody who worked together to make this happen. It was tiring to have a lot of races so close together and also keep the concentration through the training. I think we did it pretty good.”

Tom Vialle

Vialle continues a rich MX2 history for KTM as the ninth rider to win a championship title in the lower capacity class aboard a KTM 250 SX-F. The Frenchman, who came into the penultimate round of 2020 with a sizeable points lead, took a dominant win in the opening moto at the picturesque Italian track to secure an emotional first world title.

In only his second term racing at Grand Prix level, 20-year-old Vialle has demonstrated incredible talent and maturity in his approach throughout the 18-round championship. In a year of difficulties due to the global pandemic, Vialle’s strong start to 2020 was halted when MXGP racing was abruptly paused after just two rounds back in early March.

Tom Vialle

The Frenchman returned for round three in Kegums, Latvia in August to win his second Grand Prix of the season, ahead of an intense schedule of races in the weeks following. The KTM star battled hard with the MX2 competition, scoring consistently strong results to earn a comfortable lead thanks to his seven Grand Prix overall victories heading into the final triple-header of the year.

With 13 moto wins and 13 podiums so far this season, Vialle sensationally put his name in the history books by clinching the 2020 MX2 World Championship title to add to KTM’s outstanding success tally. The Frenchman’s victory confirms KTM’s fifth consecutive title in the category, with 13 championship victories in 17 years of MX2 competition for the Austrian manufacturer.

Tom Vialle
Dirk Gruebel – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“Tom showed his potential in his first year with us in 2019. There was real progression, but then over the winter he made another big step to be a title contender and world champion. He didn’t look back. He doesn’t get nervous. He had real competition, but Tom finished every race in a good spot, mainly in the top five, mostly in the top three. That’s the key to being world champion and now we are here celebrating. Hats-off to him and his family, it’s unbelievable. We are known for having a fast 250 – also a 450! – but I still think we have the benchmark in MX2 for everybody and Tom is another rider who knows how to make starts with it. It’s a really good motorcycle and we’ve been winning since 2004 with that concept. Tom being the ninth world champion shows its quality.”


2020 MXGP Awards


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2020 MXGP of Garda Trentino – Round 18

As the races of the MXGP of Garda Trentino finished for the day, it concluded an intense season of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, which saw Champions decided a round early, when Team HRC’s Tim Gajser claimed his fourth World Title in MXGP and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle secured his very first Championship in MX2.

Tim Gajser

For the final round this shifted the focus onto who would finish the season off with a medal alongside the two victors, with Tim Gajser also presented with the MXGP Trophy, wrapped with plagues which are engraved with all the world champions’ names from 1957 until now in the main class.

Tim Gajser took the overall round win, narrowly beating Romain Febvre on account of a final race victory, with both riders taking a win and a runner up position a-piece. Gautier Paulin took the final podium position, from Jeremy Seewer, both on 38-points and with identical results, but Paulin the better performer in the final race.

Tim Gajser

“Today, my goal was just to go out there and have fun and we did that, winning the last overall of the year and it couldn’t have gone better. I want to say a huge thank you to all my team who have worked so hard and put in so much effort. In March, we did two GPs in Matterley and Valkenswaard and they went well, but then we had a long break and when we returned, I wasn’t feeling good, I was struggling. Now, the second half of the season I found good speed, I was consistent, and I was able to win the title.”

Tim Gajser too another round win at the season final

Second and third in the MXGP championship were also still up for grabs, with Jeremy Seewer claiming the silver medal on the day with the addition of 38-championship points to his name. Tony Cairoli had a mixed weekend, with sixth in Race 1, but no points in Race 2. It was enough for the bronze medal however.

Romain Febvre was fourth overall, followed by Gautier Paulin. Jorge Prado was sixth, Clement Desalle seventh, Glenn Coldenhoff eighth, and Jeremy Van Horebeek and Brian Bogers ninth and 10th respectively. Despite still being out injured Mitch Evans finished the season in 14th.


Clément Desalle retires

Clement Desalle has been a benchmark in MXGP for the last fifteen years but the GP of Garda-Trentino this weekend will mark the end of his outstanding career. With twenty-three GP wins, thirty-five moto wins and eighty-two GP podiums, the thirty-one-year-old has been one of the most successful riders of his era. He never claimed the ultimate prize of an individual world title but he ended in the top three of the premier off-road world series no less than six times and won Gold with Team Belgium at the 2013 Motocross of Nations.

Clement Desalle

When Clement joined the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team in 2016 he was one of the elite riders capable of winning GPs and challenging for the title. For five full seasons he put all his energy to help the team to perform to the highest level and provided the best advice to the factory in order to be ever more competitive.

Despite several injuries during these five seasons Clément gave the team excellent results with four GP wins, eighteen podiums and an MXGP world championship bronze medal in 2018. The thirty-one-year-old Belgian from La Louvière, between Mons and Charleroi near the French frontier in the south of the country, officially announced last month that he would retire following the final GP of the current season, his fifteenth as a professional rider; that moment arrives this weekend with the MXGP of Garda Trentino at the dramatic Pietramurata track where he celebrated victory in 2014 and has already recorded his most recent GP moto victory just one week ago. Kawasaki thanks Clément for his commitment to the Green family throughout the past five seasons and wishes him all the best for the future in both his professional career and private life.

Clement Desalle
Clément Desalle

”I always had a good relationship with François (Lemariey) who was my mechanic earlier in my career; when I signed for Kawasaki I was delighted to work with him again. It has always been really important for me to be happy in my working environment and to have a good feeling with the people around me. I’m really proud with the job we’ve done together. Of course I would have liked to have offered Kawasaki yet more race wins, more podiums, more GP wins and even a world title as I’ve been working for this all my life. After Latvia I started to ask myself questions about my future and made a decision; just before Spain I was sure of my decision and announced that I would retire at the end of this season. I will miss racing of course, but I have a big passion for motocross and for sure I will still ride bikes.”

Clement Desalle at Trentino Round 16

2020 MXGP of Garda Trentino

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 22 25 47
2 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 25 22 47
3 Paulin, Gautier FRA YAM 18 20 38
4 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 20 18 38
5 Desalle, Clement BEL KAW 14 14 28
6 Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM 16 12 28
7 Tixier, Jordi FRA KTM 10 13 23
8 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS HUS 12 11 23
9 Bogers, Brian NED KTM 0 16 16
10 Van doninck, Brent BEL YAM 0 15 15
11 Cervellin, Michele ITA YAM 8 7 15
12 Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 15 0 15
13 Monticelli, Ivo ITA GAS 4 9 13
14 Bernardini, Samuele ITA YAM 7 6 13
15 Paturel, Benoit FRA HON 13 0 13
16 Butron, Jose ESP KTM 6 5 11
17 Sterry, Adam GBR KTM 9 2 11
18 Guillod, Valentin SUI HON 11 0 11
19 Lupino, Alessandro ITA YAM 0 10 10
20 Walsh, Dylan GBR HON 2 8 10
21 Leok, Tanel EST HUS 3 3 6
22 Koch, Tom GER KTM 1 4 5
23 Valentin, Ander ESP HUS 5 0 5
24 Petrov, Petar BUL KTM 0 1 1

2020 MXGP Final Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 720
2 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 618
3 Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 599
4 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 572
5 Paulin, G. FRA YAM 505
6 Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 476
7 Desalle, C. BEL KAW 466
8 Coldenhoff, G. NED GAS 375
9 Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 316
10 Bogers, Brian NED KTM 298
11 Tixier, Jordi FRA KTM 271
12 Herlings, J. NED KTM 263
13 Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 248
14 Evans, M. AUS HON 228
15 Monticelli, I. ITA GAS 219
16 Vlaanderen, C. NED YAM 206
17 Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM 184
18 Lupino, A. ITA YAM 150
19 Jacobi, Henry GER YAM 134
20 Cervellin, M. ITA YAM 130
21 Van doninck, B. BEL YAM 110
22 Bobryshev, E. RUS HUS 107
23 Leok, Tanel EST HUS 94
24 Guillod, V. SUI HON 88
25 Walsh, Dylan GBR HON 82
26 Petrov, Petar BUL KTM 81
27 Sterry, Adam GBR KTM 76
28 Paturel, B. FRA HON 67
29 Butron, Jose ESP KTM 36
30 Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 31

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MX2

In MX2 Tom Vialle was already crowned champion and Jago Geerts had cemented his place as runner up, with the final championship podium position between Maxime Renaux and Australian Jed Beaton.

Ben Watson

While Ben Watson won the MX2 round overall from Tom Vialle and Maxime Renaux, Jed Beaton finished fourth, four-points behind Renaux. Unfortunately for Beaton that left him in fourth overall – an amazing result nevertheless, while Renaux’s 581 championship points was enough to claim the bronze.

Ben Watson

“I really want to congratulate the whole team. They work really hard and it’s really nice for me and Jago to give them a 1-2 on the podium. It is a little bit difficult to pass out there, but I have been feeling really good on the bike. I had a mediocre start in the first race, but I came through good and then in the second one, I took a good start and it’s always a nice race when you can battle with your teammate up front. I finished second, but I am really happy with second overall.”

Overall Beaton enjoyed a highly positive year in 2020. Showing race-winning speed throughout the season, he came agonisingly close to a maiden overall win at the penultimate round. Proving to be a capable racer on any surface, the 22-year-old claimed three overall podium finishes, along with nine moto podiums and was the first rider in the standings to score points in every race. A memorable season with many career milestones reached.

Jet Beaton
Jed Beaton

“Well that’s a wrap for this season, been a pretty good year, had some up’s and down’s but out of anything we can pull all the positives out of this season and work on the important things for next season, just want to start by saying a huge thank you to all the team and sponsors that are apart of the team @nestaan_mx, my girlfriend @holly_forsyth for bending over backwards for me and helping out always! Everyone from back at the factory for providing us with the best equipment! Everyone definitely plays their own part and if I was to thank everyone I’d have to write a novel… but you know who you are.. Ending up fourth in the championship which was a little disappointing for me, but it is what it is, we are healthy and got through the season. Thanks so much, we will be back next year for more. Also to Thomas thanks for being a great team mate, was an awesome few years, best of luck with the big boys.”

Bailey Mailkiewicz finished 15th in Race 1, improving to ninth in Race 2, and was 11th overall for the weekend, claiming 18-championship points. This saw him finish the 2020 season in 14th overall.

MX2 MXGP of Garda Trentino 2020 results

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 20 25 45
2 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 25 16 41
3 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 22 18 40
4 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 14 22 36
5 Gifting, Isak SWE GAS 15 20 35
6 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 13 14 27
7 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN HUS 8 15 23
8 Östlund, Alvin SWE HON 9 13 22
9 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA HON 10 11 21
10 Rubini, Stephen FRA HON 16 4 20
11 Malkiewicz, Bailey AUS HON 6 12 18
12 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 18 0 18
13 Pancar, Jan SLO KTM 7 7 14
14 Van De Moosdijk, Roan NED KAW 12 0 12
15 Fernandez, Ruben ESP YAM 11 0 11
16 Horgmo, Kevin NOR KTM 0 10 10
17 Gilbert, Josh GBR HUS 1 9 10
18 Polak, Petr CZE YAM 4 6 10
19 Todd, Wilson AUS KAW 0 8 8
20 Sandner, Michael AUT GAS 2 5 7
21 Teresak, Jakub CZE KTM 3 2 5
22 Renkens, Nathan BEL KTM 5 0 5
23 Meier, Glen DEN YAM 0 3 3
24 Nermann, Johannes EST HUS 0 1 1

2020 MX2 Final Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 759
2 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 679
3 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 581
4 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 564
5 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 551
6 Olsen, T. DEN HUS 540
7 Van De Moosdijk, R. NED KAW 466
8 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 365
9 Fernandez, R. ESP YAM 343
10 Rubini, S. FRA HON 279
11 Östlund, Alvin SWE HON 263
12 Gifting, Isak SWE GAS 248
13 Boisrame, M. FRA KAW 234
14 Malkiewicz, B. AUS HON 164
15 Vaessen, Bas NED KTM 163
16 Forato, A. ITA HUS 156
17 Lesiardo, M. ITA HON 143
18 Horgmo, Kevin NOR KTM 137
19 Haarup, Mikkel DEN KAW 118
20 Pancar, Jan SLO KTM 115
21 Gilbert, Josh GBR HUS 112
22 Renkens, N. BEL KTM 103
23 Crawford, N. AUS HON 91
24 Benistant, T. FRA YAM 90
25 Genot, Cyril BEL YAM 85
26 Hofer, Rene AUT KTM 73
27 Sikyna, R. SVK KTM 72
28 Sandner, M. AUT GAS 67
29 Guadagnini, M. ITA HUS 62
30 Laengenfelder, S. GER GAS 59

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EMX Open

EMX Open action saw Karel Kutsar become the very first European Champion in the brand-new category, as he claimed his maiden EMX title. It was a tough day for the Estonian, who rode tight all day to place 5th and 10th in the races, to miss out on the podium. Though this didn’t matter, as he took to the podium anyways, to pick up his championship winning gold plate and medal.

EMX Open Start
Karel Kutsar

“It felt a bit impossible and now, I am a champion. Maybe when I get home, I will understand what this means but it feels really good to be a champion. I felt the pressure a little bit today, I tried to not to make mistakes and finally I did it and I get the title.”

Entering today’s races, Kim Savaste was the main championship rival, but unfortunately, we did not see the rider from Finland line-up for the races, due to an injury this morning. With no points scored, this pushed Savaste down to third in the standings, while Toms Macuks moved into the silver medal scoring position.

Macuks had two strong races, finishing second and third, despite a small get-off in the second heat that lost him a position or two. These results also handed the Latvian his fifth podium of the season, which was a positive way to end the season.

