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Moto News Weekly | Garcia tops WESS Round 7 | Rally | AJMX | SGP

Moto News Weekly for October 8, 2019

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What happened this week

  • Garcia leads KTM BR2 Enduro Solsona 1-2-3
  • Roczen wins 2019 Straight Rhythm on McGrath’s 2006 CR250R
  • Toby Price leads Rally du Maroc at half-way point
  • Jarred Brook dominates Barleigh Ranch Senior Dirt Track
  • 2019 KTM AJMX Champions crowned
  • Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award
  • Jason Doyle claims 2019 Golden Helmet title in Pardubice
  • 2020 SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced
  • Smolinski leads 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up
  • 2019 Australian SX Championship shaping up to be a belter
  • Justin Rodbell out for Australian Supercross
  • Team HRC & Gajser lead the way at MXGP Awards Ceremony
  • Meghan Rutledge to become Kawasaki ambassador in 2020
  • bLU cRU Masterclass riders announced
  • Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020
  • Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership
  • Mikkel Haarup joins F&H Kawasaki for 2020

Garcia leads KTM BR2 Enduro Solsona 1-2-3

Following Friday night’s action-packed Super Test in Solsona, Saturday saw the 350-strong entry set out on what would prove to be a long and physical day of racing to kick off the 2019 BR2 Enduro Solsona, in the first of two full days of racing.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Podium
KTM 1-2-3: 1) Josep Garcia, 2) Nathan Watson, 3) Jonny Walker – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona

Josep Garcia took an early lead at Round 7 of the World Enduro Super Series with victory on Day 1 of the BR2 Enduro Solsona in Spain. Delivering a masterclass in Classic Enduro racing, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider ended the opening day of competition with a healthy 40-second advantage over teammates Nathan Watson and Jonny Walker. In what proved to be a top-five clean sweep for KTM, Manuel Lettenbichler and Taddy Blazusiak placed fourth and fifth respectively.

Garcia followed up on Sunday, delivering a home win for Round 7 of the World Enduro Super Series. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider proved uncatchable as he led home Britain’s Nathan Watson and Jonny Walker in second and third respectively.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Super Test FM
Friday’s Super Test – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media

Championship leader Manuel Lettenbichler kept his advantage in the standings with fourth, moving a step closer to becoming the 2019 Ultimate Enduro World Champion. Yamaha’s Cristobal Guerrero also rode an incredible final lap to snatch fifth from Taddy Blazusiak and deny KTM a clean sweep of the top-five.

Day 1 – BR2 Enduro Solsona

A lengthy liaison on Day 1 took competitors from Solsona to nearby Bassella, where they faced the Cross Test, Extreme Test and Enduro Test at the Bassella Experience centre. They then returned to Solsona to complete the loop. A second lap of the course – ending with an additional Super Test – ensured many tired and weary bodies on Saturday evening.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Start FM
The Start saw 350 riders lining up – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media

Determined to maximise his Classic Enduro skills, Garcia quickly got down to business on Saturday after a mixed-outing in Friday’s Super Test. Quickest on the opening Enduro Test and then again on the Cross Test, he ended lap one leading. Building on his advantage during the final lap, he returned to Solsona as the provisional overnight leader.

Behind him, Watson gave chase. Pushing hard, but not quite able to consistently match the Spaniard’s pace in the Enduro or Cross Test, he had to be content with ending Day 1 in second position.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Nathan Watson
Nathan Watson – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona

Winning Friday’s Super Test, Walker showed he’s up to speed in the Classic Enduro discipline. Boosted by some of the fastest times in the technical Extreme Test, he sat in third after Saturday.

For championship leader Lettenbichler the opening day of racing went better than expected. Enjoying an exciting battle with Blazusiak and Walker, while setting some impressive test times, the German will look to hold off Blazusiak in the battle for fourth and maintain the pressure on Walker.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Obstacles FM
2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona

Ending just four seconds behind Blazusiak, Honda’s Kirian Mirabet was just outside the top five, in sixth, after showing more speed on the Cross Test.

Yamaha’s Cristobal Guerrero had a difficult start to his day when a crash cost him valuable time on lap one. Regrouping, he worked his way back up the leader board to place seventh, but is less than 10 seconds behind Blazusiak.

Round 7 – Enduro Solsona, Day 1 Results

  1. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 45:49.650
  2. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 46:29.920
  3. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 46:45.240
  4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 47:02.870
  5. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 47:45.830
  6. Kirian Mirabet (Honda – ESP) 47:49.840
  7. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha – ESP) 47:54.760
  8. Jaume Betriu (KTM – ESP) 48:01.460
  9. Bernat Cortes (KTM – ESP) 48:15.280
  10. Tosha Schareina (Husqvarna – ESP) 48:24.220…

Day 2 – BR2 Enduro Solsona

Building on his winning momentum from Saturday, local Garcia locked his sights on victory at Round 7. Starting out with a 45-second advantage over teammate Watson, he pushed hard from the off. Maximising his time on the Cross Test and Enduro Test, while limiting the damage on the technical Extreme Test, he controlled his lead to secure the top step of the podium.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Garcia FM
Josep Garcia – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media

With a sizeable deficit to Garcia, Watson always knew overhauling his teammate in Spain was going to be a tall ask. Keeping the Spaniard honest throughout, he cemented himself as the runner-up to ensure his second podium result in as many races.

Clearly demonstrating his Classic Enduro speed matches his Hard Enduro talents, Walker looked both fast and comfortable in the dry and dusty Solsona conditions as he battled for third. With time in hand over Lettenbichler in fourth, he maintained his third position.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Husqvarna FM
2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media

Entering BR2 Enduro Solsona, championship leader Lettenbichler initially hoped for a top-10 result among the many Spanish Classic Enduro specialists. But also proving that he’s adept in the special tests, the German held on to a strong fourth position.

The battle for fifth was a close affair between Guerrero and Blazusiak. The Polish rider held fifth overnight and was determined to sign out with a top-five result. A crash on lap one of Saturday saw Guerrero fight his way back into contention.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona FM
2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media

Starting Sunday in sixth, he gained time on Blazusiak in the Enduro and Cross test, but lost time on the Extreme test. Putting everything into the final Super Test he managed to overthrow the KTM rider, beating him by eight seconds.

Honda’s Kirian Mirabet edged out Jaume Betriu by just one second to take seventh, while Marzal Schareina and Ramon Quer rounded out the top-10.