While Kutsar claimed the title, it was Jimmy Clochet who stood on the top step of the podium, after a race win in the opening heat and a second in race two. Clochet had a much tougher second heat, after getting another good start, the Frenchman had an off on one of the corners, then fought back to second, to crash in the same spot once again. He could only manage to fight back to P2, while Cornelius Tøndel of JWR Honda took the race win in the second heat.

Karel Kutsar
Jimmy Clochet

“I had good feeling all day. In the second race I took the holeshot and crashed two times in the same corner, so yeah that was a difficult race, but I pushed really hard to come back to second for another overall. It was a difficult second race but I’m happy about it and happy about the overall.”

Finishing the day second overall was Macuks, while Martin Michek was the third rider to make it onto the box. It was Michek’s first visit to the EMX Open podium this season, and it was a 4th in race one and a 5th in race two that helped him on his way to a trophy scoring overall.

Looking back on the first season of the all-new EMX Open, things started in Latvia, for the first triple header of the season. That time around it was Macuks who was victorious on home soil, as he won both races and became the early championship leader. Though this didn’t last long, as during the second round he didn’t score any points, as Savaste and Kutsar took a race win each, though it was Kutsar who was the overall winner.

The Estonian then became the new series leader by the second round, and he held on to the red plate until today’s final round when he swapped the red plate for a gold one. He held on to the red plate through his consistent results, as the champion ended the season with 4 podiums, 2 race wins and one overall victory. In terms of overall victories, Macuks and Clochet were the most successful riders, with two overall victories each, while Kutsar and Savaste were on one each, as they took to the top of the box during the round of Riga and Kegums.

EMX Open Champions

EMX Open Overall

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Clochet, Jimmy FRA KAW 25 22 47
2 Macuks, Toms LAT KTM 22 20 42
3 Michek, Martin CZE KTM 18 16 34
4 De Bortoli, Davide ITA HON 12 18 30
5 Thornhill , Dan GBR HON 15 15 30
6 Ekerold, Stefan GER SUZ 13 14 27
7 Kutsar, Karel EST KTM 16 11 27
8 Toendel, Cornelius NOR HON 0 25 25
9 Michalec, Petr CZE HON 11 10 21
10 Jazdauskas, Domantas LTU HUS 7 13 20
11 Adamson, John GBR KTM 20 0 20
12 Bartos, Petr CZE KTM 8 9 17
13 Maylin, Brice FRA KAW 9 7 16
14 Rathousky, Petr CZE KTM 14 1 15
15 Bolink, Mike NED KTM 6 8 14
16 Windt, Rob NED KTM 10 4 14
17 Gryning, Mathias DEN YAM 0 12 12
18 Malin, Wiljam FIN HUS 4 5 9
19 Tornau, Fynn-Niklas GER KTM 5 3 8
20 Haberland, Paul GER HON 0 6 6
21 Wedage, Damian NED KTM 3 2 5
22 Vetrovsky, Radek CZE KTM 2 0 2
23 Pletka, Libor CZE KTM 1 0 1

EMX Open Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Kutsar, Karel EST KTM 230
2 Macuks, Toms LAT KTM 216
3 Savaste, Kim FIN KTM 192
4 Ekerold, S. GER SUZ 161
5 Toendel, C. NOR HON 134
6 Clochet, Jimmy FRA KAW 130
7 Jazdauskas, D. LTU HUS 113
8 De Bortoli, D. ITA HON 101
9 Sihvonen, Miro FIN HUS 101
10 Lusbo, Andero EST HUS 93
11 Michek, Martin CZE KTM 87
12 Matikainen, J. FIN HUS 83
13 Thornhill , D. GBR HON 77
14 Kalejs, Karlis LAT HUS 75
15 Smets, Greg BEL KTM 67
16 Adamson, John GBR KTM 64
17 Ubach, Simeo ESP HUS 60
18 Gryning, M. DEN YAM 58
19 Bolink, Mike NED KTM 58
20 Sjoholm, Mads DEN KTM 57

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EMX2T

The EMX2t races saw Nicholas Lapucci of Fantic Racing dominated the races once again, as he was victorious in both heats with quite an impressive margin, over the newly crowned 2020 EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing Champion, Brad Anderson.

EMX2t Champions 2020
Nicholas Lapucci

“It was another perfect day for me, I’m really happy about my riding and the bike. The team did an incredible job. We came here without knowing anything and at the end we got the best results for me and for Fantic as well. We took four victories and for that I want to say thanks to everybody that helped me getting these incredible results.”

With two second place finishes, Anderson ended the season with his fifth podium of the series. While, JK Yamaha Racing’s Manuel Iacopi was the third rider on the podium today, with some nice battles in the races with Anderson, which saw him finish 4th and 3rd in heats one and two.

Brad Anderson

“It’s been great. The worst position this season was second place and I’ve been really consistent, I’ve had a good fight behind me. As I said, I struggled a little bit on this track, but Nicholas [Lapucci] was going really well, but I was happy to finish with two second places and finish the season off. The races were pretty tough. I didn’t get the best starts, I struggled to get past one rider and then me and Manuel had a good battle, then I made a move and he caught back up, it was a good little battle, but as I said I’m just please to finish second overall and take this championship.”

Brad Anderson

With Anderson securing his third EMX title at the previous round of Pietramurata, this shifted the focus onto who would occupy second and third in the championship standings. Two fifth place finishes, were enough for Federico Tuani to claim the silver medal, after races that saw him battle with Kade Tinkler-Walker and his teammate, Eugenio Barbaglia. Tuani completed the season with three podiums, with his best result in Faenza during the opening round of the championship, where he finished second overall.

Though it was the fight for the third spot that was the main focus in the second race, as there was nothing in between Walker and Loris Freidig. Walker rode a strong race and had some nice battles to claim 5th, while Freidig had a much tougher time and only finished the race in 13th. Eventually, Walker secured third in the standings with a seven-point advantage over the Swiss.

Nicholas Lapucci

Looking back on the season, Anderson dominated the first three rounds in Faenza, as he took 5 race wins and 3 overall victories. His lowest point scoring results came here in Pietramurata, as he finished the two rounds second overall, behind Lapucci, who dominated the last two stages of the championship, winning all 4 races. Apart from Anderson and Lapucci, the only other rider, to win a race, during the 2020 campaign, was Freidig, who was victorious during the first race at the round of Italy.

EMX2T Overall

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Lapucci, Nicholas ITA FAN 25 25 50
2 Anderson, Brad GBR KTM 22 22 44
3 Iacopi, Manuel ITA YAM 18 20 38
4 Tinkler-Walker, Kade CAN SUZ 20 15 35
5 Barbaglia, Eugenio ITA HUS 14 18 32
6 Tuani, Federico ITA HUS 16 16 32
7 Alberio, Emanuele ITA KTM 13 14 27
8 Ermini, Paolo ITA HUS 11 13 24
9 Michelis, Martin EST KTM 12 11 23
10 Freidig, Loris SUI YAM 15 8 23
11 Tamai, Mario ITA KTM 10 12 22
12 Christensen, Nikolaj Skovgaard DEN KTM 6 10 16
13 Lolli, Marco ITA YAM 7 7 14
14 Zenato, Sebastian ITA HUS 8 6 14
15 Bicalho, Rodolfo BRA KTM 4 9 13
16 Salina, Pietro ITA HUS 5 4 9
17 Nedved, Jonas CZE KTM 9 0 9
18 Putnam, Charlie GBR HUS 3 5 8
19 Ongley, Aaron GBR KTM 2 3 5
20 Haas, Thomas GER HUS 0 2 2
21 Aabroe, Mikkel DEN YAM 0 1 1
22 Williams, Aidan GBR KTM 1 0 1

EMX2T Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Anderson, Brad GBR KTM 235
2 Tuani, F. ITA HUS 167
3 Tinkler-Walker, K. CAN SUZ 154
4 Freidig, Loris SUI YAM 147
5 Barbaglia, E. ITA HUS 143
6 Iacopi, Manuel ITA YAM 140
7 Tamai, Mario ITA KTM 131
8 Alberio, E. ITA KTM 131
9 Lolli, Marco ITA YAM 117
10 Michelis, M. EST KTM 105
11 Lapucci, N. ITA FAN 100
12 Christensen, N. DEN KTM 90
13 Nedved, Jonas CZE KTM 84
14 Ermini, Paolo ITA HUS 73
15 Zenato, S. ITA HUS 70
16 Deghi, G. ITA KTM 56
17 Haas, Thomas GER HUS 47
18 Williams, A. GBR KTM 44
19 Bicalho, R. BRA KTM 26
20 Rampoldi, J. ITA KTM 26
21 Maiolani, G. ITA HUS 17
22 Putnam, C. GBR HUS 17
23 Salina, Pietro ITA HUS 16
24 Piazza, M. ITA KTM 16
25 Marques, A. POR HUS 11
26 Bonetta, A. ITA YAM 8
27 Gwyther, K. GBR KTM 7
28 Ongley, Aaron GBR KTM 7
29 Aabroe, Mikkel DEN YAM 1

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2020 EnduroGP of Portugal

Day 1

The first day of the Acerbis GP of Portugal saw three special tests perfectly carved out by Moto Clube Marco, drier weather than expected, and riders all keen to do battle after more than a month and a half of break – everything was in place to have a hell of a day of racing!

While Brad Freeman started out very strong and took the lead on the first lap his great rival Steve Holcombe was closing in. The dark horse of weekend, the returning Josep Garcia was also pushing hard, ready to jump on the slightest mistake from the defending champion. The second lap went in favour of Holcombe who took the lead in the category by 2.96 seconds from Freeman.

Brad Freeman

The third lap got extremely intense as the result came down to the very last special test! Indeed Freeman had dominated the morning head and shoulders over his rivals, but he set off into the last Technomousse Xtreme Test with just a 2.17 second advantage. However, his Factory Beta team-mate and compatriot threw everything into this final special and finally won the day by 1.76 seconds, to the detriment and disappointment of Freeman.

For his part, Garcia made some mistakes on the second lap, and the Spaniard had to settle for an excellent podium finish on his return to EGP after three years of absence. In any case, there is no doubt that the 2017 E2 World Champion has everything he needs to come and fight for victory with the two Brits.

Andrea Verona never really had to worry about defending his comfortable fourth position overall and he was able to continue gaining valuable experience in first season in Senior, while keeping an eye on the top three. Finally, Antoine Magain is certainly one of the riders of the day as he came up from 14th on the first special, and headed straight for the top five with test times at the same level as Freeman and Holcombe.

Josep Garcia

As for Enduro 1, with his new victory coupled with the third place of his rival Thomas Oldrati, Verona now has a seven-point lead overall. The Factory TM rider, in addition to his own excellent performance, can also thank the good pace of Antoine Magain who got between the two Italians. Eero Remes and the local Diogo Ventura completed the top five.

In Enduro 2, Steve Holcombe therefore remains undefeated despite the presence of Josep Garcia who finished second on his EnduroGP comeback. Danny McCanney completed the top three, to the detriment of reigning E2 Champion Loïc Larrieu and Matteo Cavallo.

Like Holcombe in E2, Freeman also remains at the top of his E3 class. He dominated his category, more than one and half minutes ahead of runner-up Jaume Betriu. Antoine Basset completed the podium ahead of his compatriot David Abgrall, and Rudy Moroni closed the day in fifth.

Steve Holcombe

In the often hotly-contested Junior class, we didn’t have to wait long for the first moment of drama. Provisional title leader Théo Espinasse was forced to retire from the start due to a spark plug problem. The task of regaining control of the standings will be very difficult even if the Frenchman will be able to start tomorrow morning. Even more so due to the fact that his teammate at Sherco Factory and title rival, Hamish Macdonald won the day after a magnificent Southern Hemisphere duel with Wil Ruprecht.

The Kiwi has therefore seized the title leadership in Junior with only three days of racing to go. Behind him, it was Finland’s Roni Kytonen who snatched the last step of the podium after a nice comeback following a big mistake in the first Technomousse Xtreme Test of the day. Chile’s Ruy Barbosa took fourth place by 7 seconds ahead of the Czech Republic’s Krystof Kouble!

Roni Kytonen

In J1, Roni Kytonen won once again, and consolidates his position as leader, ahead of Ruy Barbosa and Antoine Criq, who took a great podium. While in J2 Macdonald naturally takes the lead while winning the day ahead of Ruprecht and Kouble.

As for the exciting Youth 125cc class, for a long time it seemed Sergio Navarro could win the day but that was without counting on the sensation of the season, Jed Etchells. The Fantic D’Arpa Racing rider took his fourth victory of the season, more than 30 seconds ahead of his Spanish rival. Italy’s Claudio Spanu completed the podium ahead of Harry Edmondson. Hermanni Haljala completed the top five.

Finally, in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, Gonçalo Reis remains undefeated in Open 2-Stroke class as he wins the day ahead of compatriot Gonçalo Sobrosa and the Czech rider Robert Friedrich. In battle of the Belgians, Damiaens Diegter got the better of Mathias Van Hoof in Open 4-Stroke. They were joined on the podium by Jorge Paradelo. Alessio Paoli meanwhile took a third straight victory in the Open Senior class ahead of David Martinez and Duccio Graziani.

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Day 2

‘The toughest weekend of the season…’ This is how many riders summed up the second day at the Acerbis Grand Prix of Portugal. Pouring rain was the theme of Sunday in Marco de Canaveses, but we still saw 99 protagonists take to the start line, ensuring a spectacular day of racing which saw a new winner in the EnduroGP class…

Steve Holcombe

After three years of absence Josep Garcia made a great comeback on Saturday when he took 3rd overall, but on Sunday he brilliantly won the EnduroGP category by more than 15 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Brad Freeman! Matching the pace of the British duo of Freeman – Holcombe from the first lap, the Spaniard increased his speed on the second lap, which allowed him to take advantage of the various errors of the two Beta Factory riders to build a gap of more than 20 seconds! Determined to give everything to get back to the top step of the EnduroGP podium, Garcia then managed his lead to secure an excellent victory!

Josep Garcia

“It’s been three years since I last raced in EnduroGP, so I was really motivated to do well this weekend. It has been a really difficult GP, but also great to be back racing and of course to come away with good results. Day one was going really well, it was very close between myself, Brad and Steve, but I took myself out of the battle with a big mistake on the final extreme test. Even with the mistake I was pleased with my results and riding during the day. Today, day two, my plan was to push hard like I did on day one, but to not make any mistakes. I fell on the first enduro test, so things didn’t go exactly to plan, but I kept pushing. In the second lap I managed to open up a small advantage so in the final few special tests I didn’t push too hard. This was a difficult race, but my experience in extreme races really helped me. I’m looking forward to the next GP now, next weekend.”

Josep Garcia

Demoted by the Factory KTM rider, Freeman had to accept the 17 points given for second place and therefore take two points over his season-long rival, Steve Holcombe. There’s still all to play for between the two British team-mates. Behind the ‘untouchable’ trio, Thomas Oldrati got the better of his great rival for the E1 title, Andrea Verona who brings up the rear of the top five in EnduroGP.

Brad Freeman

“I’m so disillusioned again today! Really disappointed! I felt good here and I think I’m setting good test times but unfortunately each time I am beaten… I still took a few points from Steve and everything is still under control, but it’s annoying not to win!”

Brad Freeman

In Enduro 1, after dropping five-points yesterday in the race for the title, Thomas Oldrati gains three points back today from his compatriot Andrea Verona, with the TM rider placing second on the day. The Honda RedMoto rider is now only four points behind in the standing and everything remains very uncertain in the small-displacement category. Antoine Magain takes a third podium this season ahead of Davide Soreca and the local man Diogo Ventura.

Thomas Oldrati

“I never really managed to keep in touch with Andrea yesterday and lost a lot of points there so I was keen to make up for it today. Not easy when Andrea was very fast all weekend! I’m 4 points behind, and that’s okay! The goal is just for next weekend, always finishing ahead of my rival.”

Thomas Oldrati

In E2, Steve Holcombe was toppled! It was the man of the day, Josep Garcia, who brought the Brit down from the top step of the podium. The Beta Factory rider had to settle for the runner-up position this time around. As on the previous day, it was Danny McCanney who completed the podium ahead of Joe Wootton and Loïc Larrieu.

Steve Holcombe

“It’s been a big fight this weekend, so to come away with a win and keep the championship alive with one round to go is great. Weather conditions played a big part with a lot of heavy rain chewing up the course. You really needed to nail your line choices as things seemed to change each lap. On Saturday I started too safe but got into the swing of things after lap one. It was down to the wire on the final lap and with a strong extreme test I got the win. I started out today fastest in the first special test but opening some of the later tests as conditions worsened worked against me. But that’s how racing goes sometimes. With one round left I’m in a strong position with a seven-point lead in EnduroGP and 25 in Enduro 2. Fingers crossed things will work out well next weekend and I can end the year with a world title.”

Steve Holcombe

Over in the big class, E3, we saw the sixth win in a row for Brad Freeman who remains on stunning form. To give you an idea of his E3 domination, he relegated today’s second place finish, Jaume Betriu by 1 minute and 54 seconds. Third place, Antoine Basset, was more than 3 minutes back! Rudy Moroni and David Abrall completed the top five.

In the under 23 category, we thought we were on course to see a new winner in the class that has so far been ruled by Sherco Factory duo Espinasse – Macdonald this season. Indeed, flying Finn Roni Kytonen was on fire from the start of the day onwards, building a huge lead over his rivals. Unfortunately, on the penultimate test of the day, his bike was playing up and the Finn lost more than 11 minutes, waving goodbye to his victory chance.

Roni Kytonen

But one man’s loss is another man’s gain, and it was Hamish Macdonald who took full advantage of the Finn’s misfortune by taking his third victory in a row. The New Zealander now has a 19 point lead in the standings, over his team-mate Théo Espinasse who finished second today. Wil Ruprecht had to settle for third position while Bruno Crivilin took a nice fourth place in Junior overall. Beta Boano rider Matteo Pavoni completed the top five.

Hamish Macdonald

“I was clearly not the fastest rider today. Roni was impressive and I’m disappointed for him that he had this mechanical problem. But that’s part of the racing and I won’t regret having the win. I’m now 19 points ahead, which is really good. Now I have to give everything without panicking to get the title next Saturday!”

In J1, Kutonen’s setbacks benefitted the Bruno Crivilin who enters the history books of the FIM Borilli Enduro World Championship by becoming the first Brazilian rider to win! He won ahead of Ruy Barbosa and Lorenzo Macoritto while in J2, Macdonald won ahead of Espinasse and Ruprecht.

In the Youth 125cc class, there was a fifth consecutive victory for Fantic D’Arpa Racing rider Jed Etchells. This time around, the Manxman had to work hard to see off the attacks from Sergio Navarro. The Spaniard finished just 16 seconds behind the big favourite for the title. Once again, it was Claudio Spanu who took third position and once again, it was Harry Edmondson who finished just off the podium in fourth. Another Fantic rider, Hugo Svard was fifth.

Jed Etchells

Finally, in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, Gonçalo Reis remains undefeated in Open 2-Stroke. He won the day with an advantage of 1 minute and 38 seconds over Arvid Modin and 2 minutes over Robert Friedrich. As for Open 4-Stroke, Damiaens Diegter was given a penalty on Saturday and had to hand the victory over to his rival and compatriot, Mathias Van Hoff. But the KTM rider made up for it on Sunday and the two men are now tied on points again. Jorge Paradelo, once again completes the podium. In Open Senior Enduro legend Alessio Paoli won again ahead of David Martinez and Duccio Graziani.

What a tough weekend for the riders! And to think that we have to do it all again next weekend, once again in Marco de Canaveses for the season finale of the FIM Borilli Enduro World Championship!

EnduroGP Standings

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 HOLCOMBE Steve GBR Beta 112
2 FREEMAN Bradley GBR Beta 105
3 VERONA Andrea ITA TM 76
4 OLDRATI Thomas ITA Honda 69
5 LARRIEU Loic FRA TM 66
6 BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume ESP KTM 52
7 McCANNEY Daniel GBR Honda 49
8 MAGAIN Antoine BEL Sherco 39
9 GARCIA Josep ESP KTM 35
10 CAVALLO Matteo ITA Sherco 32

E1

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 VERONA Andrea ITA TM 111
2 OLDRATI Thomas ITA Honda 107
3 MAGAIN Antoine BEL Sherco 84
4 REMES Eero FIN Yamaha 54
5 SORECA Davide ITA Beta 50
6 CHARLIER Christophe FRA Beta 41
7 SNOW Alexander GBR Honda 37
8 BURUD Kevin NOR Yamaha 35
9 TARROUX Jeremy FRA Sherco 30
10 ALUN Richard SWE Sherco 27

E2

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 HOLCOMBE Steve GBR Beta 117
2 LARRIEU Loic FRA TM 92
3 McCANNEY Daniel GBR Honda 86
4 CAVALLO Matteo ITA Sherco 71
5 WOOTTON Joe GBR Husqvarna 57
6 VIAL Max FRA Husqvarna 48
7 GESLIN Anthony FRA Beta 46
8 GARCIA Josep ESP KTM 37
9 BLANJOUE Hugo FRA Honda 28
10 HUEBNER Edward DEU KTM 26

E3

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 FREEMAN Bradley GBR Beta 120
2 BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume ESP KTM 100
3 BASSET Antoine FRA Beta 80
4 ABGRALL David FRA Beta 63
5 GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal ESP Beta 53
6 GUARNERI Davide ITA TM 46
7 SANS SORIA Marc ESP KTM 45
8 MORONI Rudy ITA KTM 45
9 FRANCISCO Enric ESP Sherco 40
10 PASSET Thibaut FRA Beta 30

Junior

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 MACDONALD Hamish NZL Sherco 111
2 ESPINASSE Theophile FRA Sherco 92
3 RUPRECHT Wil AUS Beta 72
4 PAVONI Matteo ITA Beta 68
5 KYTONEN Roni FIN Honda 65
6 BARBOSA Ruy CHL Husqvarna 62
7 CRIVILIN Bruno BRA Honda 49
8 MACORITTO Lorenzo ITA Beta 41
9 CORTES Bernat ESP KTM 30
10 CRIQ Antoine FRA Sherco 29

Cheyne Boyd GoFundMe raises $25K in 24 hours

A fundraiser has been launched by motocross rider Mick Sinclair for the injured Cheyne Boyd, and raised $25k in the first 24 hours. Boyd has a long road to recovery ahead of him, with Sinclair also sharing that Park4 MX has been heavily impacted by coronavirus restrictions in Victoria.

Cheyne Boyd shared a picture of the aftermath of his surgery on Instagram
Mick Sinclair

“The accident will require Cheyne to remain in hospital for several weeks, possibly up to eight and the road to recovery will be long and arduous, to make things worse his business, Park4 MX has been plagued by the coronavirus restrictions in Melbourne, Victoria. Cheyne and his wife have three loving young children and have patiently been waiting for restrictions to be lifted. Unfortunately, Cheyne will not be able to work or operate machines for months and is already under enormous duress because of his business being uncontrollably closed.”

If you’d like to donate you can find the GoFundMe here – www.gofundme.com/f/4-boydy-road-to-recovery

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Sebastien Bühler wins 2020 Baja Portalegre 500

Portalegre brought good fortune to Sebastian Bühler (Hero) for the third successive season, as he claimed victory over team-mate Joachim Rodrigues and third-placed Micael Simão (KTM). Unfortunately, incessant rain and intense flooding hit the Portuguese region and forced the organisation to shorten the third stage from 300km to 79km.

Sebastien Bühler

The Baja Portalegre 500 rounded off a very unusual 2020 season decimated by Covid-19. With German rider Bühler (Hero) winning the race and also claiming the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup title from Micael Simão ( KTM) and Maciej Giemza (Husqvarna).

Sebastien Bühler

“Yesterday, it was a difficult stage because we crossed it in the rain. Having said that, I was able to increase the gap to my rivals, so it was a positive day. Unfortunately, today, we were only able to run a very small special of 79km instead of the planned 300km. It is frustrating but the organisation made this decision for our safety. I am obviously happy to win this event once again and it is a great satisfaction to win the FIM Baja World Cup title with Hero.”

Sebastien Bühler – Image by Nuno Laranjeira

Victory fell to Janaina Souza (Honda) in the women’s category. She finished ahead of Rosa Romero (KTM) and Sara Garcia (Yamaha).

In Juniors, Maciej Giemza (Husqvarna) secured victory laurels and the title, the Polish rider finishing in front of the Chilean Tomas de Gavardo (KTM) – who has learned a lot in the last two Baja seasons – and Konrad Dabrowski (KTM), who has also been learning Baja basics.

Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda) won the Veteran Trophy in the FIM Bajas World Cup.

2020 Baja Portalegre 500 Results

Overall Rankings after Stage 2

  1. Sebastian Buhler, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 1h 55m 16s
  2. Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, +1m 14s
  3. Bruno Santos, Team Can-Am Off Road, +5m 16s
  4. Salvador Vargas, JB Racing, +8m 47s
  5. David Megre, Vitoria Fc, +9m 27s

2020 FIM Cross-Country BAJAs World Cup Standings

  1. Sebastian Buhler, Hero MotoSports Team Rally – 50 Points
  2. Micael Simao, KTM Exc F 450 – 29 Points
  3. Maciek Giemza, Husqvarna Fe 450 – 29 Points
  4. Tomas De Gavardo, KTM Exc F – 22 Points
  5. Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Team Rally – 20 Points

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Silk Way Rally scheduled for 2021

The 11th edition of the Silk Way Rally (from 1 to 11 July 2021) offers a brand-new route across three countries and a return to Mongolia, with 10 stages covering approximately 5,000 kilometres in total. Mongolia is back in the route for 2021 and competitors will cross Russian and Mongolian Altai, before finishing in China and the crossing of the Gobi Desert.

The start will be held in Omsk (Russia, Siberia) on 1 July 2021. The rally will take the competitors across the countryside of the South-West of Siberia then West to East across the Russian and Mongolian Altai region, before a Chinese final in the Gobi Desert, with a finish in Urumqi on 11 July, after covering 5000 kilometres, of which approximately half will be selective sector.

Vladimir Chagin – Director of the Silk Way Rally

“The events of the last months have had a profound effect on the world, that of sport and motorsport in particular. Nevertheless, the Silk Way Rally team has been active throughout this difficult year and continue to be so, in order to be ready for the coming edition. Next July, the Silk Way Rally competitors will discover completely new regions over a route that has never been used before: The South-West of Siberia, the Altai region with its untouched nature and it’s breath-taking scenery, Mongolia once again but in a different area to that of the previous edition, and of course the Gobi Desert – an indispensable part of the Silk Way Rally, eagerly anticipated by every competitor.”

2021 Silk Way Rally

2021 Silk Way Rally Programme

  • October, 2020 presentation of the host regions and race categories
  • 15 of February, 2021 opening of registration for competitors
  • 01 of April, 2021 opening of accreditation for media
  • April – May general reconnaissance – preparation of the final route
  • 01 of June, 2021 closure of the entries
  • 30 of June _ 01 of July, 2021 administrative checks and scrutineering, Omsk, Russia
  • 01 of July, 2021 start ceremony, Omsk, Russia
  • 02-11 of July, 2021 race: 10 legs in Russia, Mongolia, China
  • 11 of July, 2021 finish podium in Urumqi, China

2020 GNCC Buckwheat 100

The 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, finished out its season on Sunday, November 8, 2020 with the inaugural AMSOIL Buckwheat 100 event in Newburg, West Virginia. With unseasonal weather throughout the entire weekend, temperatures in the high 70’s helped heat up the season finale of racing.