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez finished 12th – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona
Josep Garcia – P1

“It felt really good to take the win here at home in front of all my friends and family. I couldn’t have asked for more really. Yesterday I had a couple of crashes but today went perfectly. I had to take a lot of care in the final Supertest, I knew I had some seconds to spare, but Nathan has been so close all weekend and also the extreme guys have been really quick here too. I felt a little extra pressure coming here for my home event, but that only motivated me even more to win. Overall it’s been the perfect weekend.”

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Josep Garcia
Josep Garcia – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona
Nathan Watson – P2

“I’m happy with second – Josep was on fire here in Spain and really pushed hard, especially on that first lap yesterday. It’s been a really hectic few weeks for me and I didn’t really come into this race at 100 percent, so to pick up second and more WESS points is a good weekend. With all the travel and non-stop races, things have been tough. The Motocross of Nations was really tiring both mentally and physically, I also hurt my shoulder there a little. Overall, it’s been an amazing couple of weeks, and I couldn’t have hoped for better results to be honest. I definitely need a week’s rest now, that’s for certain.”

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Nathan Watson FM
Nathan Watson – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media
Jonny Walker – P3

“It’s been a good race here in Spain, I’m really happy to get on the podium again. I had quite a steady start to the year, partly from coming back after my fall and not being quite at 100 percent. I’m starting to feel like I am getting back into a groove again but I’m still nowhere near where I want to be. The race started well with a win in the Supertest and then I’m really pleased with how I rode on both Saturday and Sunday – I was on top of the extreme test and not too far away on the others considering the opposition. The plan now is to get a good result at GetzenRodeo and hopefully come away with second in the championship.”

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Jonny Walker
Jonny Walker – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona
Manuel Lettenbichler – P4

“I feel so pleased right now. I came here with no expectations at all, even though I was feeling quite confident after Hawkstone. I thought top-10 would be a good result, so to finish fourth feels amazing.”

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Lettenbichler FM
Manuel Lettenbichler – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media
Cristobal Guerrero – P5

“Today I found my rhythm and was able to get fifth position. Luckily, I had a good final Super Test – I got a good start and was able to get in behind Josep. Thankfully that was enough to overtake Taddy for fifth place overall. I think having WESS here in Spain has been good for both the Spanish championship and WESS. It’s good to see a lot of different riders racing and it’s a very different race for the WESS championship too with a lot of variety between all the test. It’s been a great weekend and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Cristobal Guerrero FM
Cristobal Guerrero – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona
Taddy Blazusiak – P6

“It’s been a tough weekend, and a shame not to get fifth, but considering the preparation I’ve been able to do for this race I should be happy. You can’t prepare for everything, there just isn’t enough time and here I was getting faster each lap as I settled into the type of riding, which shouldn’t be the case. The good thing is, things started to click towards the end, but it was just too little, too late to challenge for the podium. I’m feeling good which is the main thing, so it’s off to America for the next two Endurocross rounds soon, then back to Europe for GetzenRodeo.”

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Taddy Blazusiak
Taddy Blazusiak – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona
Alfredo Gomez – P12

“Overall I’m really happy with how the weekend has gone. Yesterday wasn’t so good but I was able to find a good rhythm to finish 10th today and secure 12th overall for the event, which I’m really pleased about. I made a mistake yesterday and had a small crash and then today I missed my line in a test which cost me some more time. Coming from a Hard Enduro background I found myself losing out to some of the other riders on the faster tests, so I need to work on that. However, I was very strong on the extreme test. I’m looking forward to GetzenRodeo now. I had a really good battle there last year, so I want to finish the season with a win.”

WESS Rnd BR Enduro Solsona Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona

The 2019 World Enduro Super Series concludes with the eighth and final round at Germany’s GetzenRodeo on Saturday November 2.

Round 7 – Enduro Solsona, Day 2 Results

  1. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 1:26:16.000
  2. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 1:27:06.700
  3. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 1:28:42.870
  4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 1:29:11.100
  5. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha – ESP) 1:30:08.760
  6. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 1:30:17.120
  7. Kirian Mirabet (Honda – ESP) 1:30:51.560
  8. Jaume Betriu (KTM – ESP) 1:30:52.040
  9. Marzal Schareina (Husqvarna – ESP) 1:31:05.790
  10. Ramon Quer (Husqvarna – ESP) 1:31:35.700…

WESS Championship Standings (after Round 7 of 8)

  1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 5110 points
  2. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 4240
  3. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 4165
  4. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 4034
  5. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 3920
  6. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 3881
  7. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 3850
  8. Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 3070
  9. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 2725
  10. Pol Tarres (Husqvarna – ESP) 2520

2019 World Enduro Super Series Calendar

  • Round 1: Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
  • Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
  • Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
  • Round 4: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) June 21-23
  • Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 3
  • Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
  • Round 7: BR2 Enduro Solsona (Spain) October 4-6
  • Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2
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Roczen wins 2019 Straight Rhythm on McGrath’s 2006 CR250R

The sixth running of the Red Bull Straight Rhythm saw a commemoration of two-stroke racers, with participants donning vintage-inspired gear to truly get into the spirit on an ‘un-wound’ track across three classes.

Red Bull Straight Rhythm Enzo Lopes Josh Hansen imgChristianPondella RBCP
Enzo Lopes & Josh Hansen – Image by Christian Pondella/RedBullContentPool

Split into 250cc, 125cc and a special 500cc exhibition race, the main two classes saw a best-of-three format with a single elimination bracket.

Red Bull Straight Rhythm Michael Leib Joey Crown imgChrisTedesco RBCP
Michael Leib & Joey Crown – Image by Chris Tedesco/RedBullContentPool

In his first appearance at the event since 2015, Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen had an exciting day at the 2019 Red Bull Straight Rhythm in Pomona, California, taking home the 250cc title after winning every matchup and going undefeated on the day. The unique two-stroke only-format saw Roczen pay homage to Jeremy McGrath, as he rode “The King’s” factory 2006 CR250R while wearing a retro kit inspired by McGrath’s 1996 gear.

Red Bull Straight Rhythm Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen

After qualifying second-fastest in practice, Roczen’s first matchup of the evening was against Tevin Tapia, which he won with ease. Advancing in the bracket, he then went head-to-head with Ryan Sipes, who once again was no match for the German. Roczen finally faced his first real challenge in Josh Hanson, in the semifinals, and despite an incredibly close race, Roczen continued his undefeated run, moving into the finals. In the final matchup, Roczen took on Brandon Hartranft, who fought hard but ultimately couldn’t overtake the Honda rider.