After three-hours of intense racing at the GNCC season finale it would be AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr. standing atop the podium for his fourth overall win of the season. Baylor would battle throughout the day and he would ultimately cross the finish line second, however, Ben Kelley, who crossed the finish line first, was given a one position penalty placing him second overall.

Steward Baylor Jr – Image by Ken Hill

Kelley would work his way back from a fourth place start on the opening lap, moving into third and then second before battling for the lead position. Baylor and Kelley would continue to engage in a heated battle all the way to the checkered flag.

Jordan Ashburn got a great jump off the line grabbing the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 holeshot award. Ashburn would lead the pack of XC1 Open Pro riders into the woods, and he would continue to lead the race for the first two laps of racing. Ashburn would then fall back to third overall, but he would push for the remainder of the race to hold onto that final podium position.

Earning fourth overall on the day was Grant Baylor. When the green flag flew, Baylor found himself towards the back of the pack but would battle throughout the day to make his way up front. Baylor physically crossed the finish line in fifth, but after a penalty to a fellow XC1 competitor he would be credited with fourth at the final race of the 2020 GNCC season.

Jordan Ashburn – Image by Ken Hill

Rounding out the top five overall finishers was Layne Michael. After working his way up to fourth from a seventh place start to the day, an on track incident would move him back to fifth overall. This is Michael’s third-straight fifth place finish overall. Michael remains seventh in the points standings for the XC1 Open Pro class.

Three riders will be credited with eighth place finishes after reviewing and assessing penalties on the day. Andrew Delong was having a good race running sixth as the checkered flag flew, however Delong was penalized two positions for two separate on-track occurrences. Thad Duvall found himself running in second during the first part of the race, though as he came around on lap four, he would find himself running ninth. Duvall put his head down and pushed making some necessary passes but would ultimately be one of the three riders credited with an eighth place finish after crossing the line in seventh.

As the checkered flag waved, Josh Strang physically crossed the finish line ninth overall but would be credited with an eighth place finish on the day. As the two lap board came out Strang found himself running fourth, but on that lap, he would have to make a longer-than-normal pit stop as he had found that his rear brake line had burst.

Josh Strang

“Not all to plan yesterday, I had a rock come up with 2 laps to go and bust my rear brake line. I enjoyed the new track, a little slippery and rocky but enjoyable! Thanks to the boys for getting me back out to finish off the year! At the beginning of the GNCC season I felt ready but was unsure of where I stood. I’m getting older and the guys are getting faster. I ended up second in the series with nine podiums that included two wins. I had an absolute blast racing this year, maybe the most enjoyable to date, and I was more competitive than I had been in the past. A massive shoutout to @teambabbitts & @racekawasaki for the support they have thrown into this program! The bikes truly are awesome and I believe we have shown that they are super competitive in off-road racing! Thanks to @maurer44 for having my bikes ready every weekend and @faroffroad & @dennybartz making the show run effortlessly… @mrs.cameronstrang and Maverick also for the endless support! I’m excited for a break but will be excited for the 2021 season when it’s time thanks to everyone for the support it’s been a good one.”

Trevor Bollinger made his return to the GNCC Racing circuit after missing the season due to a knee injury. Bollinger was off to a good start as he ran inside the top five for the first part of the race. As the checkered flag flew Bollinger would be credited with a ninth place finish on the day, after a one position penalty was assessed. Rounding out the top 10 in the XC1 Open Pro class was Evan Earl. Earl had a consistent race running inside the XC1 top 10 for the duration of the three-hour race.

Craig Delong won the XC2 – Image by Ken Hill

Coming into the final round the XC2 250 Pro National Championship was still up for grabs. The battle for the championship was between Craig Delong and Michael Witkowski, with 11 points separating them. As the race got underway it was Sam Evans grabbing the $100 Hot Cams XC2 holeshot award, but it would soon be Witkowski taking over the lead.

Delong would work his way back from a fourth place start to the day to overtake second place with three laps remaining the in the race. As the checkered flag came out it would be Witkowski physically crossing the finish line first, but after a one position penalty he would officially place second in the XC2 class for the day. Delong would come through physically second, enough to earn the XC2 National Championship, but after Witkowski’s penalty he would be credited with the XC2 class win as well as earning his first-ever XC2 National Championship.

Cody Barnes came through to round out the XC2 class podium after falling back to fifth at one point in the race. Barnes would make the necessary moves through the pack to make his way back to the podium as the checkered flag waved. Barnes finishes out the year fourth in the points standings.

In the FMF XC3 125cc Pro-Am class it was National Champion, Zack Hayes taking his seventh win of the season after leading all seven laps of racing at the AMSOIL Buckwheat 100 GNCC. Max Fernandez came through to take second in the FMF XC3 class, followed by Michael Delosa rounding out the top three. Fernandez made the jump to the XC3 class after securing second overall in the 150 A points standings.

Coming through to clinch her first-ever WXC win was Rachel Gutish. After grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC holeshot award, Gutish put her head down to place a gap over the rest of the WXC field. Gutish would come through timing and scoring with the lead position on all four laps, taking the win by 39 seconds.

Rachel Gutish – Image by Ken Hill

After starting out the day third in WXC, Becca Sheets made the pass for second and set her sights on Gutish. Sheets would ultimately run out of time and cross the line second on the day at the 2020 GNCC season finale. Korie Steede battled back after falling to fourth at one point in the race to round out the WXC top three in West Virginia.

In the 8 a.m. youth race it was Cole Forbes taking his second-straight youth overall win and YXC1 class win of the season. Chase Landers and Nicholas Defeo rounded out the top three overall finishers, and the top two in the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class. Wyatt Marshall and Dylan Sharpe finished second and third in the YXC1 class, with Matthew Hallenbeck taking third in the YXC2 class. Peyton Feather came through to take seventh overall and the 85cc (12-13) class win, with Rivers Morris and Colton Shields rounding out the top three in the class.

Cole Forbes – Image Ken Hill

Due to health concerns arising from the COVID crisis, series organiser Racer Productions cancelled the traditional season-ending awards banquets set for December 12th (ATV) and 13th (Bikes), which hosts well over 700 guests each night. In their stead, the first-ever online GNCC Virtual Awards Ceremonies was announced.

Buckwheat 100 Bike PM Results – Top 25

Place Racer Class Brand Elapsed
1 STEWARD BAYLOR JR 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike YAM 03:01:21.298
2 BENJAMIN M KELLEY 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike KTM 03:01:21.810
3 JORDAN ASHBURN 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike KAW 03:04:30.291
4 GRANT BAYLOR 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike SHR 03:07:44.977
5 LAYNE MICHAEL 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike YAM 03:07:45.719
6 CRAIG B DELONG 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike HQV 03:10:45.491
7 MICHAEL WITKOWSKI 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike YAM 03:10:46.350
8 ANDREW R DELONG 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike HON 03:11:46.511
9 CODY J BARNES 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike BET 03:10:49.458
10 JONATHAN T JOHNSON 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike HON 03:10:55.750
12 THADDEUS DUVALL 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike HQV 03:11:42.998
12 RYDER LAFFERTY 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike HQV 03:14:06.640
13 TREVOR BOLLINGER 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike HQV 03:14:59.450
14 JOSH V STRANG 01. XC1 Open Pro – Bike KAW 03:14:58.257
15 JESSE ANSLEY 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike KTM 03:16:33.539
16 TRISTON LANDRUM 05. 250 A – Bike YAM 03:19:01.817
17 BENJAMIN NELKO 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike HQV 03:19:09.235
18 SAMUEL EVANS 02. XC2 250 Pro – Bike KTM 03:20:14.979
19 BRAYDEN NOLETTE 05. 250 A – Bike KTM 03:21:10.036
20 WILL SIEVENPIPER 04. Open A – Bike KTM 03:21:12.617
21 CHASE HAYES 04. Open A – Bike KTM 03:22:17.059
22 ZACK HAYES 03. FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am – Bike KTM 03:22:32.099
23 DAKODA DEVORE 05. 250 A – Bike KTM 03:23:57.492
24 COLE WHITMER 07. 4-Stroke A Lites – Bike HQV 03:24:01.319
25 MAX FERNANDEZ 03. FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am – Bike BET 03:24:56.19625

XC1 Pro Championship Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 Kailub Russell 295
2 Josh Strang 253
3 Jordan Ashburn 206
4 Steward Baylor Jr. 188
5 Craig Delong 186
6 Benjamin Kelley 178
7 Michael Witkowski 175
8 Grant Baylor 170
9 Jonathan Girroir 146
10 Cody Barnes 134

XC2 250 Pro Championship Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 Craig Delong 316
2 Michael Witkowski 304
3 Jonathan Girroir 280
4 Cody Barnes 229
5 Liam Draper 204
6 Jonathan Johnson 158
7 Ryder Lafferty 150
8 Thorn Devlin 145
9 Benjamin Nelko 125
10 Jesse Ansley 118

Buckwheat 100 Bike AM Results – Top 25

Place Racer Class Brand Elapsed
1 CAMERON SISK 43. Sportsman A – Bike HQV 01:56:14.930
2 TYLER J SORIANO 43. Sportsman A – Bike HON 01:57:16.879
3 DESHAUN HORTON 43. Sportsman A – Bike KTM 01:59:03.619
4 RACHEL GUTISH 17. WXC – Bike BET 01:59:16.759
5 BECCA N SHEETS 17. WXC – Bike YAM 01:59:56.339
6 GREGORY V FUNK 43. Sportsman A – Bike KAW 02:00:22.350
7 NICK SMITH 43. Sportsman A – Bike YAM 02:01:43.316
8 CONNER KEEGAN 43. Sportsman A – Bike HQV 02:02:41.179
9 KORIE STEEDE 17. WXC – Bike TM 02:03:34.658
10 GARY FRIDLEY 43. Sportsman A – Bike YAM 02:04:26.130
11 BILL J ATKINSON 18. Super Senior A (45+) – Bike KTM 02:04:53.299
12 DACOTA J ABBOTT 43. Sportsman A – Bike BET 02:04:55.377
13 BROOKE COSNER 17. WXC – Bike SHR 02:05:42.330
14 ZACHARY KROPP 43. Sportsman A – Bike KTM 02:05:52.398
15 COLE ROBBINS 43. Sportsman A – Bike YAM 02:05:54.413
16 PAYDON E SIMMONS 44. Sportsman B – Bike KTM 02:06:20.459
17 AARON STUTER 43. Sportsman A – Bike KTM 02:06:33.015
18 ANTHONY OPLINGER 44. Sportsman B – Bike HQV 02:06:43.490
19 SCOTT PHELPS 18. Super Senior A (45+) – Bike YAM 02:06:43.540
20 JOHN HAWKINS 44. Sportsman B – Bike KTM 02:07:19.318
21 AUSTIN P ZINK 43. Sportsman A – Bike KAW 02:07:44.331
22 JASON KEY 43. Sportsman A – Bike YAM 02:08:09.138
23 JUSTIN L MURPHY 43. Sportsman A – Bike HQV 02:08:11.219
24 RANDALL ERVIN 43. Sportsman A – Bike YAM 02:08:52.558
25 DJ WOLFORD 44. Sportsman B – Bike HON 02:09:04.570

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2020 WX MX State Championship – Round 3

Regan Duffy swept the MX1 and MX2 championships at Bunbury over the weekend, winning all three races in each classes in perfect form.

In MX1, Duffy won the round from Charlie Creech and Josh Adams, while the championship standings saw him win with 315-points, to John Darroch on 259, while Creech was third overall on 257, three-points ahead of Josh Adams.

In MX2 Duffy took the win from Brock Flynn and Josh Adams, with only two-points separating Flynn and Adams. Duffy won the MX2 title on 315-points, with Adams second overall on 274. Conan Forrester completed the podium on 243 points.

MX1 Results – Round 3

Pos Racer Total R1 R2 R3
1 REGAN DUFFY 105 35 35 35
2 CHARLIE CREECH 90 30 32 28
3 JOSH ADAMS 88 32 30 26
4 JOHN DARROCH 83 26 25 32
5 STUART EARDLEY-WILMOT 81 25 26 30
6 CONNOR TIERNEY 81 28 28 25
7 LUKE FEW 71 24 24 23
8 MICHAEL KENNEDY 68 22 22 24
9 STEVEN POCOCK 65 23 21 21
10 JAKE WATLING 60 21 19 20
11 BRYNN CUTTS 59 20 20 19
12 DANE CUTTS 55 19 18 18
13 BENJIMAN GIBBS 50 17 16 17
14 GAVIN HEGGS 48 18 14 16
15 BLAIR OUTRAM 46 15 17 14
16 DYLAN HEARD 45 23 22
17 MITCHELL WILHELM 40 16 9 15
18 DANNY MAYES 39 14 13 12
19 RUSSELL WORBOYES 35 13 11 11
20 ZACH SANDOW 28 15 13
21 REECE LAWRENCE 22 12 10
22 BRAYDON WILSON 12 12

MX1 Standings – Top 20

Pos Name Total
1 REGAN DUFFY 315
2 JOHN DARROCH 259
3 CHARLIE CREECH 257
4 JOSH ADAMS 254
5 STUEY WILMOT 222
6 STEVEN POCOCK 184
7 LUKE FEW 182
8 CONNOR TIERNEY 164
9 BRYNN CUTTS 164
10 DYLAN HEARD 145
11 DANE CUTTS 136
12 CORBEN WEINERT 129
13 ANTHONY HICKS 116
14 BLAIR OUTRAM 93
15 DEAN PORTER 90
16 MITCHELL WILHELM 82
17 CHRISTIAN SILVESTRO 81
18 DANNY MAYES 76
19 CODY CHITTICK 70
20 MICHAEL KENNEDY 68

MX2 Results – Round 3

Pos Racer Total R1 R2 R3
1 REGAN DUFFY 105 35 35 35
2 BROCK FLYNN 92 28 32 32
3 JOSH ADAMS 90 32 30 28
4 CONAN FORRESTER 78 24 28 26
5 JAKE TURNER 76 30 16 30
6 SETH MANUEL 74 25 24 25
7 ANTHONY HICKS 70 21 26 23
8 CODY CHITTICK 67 23 20 24
9 EVAN BROWNE 66 22 25 19
10 REVONN NIEUWOUDT 65 20 23 22
11 BRENDON BAYLISS 61 18 22 21
12 BEN COOK 60 19 21 20
13 SHANE MURRAY 54 17 19 18
14 TOM LILLY 50 16 17 17
15 SHAUN SNOW 45 15 14 16
16 DYLAN HENNESSEY 44 26 18
17 ZAC SAFFIOTI 42 13 15 14
18 MASON PAYNE 29 14 15
19 HANNAH BAGNALL 25 12 13

MX2 Standings – Top 20

Pos Rider Total
1 REGAN DUFFY 315
2 JOSH ADAMS 274
3 CONAN FORRESTER 243
4 CODY CHITTICK 220
5 SETH MANUEL 216
6 EVAN BROWNE 197
7 BRENDON BAYLISS 190
8 DANIEL PAJEWSKI 186
9 REVONN NIEUWOUDT 161
10 TOM LILLY 158
11 SHANE MURRAY 155
12 BEN COOK 148
13 SHAUN SNOW 130
14 CHRISTIAN SILVESTRO 107
15 BROCK FLYNN 92
16 JAYDEN MCFERRAN 85
17 BRAYDON BAYNES 79
18 MITCHELL KILLEEN 79
19 JAKE TURNER 76
20 ROBERT LOVETT 71

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | GNCC | MXGP | EMX | MX Fest | Romaniacs

Moto News Weekly Wrap
October 27, 2020

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Jett Lawrence awarded 2020 Marty Smith Rookie of the Year

The first honoree of the newly named “Marty Smith Rookie of the Year” was GEICO Honda’s Jett Lawrence. On a bittersweet afternoon for the influential race team at the Fox Raceway National, the Australian capped off a stellar first full season of Pro Motocross competition by breaking through with the first win of what looks to be a promising career, which also helped him earn fourth in the final standings.

Jett Lawrence – Image by Align Media

The 17-year-old is the first Australian to earn the award and his victory, combined with the first career win for Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton in the 450 Class that same day, helped vault American Honda Motor Company to “Manufacturer of the Year”. The “Red Riders” amassed more points across both the 450 Class and 250 Class than any other OEM, wrapping up a banner afternoon and memorable season for the iconic Japanese brand.


2020 GNCC Yamaha Racing Ironman – Indiana

Round 12 of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series concluded at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana on Sunday and coming through to take his second overall win of the season was Josh Strang.

Josh Strang – Image by Ken Hill

Strang steadily made his way through the pack after starting in the third place position. After moving into second Strang would set his sights on the lead position, and he would battle throughout the fourth lap to take over the number one spot. Strang would continue to lead the last four laps of racing, but not without pressure from AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr.

Strang and Baylor Jr. continued to battle on the last lap, but after an incident on Ironman hill Baylor Jr. would find himself falling behind Strang as they came through the motocross track to take the checkered flag. Baylor Jr. held the lead for the first three laps of racing before Strang made the stick, but even after a crash on the hill he would remain 1.5 seconds ahead of third overall.

Ben Kelley worked his way up after running seventh on the opening laps

Josh Strang – Image by Ken Hill

of racing. Kelley make the necessary passes to move up through the pack, and he would close the gap between him and Baylor Jr. as the white flag flew. Kelley moves into seventh overall in the points standings after missing the first half of the season.

Coming through to take fourth overall on the day was Kailub Russell. Russell found himself towards the front of the XC1 Open Pro riders at the beginning of the race but would make a mistake halfway through losing some valuable time with the leaders. Russell would continue to push on, ultimately coming through 7 seconds behind his teammate Kelley.

Steward Baylor Jr. – Image by Ken Hill

Another rider that found himself towards the front early on in the race was Layne Michael. On lap four, Michael came through timing and scoring holding onto third overall but as the race worse on he would find himself falling back two positions to take fifth overall on the day.

Grant Baylor was making moves throughout the duration of the race after coming through timing and scoring in eighth on the opening lap. Baylor would continue to push, as he made his way up to sixth overall after a hard-fought battle at this year’s Ironman event. Baylor continues to hold onto sixth in the XC1 Open Pro class standings.

Earning seventh on the day was Jordan Ashburn. After coming through fifth on lap one, Ashburn would have his work cut out for him as a hungry pack of riders were right behind him. Ashburn found himself as far back as eighth at one point in the race and would then move into seventh on the day continuing to stay in that position until the checkered flag flew.

Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew Delong made a last lap pass to move into eighth after running ninth for majority of the race. While Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall suffered a crash on the fifth lap and found himself back to eighth after running up in fifth for the first half of the race. KLM Kawasaki’s Evan Earl rounded out the top 10 in the XC1 class after steadily holding onto that position throughout the race.

Andrew Delong – Image by Ken Hill

In the XC2 250 Pro class, it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig Delong jumping out to grab the $100 Hot Cams XC2 Holeshot Award. Delong would then fall back to fifth in the class but would soon find himself picking off riders to make the pass for the lead on lap five. Delong would hold onto lead taking his fourth win of the season and regaining the class points lead as the series heads into its last round of racing.

Lyndon Snodgrass held the early lead but would soon face a battle with Jonathan Girroir. As the duo battle, Girroir would make the pass for the lead and hold onto it for one lap. Unfortunately, Girroir would crash towards the end of race and end up eleventh in his class. Snodgrass would regroup and continue to battle for a podium finish. Snodgrass would again make a last lap pass to regain second, landing himself his first podium finish in the XC2 class.

Rounding out the XC2 class podium in third was Mike Witkowski. Witkowski would battle throughout the three-hour race at the front of the pack, but he would be unable to hold the lead. Witkowski moved into second on the last lap, but with Snodgrass hot on his heels he would be unable to hold him off. Witkowski came through to take third in his class, and now sits second in the points standings.

Taking the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class win was Jason Raines. Coming through to earn second was the newly-crowned XC3 National Champion, Zack Hayes. Rounding out the podium in third was Jason Lipscomb.

Earning the top amateur honors was Joseph Cunningham after finishing 18th overall and first in the 250 A class. Dakoda Devore and Nathan Rector rounded out the top amateur podium with their 20th and 21st overall finishes.

Joseph Cunningham – Image by Ken Hill

In the 10 a.m. race it was Rachael Archer coming through to earn her fifth overall win of the season. Archer would take the win, even after an incident with a lapper left her with a possible broken ankle. Rachel Gutish came through to take second in the WXC class followed by Becca Sheets, who rounded out the WXC podium.

A new winner emerged in the youth ranks with Cole Forbes taking the youth overall win and the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Davis came through to earn second overall and in the YXC1 class, with Lane Whitmer crossing the line third overall in the 8 a.m. youth morning race.

$5,000 was awarded to the Montgomery County Community Foundation with donations coming from Yamaha Racing, KTM North America, HBD Moto Grafix, and the GNCC Racing Nation as they contributed in purchasing Pink Ironman stickers and partaking in the Mullets for Mammies by Bottleneck Live contest.

XC1 Pro Event Results

  1. Josh Strang (KAW)
  2. Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
  3. Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
  4. Kailub Russell (KTM)
  5. Layne Michael (YAM)
  6. Grant Baylor (SHR)
  7. Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
  8. Andrew Delong (HON)
  9. Thad Duvall (HQV)
  10. Evan Earl (KAW)

Overall National Championship Standings

  1. Kailub Russell (295)
  2. Josh Strang (246)
  3. Jordan Ashburn (185)
  4. Craig Delong (171)
  5. Michael Witkowski (161)
  6. Steward Baylor Jr. (158)
  7. Benjamin Kelley (153)
  8. Grant Baylor (152)
  9. Jonathan Girroir (146)
  10. Cody Barnes (122)

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

  1. Craig Delong (HQV)
  2. Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
  3. Michael Witkowski (YAM)
  4. Liam Draper (KTM)
  5. Cody Barnes (BET)
  6. Ryder Lafferty (HQV)
  7. Jonathan Johnson (HON)
  8. Jesse Ansley (KTM)
  9. Ben Parsons (HQV)
  10. Samuel Evans (KTM)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

  1. Craig Delong (296)
  2. Michael Witkowski (285)
  3. Jonathan Girroir (280)
  4. Cody Barnes (211)
  5. Liam Draper (194)
  6. Thorn Devlin (145)
  7. Jonathan Johnson (141)
  8. Ryder Lafferty (134)
  9. Benjamin Nelko (111)
  10. Jesse Ansley (103)

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2020 MXGP of Lommel – Round 15

The weekend saw the running of the 2020 MXGP of Lommel, as the final round of the Belgian triple-header, with a new track layout introduced to up the ante in sectors three and four, upping the tempo of the races, while adding an additional challenge for riders.

In MXGP it was Tim Gajser claiming top honours, winning both races, with Romain Febvre runner up in both races for second overall. Jeremy Seewer completed the overall podium, going 4-3.

Tim Gajser

Tim Gajser extended his standings lead as a result, now leading Tony Cairoli by 74-points, 583 to 509. Jeremy Seewer sits third on 499-points, while Jorge Prado was unable to compete in MX2 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was in self-isolation. The rest of his Red Bull KTM team had returned negative test results, however he dropped to fourth. Mitch Evans, still out with injury, sits 13th in the standings as the top Aussie.

MXGP Overall Results

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 25 25 50
2 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 22 22 44
3 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 18 20 38
4 Paulin, Gautier FRA YAM 16 18 34
5 Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 20 11 31
6 Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM 13 16 29
7 Bogers, Brian NED KTM 15 14 29
8 Desalle, Clement BEL KAW 11 15 26
9 Tixier, Jordi FRA KTM 14 12 26
10 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL HON 12 6 18
11 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED YAM 8 8 16
12 Van doninck, Brent BEL HUS 0 13 13
13 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS HUS 3 10 13
14 Walsh, Dylan GBR HON 4 9 13
15 Monticelli, Ivo ITA GAS 7 4 11
16 Leok, Tanel EST HUS 5 5 10
17 Petrov, Petar BUL KTM 9 1 10
18 Watson, Nathan GBR HON 10 0 10
19 van der Vlist, Freek NED KTM 0 7 7
20 Potisek, Milko FRA YAM 6 0 6
21 Guillod, Valentin SUI HON 0 3 3
22 Sterry, Adam GBR KTM 0 2 2
23 Ebben, Kay NED KTM 2 0 2
24 Rannikko, Rene FIN HUS 1 0 1

MXGP Standings –  Top 30

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 583
2 Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 509
3 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 499
4 Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 476
5 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 465
6 Paulin, G. FRA YAM 403
7 Coldenhoff, G. NED GAS 375
8 Desalle, C. BEL KAW 362
9 Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 289
10 Herlings, J. NED KTM 263
11 Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 248
12 Bogers, Brian NED KTM 233
13 Evans, M. AUS HON 228
14 Tixier, Jordi FRA KTM 212
15 Vlaanderen, C. NED YAM 206
16 Monticelli, I. ITA GAS 161
17 Jacobi, Henry GER YAM 134
18 Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM 122
19 Cervellin, M. ITA YAM 84
20 Lupino, A. ITA YAM 82
21 Bobryshev, E. RUS HUS 75
22 Leok, Tanel EST HUS 72
23 Walsh, Dylan GBR HON 67
24 Petrov, Petar BUL KTM 66
25 Van doninck, B. BEL HUS 53
26 Guillod, V. SUI HON 52
27 Paturel, B. FRA HON 45
28 Sterry, Adam GBR KTM 44
29 Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 31
30 Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 26

MX2

The MX2 class was hard fought with Ben Watson and Roan Van De Moosdijk sharing the wins, with just eight-points separating the top six. Watson came out on top adding a fourth place result to his win for the overall on 43-points. Van De Moosdijk had to settle for second on 40-points, with Maxime Renaux third, ahead of Thomas Kjer Olsen, GasGas’s Isak Gifting and Tom Vialle.

Roan Van De Moosdijk

Jed Beaton was inside the top-10 in eighth, claiming 27 championship points. He had a consistent day, not getting the best jump from the start in race one, and moving up through the ranks throughout the race, before making the pass for seventh on lap 13, Jed then chased Roan Van De Moosdijk to the chequered flag to end his race in seventh.

Moto two saw a much better start for the FC 250 rider. Moving into ninth early in the race, Jed progressed into seventh at the halfway stage of the race as he found his rhythm around the demanding Lommel track. Losing just one position as the moto neared the end, he finished eighth.

Jed Beaton

“A disappointing day today. Not my greatest day of racing but I’m healthy, which is important with three rounds to go. I found my flow in both races but not until towards the end, which was frustrating. By then there was a big gap ahead of me in each race. Overall, I felt like my riding was good, it just took me a little while to get going. Looking forward to some hardpack next weekend in Italy.”

Jed Beaton

Bailey Malkiewicz took 13th overall for 12-points, racing to 16th in Race 1, and improving that result to 14th in Race 2.

In terms of the championship, Geerts has lost some ground on Vialle who now heads into the final three rounds with a 74-point advantage, with Renaux down in third with 476 points. Beaton now sits fourth on 456-points, with fellow Australian Bailey Malkiewicz 16th on 119.