Red Bull Straight Rhythm Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen

“I’m so stoked! I had such a blast and am so excited to come away with the win tonight. I’ve never raced a two-stroke before so to be able to ride Jeremy McGrath’s actual bike from 2006 and get the win is awesome. Nothing but good vibes and hopefully this translates into many more for the season to come. I have to give it up to the entire team, who put so much work into this whole event. It was always supposed to be super-fun but I know it was also a lot of work, so I have to thank the guys.”

Red Bull Straight Rhythm Ken Roczen Brandon Hartranft Josh Hansen imgGarthMilan RBCP
Ken Roczen topped the 250 class from Brandon Hartranft and Josh Hansen – Image by Garth Milan/RedBullContentPool
Jeremy McGrath (Instagram)

“Congrats Ken Roczen on the win at Straight Rhythm. I think I recognize that sick gear you were wearing tonight. Thanks for the tribute! I am guessing my old bike ran pretty good to huh?”

In the 125cc class, Joey Crown lived up to his name, racing his way to the top step of the podium. In the most anticipated and exciting match of the night, Tyler Bowers edged out Travis Pastrana in the Maxxis 500cc Showdown.

Red Bull Straight Rhythm Ryan Sipes Ryan Morais imgChrisTedesco RBCP
Ryan Sipes & Ryan Morais – Image by Chris Tedesco/RedBullContentPool

500cc Showdown

  1. Tyler Bowers
  2. Travis Pastrana

250 Class Results

  1. Ken Roczen
  2. Brandon Hartranft
  3. Josh Hansen

125 Class Results

  1. Joey Crown
  2. Michael Leib
  3. AJ Catanzaro
Red Bull Straight Rhythm Travis Pastrana Tyler Bowers imgChristianPondella RBCP
Travis Pastrana & Tyler Bowers – Image by Christian Pondella/RedBullContentPool
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Toby Price leads Rally du Maroc at half-way point

Marking the second half of the rally’s marathon stage, Day 3 of the Rally du Maroc was set to be the longest of the event. However, organisers cancelled the third part of the timed special for safety reasons, taking the day’s results from the end of the second special.

Toby Price KTM RALLY Rally du Maroc
Toby Price – 2019 Rally du Maroc

With riders only receiving their road books 15 minutes prior to entering the stage – a first for the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – ultimate navigation skills would prove critical to success on the demanding desert stage.

Following his tough Day 2, where issues with the road book ended up costing him valuable minutes, Toby Price knew he had to attack stage three to stay competitive in the overall standings. As the ninth rider to take to the special, the reigning Dakar Champion immediately set about chasing down the riders ahead. Unfortunately, with the stage cut short, the Australian was unable to maximise his advantage, but was still able to win the stage and move himself up to the top of the provisional overall standings.

Toby Price

“The stage went well for me today. There were a couple of sections that were quite tricky and I didn’t quite catch them at the right point to make up time on the guys in front. Even so, we were able to close the gap a little and I felt good all day. The roles will be reversed again for tomorrow so the other guys will be chasing us down again but that’s just rallying. It’s a shame they cancelled the last part of the stage because I think we could have made up even more time but that’s the way it is sometimes. A disadvantage for you might be an advantage for someone else. But we completed the marathon stage safely, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

Toby Price KTM RALLY Rally du Maroc
Toby Price – 2019 Rally du Maroc

Also losing time on the previous stage, Matthias Walkner also put in a superb performance on Day 3 to claim runner-up for the stage and elevate himself to second in the rally standings. Happy with how he rode on the sandy, two-part timed special, Matthias managed his tyres perfectly, bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home just one minute and 55 seconds behind his teammate.

Matthias Walker

“I think today was the first day that I really enjoyed the riding. It was tough because the tyres had already ridden a lot of kilometres yesterday and toward the very end of the stage today, I could really feel that they were worn. I know I made some mistakes with my navigation and I thought it would have cost me a lot of time, so I was quite surprised to find out I had finished second. Hopefully I can continue like this and finish the year with a good result here in Morocco.”

Matthias Walkner KTM RALLY Rally du Maroc
Matthias Walkner – 2019 Rally du Maroc

Stage 3 Rally du Maroc 2019

  1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:00:33
  2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:02:28 +1:55
  3. Franco Caimi (FRA), Yamaha, 3:02:54 +2:21
  4. Johnny Aubert (FRA), Sherco, 3:04:34 +4:01
  5. Ignacio Cornejo (CHI), Honda, 3:04:49 +4:16

Rally du Maroc 2019 after 3 of 5 stages

  1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 11:57:39
  2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 12:01:45 +4:06
  3. Franco Caimi (ARG), Yamaha, 12:04:19 +6:40
  4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 12:04:20 +6:41
  5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 12:05:31 +7:52
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Jarred Brook dominates Barleigh Ranch Senior Dirt Track

Jarred Brook stamped his dominance on the Barleigh Ranch round of the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship over the weekend, winning the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes, winning ten of his 12 heats in the running.

Jarred Brook

“Amazing weekend down at Barleigh Ranch Raceway for the 2019 Australian Dirt Track Championships. Absolutely stoked to come away with winning the Pro Open, Mx Open and Pro 450. I am also extremely honoured to win the Duke of Edinburgh award and to be presented with the Rod Allen and The Begley Family memorial Trophy’s. I cannot thank my little team enough for all of their help and a support over the weekend. Dad and Tom Laycock worked their butts off all weekend. Thank you to the Reay family for all of their support and help through out the weekend as well.”

In the 250 Pro class it was James Chapman who took top honours, while Briony Henrickson topped the Women’s class. Harrison Ryan was the top Under 19s performer, while the Support classes were won by Jason Griffin, Lachlan Russell, Cameron Dunker and Max Berry.

Pro 450

  1. Jarred Brook
  2. Kayden Downing
  3. Daniel Wicks

Pro 250

  1. James Chapman
  2. Angus Hutchinson
  3. Harrison Ryan

MX Open

  1. Jarred Brook
  2. Damien Koppe
  3. Kayden Downing

Pro Open

  1. Jarred Brook
  2. Kayden Downing
  3. Daniel Wicks

Under 19s

  1. Harrison Ryan
  2. Angus Hutchinson
  3. Jake Farnsworth

Womens

  1. Briony Hendrickson
  2. Brooke Goulding
  3. Tayla Street
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2019 KTM AJMX Champions crowned

The Championship decider of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) was held at the Motocross Riders Association in South Australia and saw plenty of thrills, battles and celebrations as 12 national titles were decided in an incredible day of racing.