The world series now heads to Pietramurata in the north Italian province of Trentino next weekend for the last of five triple-header GPs which will complete the eighteen-round series.

MX2 Overall Results

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 25 18 43
2 Van De Moosdijk, Roan NED KAW 15 25 40
3 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 22 16 38
4 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN HUS 16 20 36
5 Gifting, Isak SWE GAS 13 22 35
6 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 20 15 35
7 Benistant, Thibault FRA YAM 18 10 28
8 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 14 13 27
9 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 8 14 22
10 Östlund, Alvin SWE HON 9 12 21
11 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 12 8 20
12 Vaessen, Bas NED KTM 10 9 19
13 Malkiewicz, Bailey AUS HON 5 7 12
14 Renkens, Nathan BEL KTM 6 6 12
15 Horgmo, Kevin NOR KTM 7 5 12
16 Rubini, Stephen FRA HON 0 11 11
17 Genot, Cyril BEL YAM 11 0 11
18 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA HON 4 4 8
19 Polak, Petr CZE YAM 2 3 5
20 Nermann, Johannes EST HUS 3 2 5
21 Meier, Glen DEN YAM 1 1 2

MX2 Standings – Top 30

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 651
2 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 577
3 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 476
4 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 456
5 Olsen, T. DEN HUS 446
6 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 440
7 Van De Moosdijk, R. NED KAW 417
8 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 307
9 Fernandez, R. ESP YAM 279
10 Boisrame, M. FRA KAW 234
11 Rubini, S. FRA HON 228
12 Östlund, Alvin SWE HON 215
13 Gifting, Isak SWE GAS 179
14 Forato, A. ITA HUS 156
15 Vaessen, Bas NED KTM 136
16 Malkiewicz, B. AUS HON 119
17 Haarup, Mikkel DEN KAW 118
18 Horgmo, Kevin NOR KTM 104
19 Renkens, N. BEL KTM 97
20 Crawford, N. AUS HON 91
21 Lesiardo, M. ITA HON 90
22 Pancar, Jan SLO KTM 88
23 Gilbert, Josh GBR HUS 87
24 Genot, Cyril BEL YAM 85
25 Hofer, Rene AUT KTM 73
26 Sikyna, R. SVK KTM 67
27 Guadagnini, M. ITA HUS 62
28 Laengenfelder, S. GER GAS 59
29 Sydow, Jeremy GER GAS 35
30 Roosiorg, H. EST KTM 33

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EMX125

Fantic Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi secured the crown in the EMX125 class at the final round of the series in Lommel, as he became this year’s European Champion! The Italian entered today’s races with a 38-point advantage over David Braceras of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team and only needed to finish the races with a solid result in order to seal the deal. Bonacorsi finished the opening race of the day third, which was enough for him to claim the title in race one.

Andrea Bonacorsi

“It’s just amazing. I worked really hard for it [the title], with the team, with my family, with my trainer, the gold plate and European champion, so it’s amazing. For sure in Faenza, after the first win, then I had 6 race wins and I realised I could be champion.”

Andrea Bonacorsi claimed the EMX125 Championship

The Fantic Racing rider then had a much tougher second race after getting caught out in a first turn crash, which meant he had to start from way back and 11th was the best he could do. Unfortunately, he missed out on the podium, though the main focus was that he took home that all-important championship gold plate.

Despite a tough day, Braceras held enough of a gap to finish second in the championship with 282 points, ahead of Meico Vettik of TBS Conversions Racing Team who claimed the bronze medal after a solid day, which saw him also second overall on the podium.

EMX125 Race 1

The first race of the day saw WZ Racing’s Max Palsson lead the way as he was closely followed by Vettik and Scott Smulders of No Fear/Jumbo BT Racing Team on the opening lap. Meanwhile, the then championship leader, Bonacorsi, was down in 9th.

EMX125 Start

Guillem Farres of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team then crashed out of 6th and was down outside the top 20, as Smulders dropped out of 3rd as well and re-joined the race in 12th.

Bonacorsi though was wasting no time as by the first full lap he was already in 4th, looking to charge for the leaders as he was keen to wrap up the title in the first heat.

Palsson then extended his race lead over Vettik to 2.002 in the early stages of the race, and the gap remained pretty tight until the end of the race, as the two battled closely together.

Bonacorsi came under fire from the Creymert Racing pilot Haakon Osterhagen for 4th, though he was able to defend his position, before going after Pietro Razzini for third a few laps later.

It was a tough race for Braceras who had to start the race from outside the top 30 and fight his way through. Eventually the Spaniard finished the race in 16th, not a result he would have wanted after his previous success here in Lommel over the last couple of rounds.

Osterhagen then lost a bit of ground as he was getting caught by Romeo Karu and Ivano Van Erp of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC team, though he was able to maintain his position until the end of the race, while Karu made a mistake and finished in 15th.

On lap 9, Bonacorsi moved himself in 3rd, as Vettik gave it another go at passing Palsson though was not successful. He then gave it one last push on the final 3 laps as the gap was just 0.666 seconds, but Palsson was able to keep control and claim his first race win of the season.

EMX125 Race 2

The second race started with a little bit of drama in the first turn, which caught out a couple of riders including Karu and the new EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing champion, Bonacorsi. Though it was Van Erp who led the way, with Palsson in second and Valerio Lata of Marchetti Racing Team KTM in third.

Andrea Bonacorsi

Vettik started the second heat outside the top 5, though he was on a charge and quickly caught out to the group as he passed Braceras for 5th on lap two.

By lap 5 there was a change in the lead, as Van Erp crashed out, which allowed Palsson to make the most of this opportunity to go after another race win.

Farres was then on a charge as he had a nice battle with Quentin Prugnieres of BUD Racing Kawasaki. Eventually, the GasGas rider was able to find a way through into fourth on lap 7.

With 5 minutes and 2 laps to go, Palsson led the way by an impressive 11.960 seconds, as Osterhagen passed Nikita Kucherov for 7th and then went after Braceras. Not long after, the Norwegian burst down the inside of Braceras for 6th, as Kucherov was able to do the same, with the Spaniard getting pushed down to 8th and then 9th where he would eventually finish.

With 2 of laps to go, Florian Miot of KTM Diga Junior Racing was pushing hard to pass Farres for third, though got caught out in a crash and did not finish the race.

In the end it was Palsson who was the race winner, with Vettik second once again and Farres having a much stronger ride that time around to cross the line third.

With two race wins, Palsson claimed his first overall victory of the season as he took to the top step of the podium, while Vettik occupied second with two solid second place finishes in the races and Guillem Farres of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team made his 5th podium of the 2020 season as he took to third.

David Braceras

“Today I had a crash in the first race and then I was last, and then managed to get to seventeenth. In the second race, I started well but then wanted to stay safe because in the first race I lost a lot of points. I had a little problem with the goggles and wanted to stay safe and finish second in the championship. I’m happy with my position as I worked really hard with my team and my family and trainer, so I’m really happy and would like to thank everyone for all the support and now it’s time to prepare for the 250s”

Meico Vettik

“I’m really happy about the third place in the championship. I had some bad races and some good races, but I’m still happy about my season. Today I had good speed, in the second race I had a small problem with my goggles but still second, so I am happy. Thanks to all my supporters and friends.”

Max Palsson

“I’m super happy for the team and for myself as well. We work really hard. My starts were on point today and it made it a lot easier. The season as a whole though could have been a bit better, at the start of the year I wasn’t fully prepared, but I came back strong.”

Guillem Farres

“Overall it was a good day. In the first race I was around fourth in the first lap then I had a little crash and had to come from the back and finished sixth. In the second race, I had to start from ninth, made my way to third and in the last lap I was battling with Meico [Vettik] for second place but finally I could finish third.”

EMX125 Overall

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Palsson, Max SWE KTM 25 25 50
2 Vettik, Meico EST KTM 22 22 44
3 Farres, Guillem ESP GAS 15 20 35
4 Osterhagen, Haakon NOR KTM 16 16 32
5 Bonacorsi, Andrea ITA FAN 20 10 30
6 Van Erp, Ivano NED YAM 14 15 29
7 Prugnieres, Quentin Marc FRA KTM 7 18 25
8 Razzini, Pietro ITA HUS 18 6 24
9 Kucherov, Nikita RUS KTM 8 14 22
10 Reisulis, Karlis Alberts LAT KTM 4 13 17
11 Braceras, David ESP GAS 5 12 17
12 Karu, Romeo EST HUS 9 7 16
13 Lata, Valerio ITA KTM 6 9 15
14 Rainio, Sampo FIN HUS 10 5 15
15 Miot, Florian FRA KTM 13 0 13
16 Smulders, Scott NED HUS 11 1 12
17 Soulimani, Saad FRA KTM 12 0 12
18 Cazal, Xavier FRA KTM 0 11 11
19 Valk, Cas NED KTM 2 8 10
20 Karssemakers, Kay NED YAM 0 4 4
21 Vetrovsky, Radek CZE KTM 0 3 3
22 Voxen Kleemann, William DEN HUS 3 0 3
23 Pedersen, Rasmus DEN KTM 0 2 2
24 Alonso Rodilla, Victor ESP YAM 1 0 1

EMX125 Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Bonacorsi, A. ITA FAN 333
2 Braceras, D. ESP GAS 282
3 Vettik, Meico EST KTM 268
4 Palsson, Max SWE KTM 263
5 Razzini, P. ITA HUS 240
6 Farres, G. ESP GAS 211
7 Roncoli, A. ITA HUS 194
8 Prugnieres, Q. FRA KTM 186
9 Lata, Valerio ITA KTM 171
10 Osterhagen, H. NOR KTM 167
11 Soulimani, S. FRA KTM 152
12 Miot, Florian FRA KTM 124
13 Brumann, Kevin SUI YAM 117
14 Smulders, S. NED HUS 92
15 Kucherov, N. RUS KTM 86
16 Reisulis, K. LAT KTM 81
17 Congost, G. ESP GAS 73
18 Everts, Liam BEL KTM 66
19 Valk, Cas NED KTM 66
20 Piller, C. GER KTM 64
21 Venhoda, M. CZE KTM 64
22 Van Erp, Ivano NED YAM 57
23 Pedersen, R. DEN KTM 56
24 Cazal, Xavier FRA KTM 53
25 Rossi, Andrea ITA KTM 51
26 Karssemakers, K. NED YAM 41
27 Rainio, Sampo FIN HUS 36
28 Russi, M. ITA KTM 34
29 Karu, Romeo EST HUS 33
30 Sanchez, Raul ESP YAM 30

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2020 MX Fest – Digger McEwen Motocross Park.

It was a jam-packed schedule of three days racing in Taupo, as the country’s riders had their first competitive hit-out for the season at Digger McEwen Motocross Park for MX Fest 2020.

In the MX1 class Cody Cooper took the overall win, despite tying on points with Hamish Harwood, both on 91-points. Kayne Lamont was third on 78-points, with Rhys Carter fourth, and Campbell King fifth.

Kayne Lamont – P3

“The weekend’s racing was a great time for me. I rode very calm and in control, which I was happy with. I have two months of prep now before SummerCross, so I will try do as much as possible with bike time and continue testing parts to finalise my set-up for the summer.”

Kayne Lamont – Image by CLMINTIEPIX

MX2 saw Josiah Natzke (93-points) take the overall win from Maximus Purvis (78), while Brodie Connolly was third (71). Seton Head and Jack Treloar completed the top five.

20-year-old defending MX2 national champion Maximus Purvis believed he “just lacked the fitness” to ride for the victories but vowed, “I’ll definitely be ready for SummerCross at the end of December.”

Maximus Purvis – Image by CLMINTIEPIX

Darren Capill took the MX3 overall from Keleb Livesey and Ryan Denby, while Jayden McAloon and Caleb Franklin completed the top five.

2020 Taupo MX Fest Results
MX1 Overall Top 10

Pos Rider Points
1 Cody Cooper 91
2 Hamish Harwood 91
3 Kayne Lamont 78
4 Rhys Carter 73
5 Campbell King 52
6 Hayden Smith 45
7 Brad Groombridge 45
8 Hadleigh Knight 44
9 Tommy Watts 39
10 Richard Horne 37

MX2 Overall Top 10

Pos Rider Points
1 Josiah Natzke 93
2 Maximus Purvis 78
3 Brodie Connolly 71
4 Seton Head 54
5 Jack Treloar 46
6 James Scott 42
7 Donovan Ward 39
8 Oliver Ayre 38
9 Logan Kerrisk 34
10 James Rountree 33

MX3 Overall Top 10

Pos Rider Points
1 Darren Capill 72
2 Kaleb Livesey 65
3 Ryan Denby 55
4 Jayden McAloon 54
5 Caleb Franklin 49
6 Marty Axtens 45
7 Ben Lawson 39
8 Tristan Hall 38
9 Shane Robinson 37
10 Ben Wright 29

Bereman wins inaugural Red Bull Imagination

American Tyler Bereman added another big win to his freeride motocross résumé when he edged out compatriot Colby Raha to claim the inaugural Red Bull Imagination competition around the rolling hills of Kansas.

Tyler Bereman

“Everyone keeps saying it was the most fun stuff that they’ve ever ridden, so this is a good place to start. Hopefully we can build on it and bring it back, inviting more people and showcasing what we do and why we do it. I’m just stoked to see where this thing takes us. Everyone keeps saying it was the most fun stuff that they’ve ever ridden, so this is a good place to start. Hopefully we can build on it and bring it back, inviting more people and showcasing what we do and why we do it. I’m just stoked to see where this thing takes us.”

Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool

The new event, from the mind of Bereman himself and brought to life by course designer Jason Baker of Dream Traxx, marked a major step forward for the sport. A host of the sport’s top riders – including Cole Seely, Tom Parsons, Vicki Golden, Ryan Sipes and Darryn Durham – braved the massive jumps to showcase their own personal riding style on the innovative course.