KTM AJMX
2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds

The Motocross Riders Association club in Gillman was blessed with exceptional weather conditions all week and the track produced top notch racing, while the Motocross Riders Association, officials and volunteers were commended on the professionalism and efficiency in which the week-long event was conducted, and the daily track preparation and maintenance ensured the safety of all competitors.

128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15

The first 2019 AJMX Champion of the day crowned was Queenslander, Brad West who sealed the title when he took the chequered flag in the first race of the day and the sixth final of the 128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15 class.

With what was once again the Banana Bender Show, West charged to victory beating rival and fellow Queenslanders Deegan Mancinelle coming through with a close second and Jackson Camilleri rounding off the top three for the last final for this class.

128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15 Top 3

  1. Brad West – 185
  2. Jackson Camilleri – 169
  3. Ryan Alexansderson – 166

65cc 7-U10

The third and final race for the 65cc 7-U10 class was won by Queensland’s “Mr Consistency” Cooper Downing with an impressive fast lap time of 2:14.508. Fellow Queenslander Peter Wolfe came second and local rider Cooper Ford (TAS) crossed the line with a strong third, to seal the championship win.

65cc 7-U10 Top 3

  1. Cooper Ford – 97
  2. Cooper Downing – 91
  3. Lachlan Allen – 82

100-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st– 13-U16 Girls

Queenslander, Charli Cannon has dominated this class and the final moto to take the Junior Lites – 13-U16 Girls Championship in fine style. The massive 210-points Cannon clocked up was more than enough to seal the deal and she won the final race by over five-seconds. Cannon was followed by Victorian Madison Healey for second and Taylah McCutcheson rounded up the top three for their final race.

100-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st– 13-U16 Girls Top 3

  1. Charli Cannon – 210
  2. Taylor Thompson – 184
  3. Madison Healey – 180

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 9-U12

The third final and probably the most hotly contested class of the KTM AJMX saw New South Welshman Hixson McInnes prove to be the surprise package in the third final of the 85cc 2st/1500 4st 9-U12 class.

Not only did Hixon have the fastest lap time of 1:56.285 but he also took the win over Queenslander Jet Alsop in second and West Australian Kayden Minear who took third place for the final and the overall win of the championship.

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 9-U12 Top 3

  1. Kayden Minear – 95
  2. Liam Owens – 95
  3. Jet Alsop – 88

85cc 2st– 150cc 4st 12-U16 Girls

Charli Cannon from Queensland made it a clean sweep once again in the Mini Lites BW 12-U16 Girls final to grasp the title, completing the week with a dominant 18-second victory. Taylor Thomson from New South Wales pulled through for another consistent runner-up placing ahead of Queenslander Taylah McCutcheon.

85cc 2st– 150cc 4st 12-U16 Girls Top 3

  1. Charli Cannon – 210
  2. Taylor Thomson – 186
  3. Taylah McCrutcheon – 186

100-125cc – 2st 15yo

New South Welshman Blake Fox has sealed the 125cc – 15yo championship, despite coming third in the final moto and winning one final. It was Queenslander Levi Rogers who took victory in the sixth final, followed by local champion Alex Larwood who had the fastest lap time of 1:45.589 and Blake Fox (NSW) followed him eight-seconds later to take third.

100-125cc – 2st 15yo Top 3

  1. Blake Fox – 191
  2. Levi Rogers – 187
  3. Alex Larwood – 177
KTM AJMX U
2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds

85cc 2st/150cc 4st– 12-U14

The championship battle for the Mini Lites BW – 12-U14 could not have been any closer, with the only 3 points between the top three! Ryder Kingsford was awarded the championship on countback, after finishing fourth in the final race.

It was New South Welshman Byron Dennis stormed home to take the chequered flag in the final race for this class, with a fastest lap time of 1:53.500, Queenslander Branden Plath crossed the line under 2 seconds later to take second and Cody Kilpatrick from New South Wales rounded up the top three.

85cc 2st/150cc 4st– 12-U14 Top 3

  1. Ryder Kingsford – 90
  2. Connor Towill – 90
  3. Byron Dennis – 87

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 14-U16

New South Welshman, Benny Novak has once again sealed the Mini Lites BW – 14-U16 championship with his first-place finish in the final moto securing 201 points overall to retain the title for 2019.

Fellow state counterpart Hunter Collins secured runner up in the championship by coming second in the final moto with the fastest lap time of 1:51.684 and Queenslander Jake Kowal crossed the line in third.

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 14-U16 Top 3

  1. Ben Novak – 201
  2. Hunter Collins – 199
  3. Zachary Watson – 176
KTM AJMX U
2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds

65cc – 10-U12

West Australian Kayden Minear made it two championship wins at Gillman with victory in the 65cc – 10-U12 category. His first place and fastest lap time of 2:02.221 in the final moto was enough to guarantee the title.

New South Welshman Jack Deveson crossed the line closely behind for second and fellow state counterpart Ky Woods rounded up the top three in their final race of the day, placing him second on the championship podium.

65cc – 10-U12 Top 3

  1. Kayden Minear – 202
  2. Ky Woods – 189
  3. Jake Cannon – 168

100-125cc 2st – 13-U15

West Australian Liam Atkinson sealed the title with a solid second-place finish in the final moto. Queenslander Ryan Alexanderson took a three-second margin win over Atkinson and New South Welshman Hunter Collins came in third with the fastest lap time of 1:51.977 in their last race of the championship.

100-125cc 2st – 13-U15 Top 3

  1. Liam Atkinson – 92
  2. Brock Flynn – 84
  3. Jack Mather – 83

50cc Division 2 – 7-U9

It was all the sandgroper’s way as Mason Brown (WA) took a sensational victory in the final moto of the 50cc class to earn himself a championship win, while Deegan Fort (WA) crossed the line three-seconds later second making him runner up for the championship in his first national event.

West Australian Brian Gyles had the fastest lap time of 2:24.483 which saw him third over the line for their last race of a very long week for this group of little Aussie troopers!