Colby Raha – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool

Carved into the Midwestern landscape just outside Fort Scott, the 18-acre course took a crew of five moving 50,000 cubic yards of dirt just 19 days to build, including 5 features such as berms, a shipping container and a quarterpipe with some jumps launching the riders 140 feet across and 55 feet up into the air.

Three days of session riding led to a competition, where each rider had two five-minute windows to showcase their talent in crafting the perfect line.

Ryan Sipes, Colby Raha, Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool

Legends of the sport Ronnie Renner, Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg, Robbie Maddison and Steve Haughelstine judged the contest from a tower overlooking the entire course and scored riders on creativity, technical ability and adapting features to showcase personal style.

Red Bull Imagination 2020 result

  1. Tyler Bereman USA 97.0
  2. Colby Raha USA 96.0
  3. Cole Seely USA 90.5
  4. Ryan Sipes USA 85.0
Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool

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WORCS Round 7 – Blythe, CA

FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Taylor Robert extended his points lead in the 2020 World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) with a pair of solid 1-2 finishes at this weekend’s double-header serving as rounds six and seven of the nine-race series.

Austin Walton took the overall win for Round 7, with Taylor Robert runner up and Dante Oliveira claiming the final Pro MC podium position. Tyler Lynn led the Pro 2 Lights, in fifth overall, while Tallon Lafountaine was top Pro 2 rider in sixth.

Taylor Robert leads the Pro MC standings on 169-points, with closest competitor Oliveira on 142, while Austin Walton is third overall on 131.

WORCS Round 6 Pro MC Results

Place Name Overall Fin. Elap. Time
1 TAYLOR ROBERT – KTM 1 01:22:45.647
2 DANTE OLIVEIRA – KTM 2 01:24:19.435
3 TREVOR STEWART – HON 3 01:26:07.313
4 JUSTIN SEEDS – YAM 4 1:26:56.248
5 ZACH BELL – KAW 5 01:27:42.882
6 TRAVIS DAMON – HON 9 01:30:13.596
7 COLE MARTINEZ – HON 10 01:31:36.940
8 GIACOMO REDONDI – HQV 12 01:22:55.532
9 AUSTIN WALTON – HQV 17 01:25:06.297
10 RYAN SURRATT – HQV 20 01:26:32.702

WORCS Round 7 MC Results

Pos Name Class Cls Pos Brand Last Scan
1 AUSTIN WALTON Pro (MC) 1st HQV 21:16.5
2 TAYLOR ROBERT Pro (MC) 2nd KTM 21:58.2
3 DANTE OLIVEIRA Pro (MC) 3rd KTM 24:36.6
4 COLE MARTINEZ Pro (MC) 4th HON 24:42.4
5 TYLER LYNN Pro 2 Lights (MC) 1st YAM 28:31.0
6 TALLON LAFOUNTAINE Pro 2 (MC) 1st HON 28:08.2
7 TREVOR STEWART Pro (MC) 5th HON 27:41.9
8 TODD SIBELL Pro 2 (MC) 2nd KAW 29:10.3
9 TRAVIS DAMON Pro (MC) 6th HON 28:47.6
10 KAI AIELLO Pro 2 (MC) 3rd HQV 29:24.6
11 MASON A OTTERSBERG Pro 2 (MC) 4th YAM 29:33.8
12 ANGUS RIORDAN Pro 2 Lights (MC) 2nd KTM 21:18.7
13 JUSTIN SEEDS Pro (MC) 7th YAM 21:26.1
14 JAKE ALVAREZ Pro 2 Lights (MC) 3rd KAW 22:55.8
15 RYAN SURRATT Pro (MC) 8th HQV 22:06.3
16 MASON OLSON Pro 2 (MC) 5th KTM 24:33.9
17 PALMER KING Pro 2 (MC) 6th KTM 25:35.4
18 MATEO OLIVEIRA Pro 2 (MC) 7th KTM 26:11.9
19 JT BAKER Pro 2 (MC) 8th SHR 26:15.5
20 BRANDY RICHARDS Pro 2 Lights (MC) 4th KTM 27:55.3
21 CLAYTON HENGEVELD Pro 2 (MC) 9th KAW 29:49.9
22 MATT MAPLE Pro 2 (MC) 10th HON 21:33.2
23 HAYDEN FLOREZ Pro 2 (MC) 11th YAM 22:42.4
24 ZACHARY CRAMER Pro 2 (MC) 12th KTM 31:30.7
25 GIACOMO REDONDI Pro (MC) 9th HQV 21:39.4
26 KAITLYN JACOBS Pro 2 Lights (MC) 5th KTM 25:28.9
27 ZACH BELL Pro (MC) 10th KAW 39:17.7
28 THOMAS DUNN Pro 2 Lights (MC) 6th YAM 16:10.7
29 COLTON AECK Pro 2 (MC) 13th HQV 08:18.9

WORCS PRO MC Standings

Pos Rider Rnd6 Fin. Rnd7 Fin. Total
1 TAYLOR  ROBERT 1 2 169
2 DANTE  OLIVEIRA 2 3 142
3 AUSTIN  WALTON 9 1 131
4 COLE  MARTINEZ 7 4 117
5 TREVOR  STEWART 3 5 109
6 JUSTIN  SEEDS 4 7 102
7 RYAN  SURRATT 10 8 94
8 TRAVIS  DAMON 6 6 92
9 ZACH  BELL 5 10 61
10 GIACOMO  REDONDI 8 9 45
11 DALTON  SHIREY 29
12 MITCH  ANDERSON 23
13 BLAYNE  THOMPSON 19
14 GARY  SUTHERLIN 18
15 BROC  SHOEMAKER 13
16 MIKE  ALESSI 13
17 BRYCE  SHONDECK 8
18 JACOB  SMITH 7
19 CHRIS  CONWAY 6

Riders prepared for 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler is ready to race the 2020 edition of Red Bull Romaniacs. The grueling five-day event consists of a time trial qualification, followed by four long days of racing in the Romanian Hills. Based once again around the town of Sibiu, the hard enduro takes place from October 27 to 31.

Manuel Lettenbichler

“I’m feeling pretty good right now. I’ve been trying to get as much riding in as possible over the last couple of weeks as I wasn’t able to do too much after injuring my thumb, back in August. I’m really excited to just go back racing again, this year has been so mixed up, just the fact that we can do an event like Romaniacs is great. I won it last year and I want to do well this year, it’s just so difficult to know what to expect. Having not raced so much, it’s not easy to gauge where you are in terms of form compared to the other riders. The move to October hopefully won’t change things too much – it looks like it will stay dry and it will be cold early in the mornings, but it’s the same for everyone. I think we’re going to have a good race and I can’t wait to get into battle with the boys once again.”

Manuel Lettenbichler

Two-time winner of the event Jonny Walker will be unable to compete at the 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs due to an injury sustained to his elbow at a recent round of the British Extreme Enduro Championship. Although Jonny received surgery for the break, doctors have advised the 29-year-old not to return to competition as yet in order for the injury to heal. Also absent from this year’s Romaniacs, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia will instead contest the final two rounds of the Italian Enduro Championship.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team members Billy Bolt, Alfredo Gomez and Graham Jarvis have also safely arrived in Romania and are ready to contest the 2020 Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, and the man undoubtedly looking to claim his first Romaniacs victory is Billy Bolt.

The reigning Superenduro World Champion has shown impressive form over the season, despite the pandemic-induced lack of events. Bolt won the first three races of the recent Sea to Sky extreme enduro in Turkey, only to lose out on the final day when a navigation error saw him lose valuable minutes to his rivals. The young Brit finished sixth at the 2019 running of Romaniacs, despite being less than 100 per cent fit.

Billy Bolt

Runner-up at the 2019 Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, Alfredo Gomez will be looking to go one better in 2020 and claim his first ever win at the event. Showing incredible pace and stamina last year, Gomez became stronger as the enduro evolved to take his fight for the win right down to the final section – the infamous Gusterita Hillclimb. Frustratingly, losing out by just minutes, the experienced Spaniard knows what is required this year as he chases success at the world’s toughest hard enduro rallye.

Graham Jarvis comes into the 17th running of Romaniacs as a six-time winner of the race, hoping to make it seven victories in 2020. With the event moved to the autumn, the climate in the mountains will be tougher than ever – the early morning starts will be cold for all riders and with the possibility of extended rain, the steep tracks could prove to be hugely challenging. Jarvis hopes the demanding conditions will be in his favour as the Brit aims to climb onto the top step of the podium once again next Saturday.

Taddy Blazusiak meanwhile will make his first official outing as a GASGAS Factory Racing rider tomorrow, when the Polish star takes to the start of the Red Bull Romaniacs extreme enduro. Despite the multiple world champion signing for GASGAS Motorcycles back in July, the rescheduled running of the infamous hard enduro rallye marks Taddy’s first outdoor competition of 2020, and his first for GASGAS.

Taddy Blazusiak

“It’s really weird to have the first race of the year in October, it also looks like it might be the only one we’re doing, so we’re lucky in that respect. My plan is to go as hard as I can and get a good result. I’m really motivated to start with GASGAS – it’s my first race in the new colors and I’m definitely looking forward to it. The bike is working well, we’ve done a lot of work over the year and I’m happy with the whole package. Hopefully qualifying will go well tomorrow and I’ll earn a good start position, after that, we head into the hills and it’s already looking like it’s going to be a tough four days of racing.”

Taddy Blazusiak
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MX Sports Pro Racing Recognizes Contributions to 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

In the midst of a year filled with unpredictable challenges, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, completed a successful campaign, personifying the notion that great things can happen when the motocross industry rallies together, In celebration of the many individuals and organizations that helped make the 2020 season a reality MX Sports Pro Racing recognized several of the most significant contributions with a season-ending awards presentation after the Fox Raceway National.

Arguably the most important awards were handed out to the pair of newly crowned AMA National Champions, both of whom captured their first respective class titles. In the 450 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne hoisted the Edison Dye Cup on the heels of four wins and six podium finishes. The Virginia native became the 25th different rider to earn a 450 Class title, and the 12th rider to earn championships across both of Pro Motocross’ competitive divisions. In addition to giving Husqvarna its first premier class title in the series, Osborne also cemented his own unique place in the record books as the oldest champion in the history of the sport at 31 years of age.

Zach Osborne – Image by Jeff Kardas

By virtue of Osborne’s exceptional season veteran technician Dave Feeney earned the “450 Class Champion Mechanic Wrench” while newly appointed team manager “Scuba” Steve Westfall commemorated his debut at the helm of the program with “Team Manager of the Year” accolades. The team’s semi driver, industry veteran Paul Delaurier, added to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s award haul as “Transport Driver of the Year.”

In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis erased decades of heartbreak for French riders by becoming the first racer from the nation to raise the Gary Jones Cup. Ferrandis’ journey to become a champion on U.S. soil had been steadily building since he made the move to compete in American motocross for the 2017 season. His championship-winning run was a result of unparalleled consistency in which he captured three wins and eight podium finishes in nine rounds. Ferrandis is the 32nd different rider to win the 250 Class title and ended his stay in the division by providing Star Racing with its fifth championship in seven seasons.

Dylan Ferrandis 250 Champ – Image by Jeff Kardas

Ferrandis’ title meant his mechanic, Alex Campbell, was the recipient of the “250 Class Champion Mechanic Wrench.” Additionally, after yet another impressive season by the Bobby Regan owned team, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing was also named “Team of the Year.” With Ferrandis leading the way, a trio of Star riders earned a top-five finish in the final 250 Class standings as Shane McElrath secured a pair of podium finishes en route to third in points and Justin Cooper grabbed a win and two podiums to finish fifth. The team also welcomed a pair of promising young talents to the professional ranks with Jarrett Frye and Nate Thrasher.

In addition to celebrating the season’s most notable contributors, MX Sports Pro Racing also paid tribute to members of the motocross family that passed away this year. Marty Smith, the sport’s first true superstar, and his wife, Nancy, tragically lost their lives in April, which sent shockwaves through the racing community. As a tribute to Smith, and a testament to his impact on American motocross, the aforementioned yearly rookie award was renamed in his honor. The community was also hit hard with the passing of longtime flagger and Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club member Mike Mars, who succumbed to COVID-19 just prior to the start of the 2020 season in August.

MX Sports Pro Racing also recognized the collection of race teams, manufacturers, and the hundreds of participants who committed to embark on the 2020 season, no matter what obstacles arose. Additionally, the championship would not have been possible without the unwavering support from the group of series partners and sponsors that made hosting a nine-round series feasible, notably the broadcast partners at NBC Sports Group and championship title sponsor Lucas Oil. Crucial support also came from Red Bull, WPS, FLY Racing, GEICO Motorcycle, MotoSport.com, FMF Racing, Thor, Parts Unlimited, KTM, Deltran Battery Tender, MX vs ATV All Out, 100%, Husqvarna, Dunlop, Guaranteed Rate, KMC Wheels, VP Racing Fuels, Alpinestars, GoPro, Vertex Pistons, Acerbis, and Road 2 Recovery.

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2021 AMA Supercross and Motocross numbers announced

The American Motorcyclist Association has announced the professional competition numbers for pro-licensed riders competing in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the 2021 season.

Each rider uses the assigned professional number for competition. In addition, the current champion runs the No. 1 plate, instead of an assigned professional number, when competing in the class or region in which the No. 1 plate was earned.

When competing in a class other than the class in which the championship was earned, the rider must use the professional number assigned.