50cc Division 2 – 7-U9 Top 3

  1. Mason Brown – 210
  2. Deegan Fort – 176
  3. Kyle Harvey – 171

128-150cc 2st/200-250 4st 15yo

Taking his second podium of the day, local hero Alex Larwood took the championship in style with the final chequered flag and the fastest lap time of 1:46.880 in the last moto of both the day and the 2019 KTM AJMX Championships.

New South Welshman, Blake Fox pulled through for second in the race making him runner up for the championship ahead of fellow state counterpart Cameron Torpy rounding of the top three for the final race of the 2019 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships!

128-150cc 2st/200-250 4st 15yo Top 3

  1. Alex Larwood – 210
  2. Blake Fox – 190
  3. Cameron Torpy – 157

2019 KTM 2019 Interstate Challenge Cup

Earlier this week each state chose a team of eight riders from four different classes to compete for the Interstate Challenge Cup and each of those competitors was scored within their own class.

At the end of the event, the state with the highest point scoring six team members had their final placings re-scored for an overall score. The state with the highest overall team score is the winner.

Queensland were the winners this year on 199 points, the runner up state for 2019 is New South Wales on 196 points, third place was Western Australia on 193 points, followed by Tasmania 189 points, Victoria 182, South Australia 174 and Northern Territory on 132 points.

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Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award

On Saturday the 5th of October the Motocross Riders Association Club proudly hosted the presentation night of the 2019 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships at the Port Adelaide Football Club.

During the proceedings the prestigious Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award winner was announced and presented in front of a packed house of over 300 guests by Holden On Tight Organisations founder, Rosco Holden.

Taj Gow Smith Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award
Taj Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award

In 2017 the Holden On Tight Organisation created the “Holden On Tight Spirit Award” as part of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships. The “Spirit Award” is exactly that, it can be a selfless act to help a fellow competitor, one of true grit or continuing to compete through adversity of injury or so much more that can make someone a contender.

Rosco, who attended the week-long event, opened his speech congratulating the South Australian Motocross Riders Association President Anthony Slade and his tireless hardworking team of officials, medical staff, corner stewards and volunteers.

Rosco Holden

“I’m proud to say my Holden On Tight Organisation is in its 4th year unofficially, and 3rd year officially, for contributing prize money sponsorship for every class for the KTM AJMX championships. The thing that impresses me each year is the commitment that all have shown in preparing all year and attend this event. The top three place getters will get their rewards, but the winners are all of you that have taken on this annual September School Holiday Dirt Challenge. But it’s not all about winning far from it, hence why in 2017 I created the Holden On Tight Spirit Award. This year’s remarkable standouts were #6 Patrick Butler in the 65cc 10-12 class who stopped and helped get #213 Cohen Guatt get his leg out from his wheel and the start line dummy grid dynamic duo of Josh and Billy who did an awesome, yet thankless job all week. There was also the fearless young Jack Ellingham who rides for Josh Coppins in New Zealand, Jack who rode in the 65cc 7-9 yr. class, got 3rd degree tyre burns to the side of his wrist and bravely continued on and still racing all week…”

KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships Trophies
2019 KTM AJMX Trophies

There were many contenders, including Tasmania’s #77 Jordan Hingston who also helped Northern Territory rider #174 Clayton Bogucki get out from under his bike during a race.

During the very first practice session for the 2019 KTM AJMX, newly crowned champion, Brad West was badly trapped under his bike at the first corner with no-one around to help.

Taj Gow-Smith was about to leave the start line for his practice when he saw Brad. Taj instantly raced down to turn one and threw his bike down on the ground and helped him. Brad fortunately wasn’t hurt and by Taj lifting his bike off him he was able to get back on his way and finish his all-important practice session. Gow-Smith earnt the 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award for his selfless act.

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Jason Doyle claims 2019 Golden Helmet title in Pardubice

Aussie ace Jason Doyle celebrated retaining his FIM Speedway Grand Prix status by winning the iconic Golden Helmet in Pardubice for the second straight season on Sunday.

Doyle triumphed over former European champion Andzejs Lebedevs, Patryk Dudek, Max Fricke, Antonio Lindback and Jack Holder in the final on the giant Czech track, which features six-rider races.

Jason Doyle

“What a way to celebrate my birthday weekend!! Qualified for 2020 SGP series with seventh in the world and then on my birthday won the Golden Helmet! The biggest individual meeting of the season! So happy! Thank you for all the nice messages over the weekend! Bring on 2020!”

Only SGP wild card Antonio Lindback defeated Doyle at the quarter final stages, before he stormed through his semi group and triumphed in the decider.

It capped a strong weekend for the Newcastle-born racer who secured seventh spot in the World Championship on Saturday night to retain his record of qualifying for the SGP series without the aid of a wild card every year since his debut in 2015.

Slovak star Martin Vaculik won the consolation final ahead of Matej Zagar, Chris Holder, Viktor Kulakov, Vaclav Milik and Tero Aarnio.

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2020 SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced

Former FIM Speedway Grand Prix world champions Greg Hancock and Tai Woffinden are back for 2020 after the SGP Commission confirmed next year’s four permanent wild cards.

Two men with seven world titles between them are joined by Russian racer Artem Laguta and Swedish star Antonio Lindback in receiving invites to compete in the SGP World Championship.

SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced
2020 Speedway Grand Prix wildcards have been announced!

Hancock is set for an historic return to speedway in a year, which will see him become the first 50-year-old to compete in the SGP series, when he celebrates his half-century on June 3, 2020.

The four-time world champion is taking a break from the sport this year to support wife Jennie as she undergoes breast cancer treatment, but he has made no secret of his desire to continue battling it out with the world’s best.

Great Britain hero Woffinden, who became the nation’s first triple world champion last year, is back after a tough season, which saw him sidelined for two months with a broken TH4 vertebra sustained in a PGE Ekstraliga crash in Lublin on June 7.

Woffinden was 13th in this season’s standings – the first time he has finished outside the world’s top four since he rejoined the series in 2013.

SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced
2020 Speedway Grand Prix wildcards

Laguta claimed 11th place in the SGP series, but still ended 2019 a world champion after racing to Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations glory with Emil Sayfutdinov at Russian track Togliatti in July.

And Lindback returns to the SGP stage after finishing 12th this season. The Swedish international is a two-time FIM Speedway World Cup winner and has three SGP victories and two Swedish Championships to his name.

The top eight riders in this year’s SGP World Championship – Bartosz Zmarzlik, Leon Madsen, Emil Sayfutdinov, Fredrik Lindgren, Martin Vaculik, Maciej Janowski, Jason Doyle and Patryk Dudek – qualify automatically for SGP 2020.

The line-up is completed by the top three riders from the GP Challenge in Gorican, Croatia on August 24 – winner Matej Zagar, runner-up Niels-Kristian Iversen and third-placed Max Fricke. The substitute riders for the 2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series will be confirmed soon.

2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix Ride Line-Up
(in FIM ranking order with rider numbers to be confirmed in due course)

  1. Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
  2. Leon Madsen (Denmark)
  3. Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia)
  4. Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
  5. Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
  6. Maciej Janowski (Poland)
  7. Jason Doyle (Australia)
  8. Patryk Dudek (Poland)
  9. Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
  10. Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark)
  11. Artem Laguta (Russia)
  12. Antonio Lindback (Sweden)
  13. Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
  14. Max Fricke (Australia)
  15. Greg Hancock (USA)
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Smolinski leads 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up

German ace Martin Smolinski will serve as the 2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix first substitute rider as the full SGP 2020 line-up is confirmed.

The 2018 FIM World Longtrack champion heads the list of substitute stars and will be called into SGP 2020 events if any of the 15 permanent riders are forced out of action for any reason such as injury or illness.

Smolinski famously won the 2014 New Zealand SGP on his full World Championship debut at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium.

Smolinski leads SGP substitute rider line up
Smolinski will lead the 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up

The charismatic Munich-born man has also played a pivotal role in helping Germany reach two straight Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals – the country’s first world team finals of the 21st century.

He’s joined on the substitutes list by second stand-in Mikkel Michelsen of Denmark – the new European champion having won a run-off with Russia’s Grigory Laguta at the final round in Chorzow last month.

Last year’s FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner Bartosz Smektala of Poland is the third reserve, with Denmark’s Anders Thomsen – who finished fifth in his first-ever GP Challenge in August – the fourth substitute.

Swedish racer Pontus Aspgren suffered cruel luck in his quest for SGP qualification at the GP Challenge with an engine failure in his final ride. He will be the fifth reserve for SGP 2020.

The list is completed by French star Dimitri Berge – the new FIM World Longtrack champion and a Speedway of Nations star for his country in 2018 and 2019.

2020 SGP Substitute Riders

  1. Martin Smolinski (Germany)
  2. Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark)
  3. Bartosz Smektala (Poland)
  4. Anders Thomsen (Denmark)
  5. Pontus Aspgren (Sweden)
  6. Dimitri Berge (France)
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2019 Australian SX Championship shaping up to be a belter

The 2019 Australian Supercross Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in history, with a host of decorated international talent preparing to face off against the best Australia has to offer, and take the coveted SX1 and SX2 Championships to foreign lands.

Australian Supercross Geeling TBG SX Start
Australian Supercross 2018 – Image by TBG

Leading the charge and looking to secure his fourth consecutive Australian championship will be Penrite Honda’s Justin Brayton, who has recently signed a deal with the HRC corporation for his World Championship campaign in 2020, and will come with additional parts for his Honda machine which is an ominous sign for the competition. The American is known as one of the world’s best supercross riders, having made his debut in 2004 and progressively making his way into the top echelon of the sport, and has his sights locked on another title.

Justin Brayton

“The aim is to defend (my championship), and add a fourth to the belt. I’m under no illusion that it’ll be an easy defence though, with a lot of good guys putting that target on my back and wanting the SX1 Championship. I’m expecting a few guys to step up and make it difficult, however, I’m confident in my preparation and believe that I can get the job done.”

AMA Supercross FInal Brayton JK SX Vegas
Justin Brayton – Image by Hoppenworld

Team USA will have a presence in the SX2 ranks too, with Mitchell Oldenburg and Chris Blose as the sister Penrite Honda’s of Brayton, albeit both in the small-bore division. Bradley Taft (Empire Motorsports Kawasaki), Jacob Hayes (Serco Yamaha) and Josh Osby (Raceline KTM Thor) will all return for their second season in Australia and will no doubt be after the championship.

Mitchell Oldenburg

“I’ve watched the Australian Supercross Championship expand over the last couple seasons, and was pretty eager to be involved. I’m super thankful for the opportunity to come and race with Penrite Honda – it’s going to be awesome to spend the summer in Australia and go after an international championship.”

AMA MX Oldenburg JK MX BuddsCreek
Mitch Oldenburg – Image by Hoppenworld

The Australian Supercross Championship will span five rounds in 2019, with Brisbane Entertainment Centre playing host for the opener on October 12. The series then heads to South Australia the next weekend, followed by Wollongong on the 9th of November. The series will then cross the pond to New Zealand on the 16th, before concluding in Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on November 30.

Tickets for Round 1 (Brisbane Entertainment Centre) are available from just $45 at www.ticketek.com.au.

2019 Australian Supercross Calendar

  • Round 1 – Queesland, October 12, 2019
  • Round 2 – South Australia, October 19, 2019
  • Round 3 – Wollongong, NSW, November 9, 2019
  • Round 4 – Auckland, NZ, November 16, 2019
  • Round 5 – Melbourne, VIC, November 30, 2019
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Justin Rodbell out for Australian Supercross

Justin Rodbell has apologised to the Raceline KTM Thor Team, after being unable to compete in the up-coming Australian Supercross Championship due to being in Australia on a vacation visa, which does not allow him to work as a professional racer. Here’s what he had to say:

Justin Rodbell

“I would like to apologise to the whole Raceline KTM Thor Team for not being able to compete in the Australian Supercross championship. This is completely my fault, I take full responsibility for not being over there on the correct visa. Sucks my trip to Australia has ended this way, I met so many rad people during my stay in AUS. I’d also like to thank @dvlanwood @markwood25 @ksf_racing for taking me in and giving me a place to live. As for what’s next for me I honestly couldn’t tell you. Sorry @cwktm250 for causing you all this stress, thanks for the opportunity. Basically what happened was I got paid on a vacation visa and I needed to be on a professional sporting visa.”

MX Nationals Coolum Ikap MX Justin Rodbell
Justin Rodbell – Image by iKapture

Team HRC & Gajser lead the way at MXGP Awards Ceremony

Taking place on Saturday night at the 2019 Motocross of Nations, Team HRC, Honda and Tim Gajser wrapped up four different awards as they were recognised for what was an excellent MXGP campaign.