2021 Top 100 and Career Pro Numbers for AMA Supercross and Motocross
* Career Numbers

1 — 450SX Eli Tomac
1 — 450MX Zach Osborne
1 — 250MX Dylan Ferrandis
1W Dylan Ferrandis
1E Chase Sexton
2* Cooper Webb
3* Eli Tomac
4* Blake Baggett
6* Jeremy Martin
7* Aaron Plessinger
9* Adam Cianciarulo
10* Justin Brayton
11* Kyle Chisholm
12* Shane McElrath
14* Dylan Ferrandis
15* Dean Wilson
16* Zach Osborne
17* Joey Savatgy
18 Jett Lawrence
19* Justin Bogle
20* Broc Tickle
21* Jason Anderson
22* Chad Reed
23* Chase Sexton
24* RJ Hampshire
25* Marvin Musquin
26* Alex Martin
27* Malcolm Stewart
28 Brandon Hartranft
29 Christian Craig
30 Jo Shimoda
31 Cameron McAdoo
32* Justin Cooper
33 Derek Drake
34 Max Anstie
35 Mitchell Harrison
36 Martin Davalos
37 Benny Bloss
38 Austin Forkner
39 Carson Mumford
40 Vince Friese
41 Hunter Lawrence
42 Michael Mosiman
43 Fredrik Noren
44 Tyler Bowers
45 Pierce Brown
46* Justin Hill
47 Jalek Swoll
48 Garrett Marchbanks
49 Mitchell Oldenburg
50 Enzo Lopes
51* Justin Barcia
52 Luke Clout
53 Jake Masterpool
54 Nick Gaines
55 John Short
56 Kyle Peters
57 Justin Rodbell
58 Jacob Hayes
59 Jarrett Frye
60 Chris Blose
61 Joey Crown
62 Mason Gonzales
63 Martin Castelo
64 Colt Nichols
65 Carson Brown
66 Jordan Bailey
67 Stilez Robertson
68 Jace Owen
69 Robbie Wageman
70 Henry Miller
71 Killian Auberson
72 Coty Schock
73 Derek Kelley
74 Mitchell Falk
75 Ty Masterpool
76 Grant Harlan
77 Jerry Robin
78 Kyle Cunningham
79 Isaac Teasdale
80 Jordon Smith
81 Justin Starling
82 Lorenzo Locurcio
83 Alex Ray
84 Josh Hill
85 Kevin Moranz
86 Darian Sanayei
87 Curren Thurman
88 Logan Karnow
89 Ryan Breece
90 Dilan Schwartz
91 Nate Thrasher
92 Chase Marquier
93 Hardy Munoz
94* Ken Roczen
95 Joshua Osby
96 Michael Leib
97 Ben LaMay
98 Justin Hoeft
99 Hunter Sayles

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Ben Townley re-imagines motorsport with SX4

“I want fans to love our sport, I want our industry to grow, but most importantly I want our sport to be mainstream. SX4 will give us the platform to achieve this,” says motocross superstar Ben Townley as he launches

SX4 starting blocks

.

Inspired by Ben’s innovative knowledge of the sport, SX4 combines four riders, four laps, four corners and four obstacles into two-minutes of action-packed racing. The best of the best will compete under immense pressure and fans will witness more crashes and more high-octane action than in the traditional formats familiar to motocross fans.

“I am super stoked with how things are starting to come together for our first ever SX4 event. The industry have been super supportive of my ideas and I’m looking forward to seeing spectators share the love as we build towards 9 January,” said Ben Townley as he prepares the track for this weekend’s demonstration event.

Ben Townley

Over the last few years a site at the Taupo Motorcycle Club has been a labour of love for Townley who has played an integral part in the development. The new track will be tested at a demonstration event this coming Labour Weekend as part of MXFest. The first standalone SX4 event is set to be staged at Digger McEwan Motocross Park, Taupo on 9 January 2021.

Nick Rowland, SX4’s Fan Engagement Director has enjoyed jumping into a sport that is followed with such passion sharing, “Putting fans first is our goal as we create a thrilling new spectacle. Whether it be at the event, through the innovative broadcast elements or the sheer intensity of the racing, SX4 is set to change the game globally for motorsport for years to come.”

The inaugural event will see 12 of NZ’s top riders compete of 15 races in a two-hour window on 9 January 2021 at Digger McEwan Motorsport Park, Taupo. Individuals will compete for prize money. A Manufacturers Championship is also in development and will be another NZ first in the sport of motocross.

For more information and to buy tickets head to www.sx4.co.nz.

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Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team welcome Ben Watson for 2021

Yamaha Motor Europe have announced that Ben Watson will take an exciting step up the Yamaha Racing pyramid and will join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team for the 2021 MXGP season. The 23-year-old from Nottinghamshire, England joined Yamaha and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team in 2018, where he celebrated his first podium finish and ranked fourth in the FIM MX2 World Championship in his first term on the YZ250F, the British rider has made great progress.

Ben Watson moves up to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team in 2021

Proving his potential, Watson bounced back from an injury struck 2019 season to add five more podium successes to his credit, including a first-ever Grand Prix win at this weekend’s MXGP of Lommel. Immediately after celebrating his victory on the podium, the young Brit was delighted to learn that he would be drafted in the Factory MXGP team, where he will campaign a YZ450FM in his rookie MXGP season.

Part of a strong strategy to develop the next generation of MXGP champions, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team will remain a three-rider line-up in 2021. Watson will join Jeremy Seewer as the Swiss rider enters his fourth year with Yamaha and third year as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory rider, while the rider who will fill the third and final slot in the team will be announced in the very near future.

Ben Watson – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP

“Firstly, I want to thank each and every member of staff in Kemea. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team gave me everything and more every day for three years. I am so grateful to join the Factory MXGP team and stay with my Yamaha Family. It means so much to me and I cannot wait for this new challenge. I have been lucky enough to work closely and get to know Louis Vosters, Vitaliy Tonkov and some of the other Wilvo team members and I know I will be welcomed with open arms. I truly believe the YZ450FM will be a great bike for my riding style and I am really motivated to show everyone what I can do in MXGP. I know the category is at such a high level, so I am fortunate to join a team with a lot of experience, success and motivation. I really want to learn and show progression, it’s what I work towards every year and with the experience of my teammates in MXGP, I know I will be able to gain a lot of knowledge and continue my development. I am so excited to get started now and jump on this amazing bike to prepare for the new season.”


Thibault Benistant joins Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team for 2021

Yamaha Motor Europe have announced that Thibault Benistant will join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team for the 2021 season. The recently crowned EMX250 Champion will race a YZ250FM in the FIM MX2 World Championship alongside Jago Geerts and Maxime Renaux.

Thibault Benistant

“I am really proud to move into the Yamaha Factory team. I have to thank Yamaha and Hans (Corvers) for making it happen, they have made it possible for me to enter my first year in MX2 with the best bike in the paddock. This is something I really look forward to and something I am really proud of.”

Thibault Benistant joins the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team in 2021

Working his way up the Yamaha Racing pyramid, Benistant has paved his way to the MX2 World Championship with titles in both EMX125 and EMX250. He won the EMX125 Championship in 2018 aboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 and was a contender for the EMX250 title the following year at his first attempt. During his rookie season, Benistant celebrated a podium finish at his home round in France and took his YZ250F to fifth overall.

Remaining on a GYTR kitted YZ250F in 2020, the 18-year-old from Avignon was drafted into the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team and moved to Holland in order to train close to the team’s base. Realising his obvious potential and proving that hard work pays dividends, Benistant celebrated eight EMX250 race wins, six round wins and seven podium finishes on his way to securing the 2020 EMX250 title.

As the freshly crowned European EMX250 Champion, Benistant will make his MX2 debut with the support of the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team in Lommel, Belgium on Sunday 25th October.

Alexandre Kowalski – Yamaha Motor Europe Off-Road Racing Manager

“Yamaha is really happy to have Thibault join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team. Thibault is a pure product of Yamaha’s program and has a lot of potential. He has been with Yamaha for many years, since 2010. He entered the EMX125 class with Yamaha and our Official team, MJC Yamaha Official EMX125, where they nurtured him and helped him develop the foundation of a true champion. We have to thank MJC for that, and then he moved into the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team where they also did an incredible job in improving his strength and race craft on a GYTR kitted YZ250F. Yesterday Thibault took another step up the Yamaha Racing pyramid and was crowned European Champion in the EMX250 class, and now he has been signed to the Factory team. For us, Thibault is a perfect example of how a rider can develop and progress within the Yamaha Family, and we look forward to celebrating even more championships with him.”

Hans Corvers – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team Owner

“I am really happy to sign an 18-year-old talent like Thibault. He is still really young and is an exciting rider. We have had some good experience with French kids in the past, so it’s nice to another one along with Maxime (Renaux). We’ve been following Thibault for many years, even before he was EMX125 Champion and now he is EMX250 Champion, it is our goal to try to make him an MX2 Champion.”

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2021 Under-21 And Junior Speedway Date Changes

Gillman Speedway, South Australia, will kick off two nights of action with the Australian Speedway Under 21 Championship and the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held January 29 and 30, 2021, respectively.

Originally scheduled for January 16, The Australian Speedway Under 21 Championship now moves to January 29, giving speedway fans two sensational nights of back to back racing action at Gillman Speedway.

The Australian Under-21 Speedway Championship has been held since 1986, with Australian speedway stars Leigh Adams, Chris Holder and Max Fricke, jointly holding the record for most wins in the Australian Under-21 Championship with four wins each, and current Champion Jaimon Lidsey a three-time winner.

The FIM Oceania Speedway Championship brings the best of the best in the region to Gillman Speedway on January 30.

Due to COVID-19 the Australian Under 16s 125cc Solo and Teams Championship will be moved from the traditional January date and will now be held at Sidewinders, South Australia on September 25 and 26, 2021 to ensure all riders from each State are able to attend.

The Under 16s 125cc Solo and Teams Championship showcases our up and coming talent which usually delivers nail biting race action on track.

Dates for the Australian Under 16s 250cc Championship to be held at Gillman Speedway is yet to be confirmed due to current State border restrictions and further information will be provided as soon as possible.

All events are subject to State Government COVID-19 restrictions.

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Source: MCNews.com.au

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

Moto News Weekly for February 25, 2020

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What happened this week

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

Eli Tomac wins 450SX from Ken Roczen in Texas

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen SX DAL Kardy

Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld

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

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

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

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

Eli Tomac – P1

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

Ken Roczen – P2

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen Webb Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen Webb Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Ken Roczen & Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld

Jason Anderson – P3

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Anderson Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Anderson Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Jason Anderson – Image by Hoppenworld

Justin Barcia – P4

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Barcia Baggett Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Barcia Baggett Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld

Zach Osborne – P5

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Zach Osborne – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Round Overall Results

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

450SX Standings

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

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Chase Sexton claims 250SX triple-header win from McElrath

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld

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

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington HillJo SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington HillJo SX DAL Kardy

Josh Hill – Image by Hoppenworld

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

Chase Sexton – P1

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld

Shane McElrath – P2

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington McElrath Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington McElrath Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Shane McElrath – Image by Hoppenworld

RJ Hampshire – P3

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld

Garrett Marchbanks – P5

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

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Marchbanks SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Marchbanks SX DAL Kardy

Garrett Marchbanks – Image by Hoppenworld

250SX Round Overall Results

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

250SX Standings

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

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2020 AORC kicks off in Toowoomba with Rounds 1 & 2

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

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

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Daniel Milner

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

Daniel Milner

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

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Daniel Milner

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

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

Josh Green

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

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Josh Green

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Josh Green

Josh Green

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

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

Mason Semmens

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

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Mason Semmens

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Mason Semmens

Mason Semmens

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

Luke Styke

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

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Luke Styke

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Luke Styke

Luke Styke

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

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

Daniel Sanders

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

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Sanders

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Sanders

Daniel Sanders

Round One Results

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

Round Two Results – Top 25

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

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GNCC season kicks off in South Carolina with Round 1

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

GNCC Rnd Union Kailub Russell

GNCC Rnd Union Kailub Russell

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

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

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

GNCC Rnd Union Ricky Russell

GNCC Rnd Union Ricky Russell

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

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

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

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

GNCC Rnd Union Mike Witkowski XC

GNCC Rnd Union Mike Witkowski XC

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

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

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

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

GNCC Rnd Union Zack Hayes XC

GNCC Rnd Union Zack Hayes XC

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

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

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

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

GNCC Rnd Union Becca Sheets WCX

GNCC Rnd Union Becca Sheets WCX

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

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

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

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

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

Overall National Championship Standings

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

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

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

Gibbs closes in on New Zealand MX1 lead at Round 2

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

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

Kirk Gibbs topped the podium – Image by Clmintiepix

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

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

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

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

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

Kirk Gibbs

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

MX1 Round Overall

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

MX1 Standings

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

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MX2

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

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

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

Maximus Purvis – Image by Clmintiepix

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

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

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

MX2 Round Overall

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

MX2 Standings

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

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Charles Le Francois wins 2020 Pro 450 Arenacross Championship

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

SR Suzuki Charles Le Francois Pro Arenacross Champion

SR Suzuki Charles Le Francois Pro Arenacross Champion

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

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

Geoff Walker – SR75 Suzuki Team Owner

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


Tim Gajser & Mitch Evans talk 2020 with HRC

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

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

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

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

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

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

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

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

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

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

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

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

Team HRC Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

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

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

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

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

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

Team HRC Tim Gajser MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo

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

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

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

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

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

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

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

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

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

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

See below for the 2020 MXGP calendar.


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KTM Ultimate Race 2020 entrants announced

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

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

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

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

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

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

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

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

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

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

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


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2020 Championship Calendars

2020 AMA Motocross race schedule

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

2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar

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

2020 MXGP Calendar

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

2020 American Flat Track

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

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

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

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

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

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

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

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

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

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

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

2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

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

2020 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Calendar

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

2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West Calendar

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

2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship Calendar

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

2020 King of MX Calendar

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

2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

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

2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

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

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Source: MCNews.com.au