HRC MXoN hondaproracing @shotbybavo
Tim Gajser cleaned up at the MXGP awards – Image by Bavo

Winning nine overalls during the course of the season in Trentino, Portugal, France, Russia, Latvia, Germany, Indonesia (twice) and Belgium, Gajser proved that it didn’t matter what the conditions were as he took victories in a whole host of terrain and surfaces. This not only helped him win the MXGP title by 202-points but it also meant that Honda took the manufacturers classification by 22-points.

In addition to race wins and overalls, Gajser also posted the most fastest laps during the season, to further prove just how dominant he was in the competitive MXGP class. While this ceremony celebrated the 2019 season as a whole, the Slovenian rider wasn’t done collecting awards as he took a moto victory and MXGP class overall at the Motocross of Nations, the first for his country.

HRC MXoN hondaproracing @shotbybavo
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo

He also collected two holeshot awards from his two races, showing the power of the Honda CRF450RW once again in the wet, sandy conditions of Assen. Team HRC MX2 rider Calvin Vlaanderen also put in a fine performance on Sunday as he helped the Netherlands win their first ever Chamberlain Trophy, in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

Tim Gajser will now prepare himself for a completely new challenge as he goes to Las Vegas in order to compete in the Monster Energy Cup on October 19th.

2019 MXGP Awards

  • MXGP Manufacturer World Champion: Honda
  • MXGP Winning Team: Team HRC
  • Tag Heuer Best Lap Challenge MXGP: Tim Gajser
  • MXGP World Champion: Tim Gajser
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Meghan Rutledge to become Kawasaki ambassador in 2020

Kawasaki Motors Australia has announced Meghan Rutledge will continue working with them heading into 2020 as an Ambassador and in a coaching role. Rutledge has been supported by Kawasaki for over 10 years and in 2020 has announced she will be stepping away from motocross racing to focus on career and personal growth.

Meghan Rutledge

“After an incredible 2019 season, that included taking out back-to-back National Women’s Motocross and Queen of MX Titles, 2020 holds new opportunities to grow outside of motocross competition. I will be stepping away from competitive racing and focusing on my career with coaching and personal training. Motocross is in my blood, I will continue to ride for fun, be a coach and mentor the next generation. I am excited for what 2020 has in store for me and thrilled to still be working closely with all my current sponsors as an ambassador. I would like to take the opportunity to thank my sponsors for the support over many years. Sponsorship support has enabled me to win eight Championship Titles in the past two years.”

Meghan Rutledge Kawasaki ambassador
Meghan Rutledge – Image courtesy of Kawasaki

Meg Rutledge has won a trophy room full of Championships in her racing career and Kawasaki will continue to support Meg in an Ambassador and Coaching role.

“I’m eager to focus on my future with my amazing supportive partner Aaron. My job as a personal trainer will work in with motocross coaching and we will take some time to enjoy life. I have put my life into racing and training nearly every weekend for the past 10 years and I never really had any down time, as much as I love racing it’s time to expand my focus. I really appreciate the support from all my fans and sponsors and I look forward what lays ahead.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Rutledge
Meghan Rutledge

Meghan’s sponsors include: Kawasaki Motors Australia, Shock Treatment, EastCoast Supplements Mudgee, Fly Racing, Kwala Racing, Ross McWatters, Willmax Graphics, Strike Seats, Asterisk Australia, Sidi Sport, McLeod Accessories, Rockwell Watches Australia, Motocross Products #, Rip it performance, Fist Handwear, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyres Australia, Giant Mudgee, SCOTT Motosports, Unifilter Australia.


bLU cRU Masterclass riders announced

Following an enthralling weekend of racing in the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations in Assen, the line-up of young Yamaha riders picked to take part in the bLU cRU Masterclass in November has been announced.

Featuring the top three finishers in the YZ65, YZ85 and YZ125 SuperFinale classes respectively, the Masterclass will also include two carefully selected wildcard riders from each class, chosen on the basis of their talent, attitude and potential demonstrated at the SuperFinale.

YZ bLU cRU SuperFinale
2019 YZ125 bLU cRU SuperFinale

The YZ65 Masterclass category for the youngest riders consists of podium finishers #724 Jëkabs Kubulins from Latvia, #292 Freddie Bartlett from Sweden, and #80 Frederik Stampe from Denmark in first, second and third respectively. The three will be joined by wildcards #484 Dex Kooiker from the Netherlands, and #517 Niccolo Mannini from Italy.

The YZ85 top three of #910 Olle Mårtensson from Sweden, #567 Levi Schrik of the Netherlands and #78 Adrian Bølviken from Norway will be joined by #15 Sven Borger of the Netherlands and #11 Zoltan Ordog from Romania.

Featuring the oldest YZ bLU cRU riders, the YZ125 Masterclass line-up includes top three #601 Mairis Pumpurs from Latvia, #252 Raul Sanchez of Spain and #579 Bobby Bruce from Great Britain, who will be joined by #96 Victor Alonso Rodilla from Spain and #397 Simon Depoers from France.

Representing ten European nations, the YZ bLU cRU riders will meet again in Spain on 18-20 November where, together with their road-racing bLU cRU counterparts, they will receive expert motocross tutelage from bLU cRU ambassadors and Yamaha MXGP riders Jeremy Seewer and Gautier Paulin. From the Masterclass, one lucky YZ rider will receive the top prize of direct Yamaha support in their 2020 European Championship.

The Masterclass also serves as the deciding round of the 2019 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup, with one overall winner from each class chosen. The top YZ125 bLU cRU rider will win a place on the MJC Yamaha EMX125 team, while the top YZ65 and YZ85 riders will receive support from Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. for the 2020 season.

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Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020

The Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team has announce that Romain Febvre has joined the squad on a multiple year deal for the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship. Next season KRT will line up two of the most successful and experienced riders in the series as the Frenchman joins Clément Desalle to compete on the KX450 Kawasaki.

Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for
Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020

Crowned world champion in 2015 during his rookie season Febvre, who will turn 28 in December, has raced to podium results every year since he joined the MXGP category; despite missing a third of the 2018 season due to injuries he claimed five GP podiums with a double-victory in the Czech Republic, won four motos, took four pole-positions, led ninety laps of racing and posted the fastest lap five times.

With his long racing experience he will form a perfect twin-spearhead alongside Desalle; the Belgian will enter his fifth season with the team and has formed a perfect relationship with both the bike and the team staff who are more excited than ever to start working with both riders.

Clement has now recovered from his injury and will start testing soon, while Romain still needs to wait a few more weeks to recover from the broken leg he sustained during the Swedish round of the World Championship when he was racing for another podium result.

Romain Febvre

“We turn to a new page but the book is still open and there is a new adventure on the horizon! I’m very happy with this choice; it’s never easy to change after five years on the same team but I’m sure this is the best moment to do it. My injury late this season will delay my first days with the team, but I will be even more motivated later this winter when I can get back on a bike again! Everyone in the team is highly motivated and I’m impatient to be with them and on the bike. As far as my injury is concerned it’s taking a long time of course but everything is going as planned by the medical staff; I will soon have the first examination six weeks after surgery; we’ll see how it is with the femur and we’ll be able to make our plans for the rehabilitation. I will take a longer winter break than usual but patience is the only option and I don’t want to endanger any stage so I will be able to start testing in good conditions and to open this new chapter of my career on a good basis. The team is 100% behind me; they have a strong experience of racing and I’m sure we’ll achieve great things together.”

Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for
Romain Febvre
Thierry Chizat Suzzoni – KRT Team Owner

“We are very happy to welcome Romain to the team alongside Clément; both have a lot of experience and I’m convinced that they will join forces to cooperate and get the best from our Kawasaki; it’s a great bike which both of them will want to put on the podium. We know that Romain always gives 100% and we confidently expect that both he and Clément will put the bike in the leading pack. It gives us great satisfaction to see one of this season’s GP winners so enthusiastic to join us. We are confident that the new KX450, which we have developed so meticulously since the end of last year, has a huge potential. It’s a winning bike and we now have two GP winners on the team to show that to the world.”


Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership

Long time partners in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship, Monster Energy and the Kawasaki Racing Team have renewed their partnership and will continue their successful association.

Joining the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2014 as title sponsor of the factory squad, Monster Energy has always been the main partner of the team and even as the 2019 season was not the best due to rider injuries the American company renewed the contract for the future. Both Romain Febvre and Clément Desalle are long time Monster athletes, and they achieved great results during the past seasons with fifteen Grand Prix wins and thirty heat wins. They will be team mates for the first time in their career next season, joining their experience and efforts to offer the best results to the team in the premier class.

Mitch Covington – Monster Energy Vice President of Sport Marketing

“We’re excited to go again with our long-term partner KRT. It’s been a difficult year with injuries, but it happens. Unfortunately it’s part of the sport when you have riders who are passionate about the sport and really do what it takes to win so sometimes you’re going to have injuries and accidents; we’ve been in the sport a long time and we understand that. We hope for an injury-free season next year. We’re really excited for Romain to stay in the Monster family; moving over from one Monster team to another should be a really smooth transition. Romain has been a champion for our brand for a long time now and we’re wishing him the best in his new team. It’s a very strong team with Romain and Clement. We have two of the most-experienced riders in the series; they are both very fast and we have high expectations from both.”

Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership
Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership for 2020
Thierry Chizat Suzzoni – KRT team Owner

“Since 2014 we’re working in collaboration with Monster Energy and we are very pleased to continue with such a renowned partner who has a very strong image in motorsports. It’s a very long time partner who follow us with great loyalty even in difficult period such as like we had this season. We are currently working to prepare next season with both Clément and Romain who are Monster athletes since many years; every day we work to be ready for 2020, and we expect a great season.”

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Mikkel Haarup joins F&H Kawasaki for 2020

Team F&H Kawasaki will line up an ambitious young trio next year in the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship as Mikkel Haarup joins Roan van de Moosdijk and Mathys Boisrame in the Dutch team.

Mikkel Haarup joins FH Kawasaki for
Mikkel Haarup joins Team F&H Kawasaki in 2020

Mikkel, just eighteen years old, will contest the MX2 World Championship alongside nineteen-year-old Roan van de Moosdijk from the Netherlands and twenty-one-year-old Mathys Boisrame from France.

The multi-national squad will be one of the youngest team line-ups in the World Championship; the F&H Kawasaki team will focus exclusively on the MX2 class next season after their successful 2019 campaign.

All three riders will be trained by Marc de Reuver and they will also contest the Dutch Masters in which they will defend the MX2 title which the F&H team secured this year with Henry Jacobi.

Mikkel Haarup

“I believe joining F&H is going to be a really good move for me; it’s a step forward after four years with my previous team. I feel Kawasaki is very supportive and they will do a good job to help me develop in the future. The team has already done really well the past few years and they work really hard to be even better. Their goal is just like mine … to win the championship; it’s nice to have a team whose main focus is the same. It will be very good for both of us, developing our relationship and achieving results together. Of course it’s a step higher to race the MX2 GPs and the intensity is even higher, but I think everyone can see by the results Roan put in at the end of the season that the speed in the European is also really quick. I already rode a few GPs this year so I think I’m well-prepared to be ready for next year. It’s going to be interested to work with Marc de Reuver; he’s clearly a good trainer and I’m looking forward to working with him. It’s going to be interesting for sure and you see that every rider he has worked with has progressed.”

Mikkel Haarup joins FH Kawasaki for
Mikkel Haarup
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Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | SX | MXN | GNCC | EnduroGP | WESS

Moto News Wrap for May 7, 2019 by Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
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The LATEST News

  • Full Las Vega SX report
  • Australian MX Nationals – Murray Bridge
  • Russell lands win at Indianapolis GNCC
  • Holcombe & Freeman share EnduroGP wins
  • Simpson & Ostlund win British MX Nationals
  • Jasikonis & Jacobi win Dutch Masters
  • Honda signs Roczen for three years
  • No Yamaha 450 riders at Vegas
  • Todd Waters to USA
  • Sweden, Poland and Germany advance to SoN finals
  • Woffinden & Doyle to clash this weekend
  • WESS kicks off this weekend
  • Weekly update on our Aussies abroad

Full Las Vegas SX report

Las Vegas hosted the final round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship and despite Eli Tomac dominating the 450 main event it was Cooper Webb who came away with the championship. Dylan Ferrandis and Chase Sexton won the West and East Coast 250 championships respectively.

AMA Supercross FInal Webb Podium JK SX Vegas
Cooper Webb – 2019 AMA Supercross Champion – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Report

The tension around the stadium was once again palpable as the 450 main event got underway and it was Tomac who earned a very rare holeshot. It was obvious from the outset that Eli was not interested in playing games with the Kawasaki rider putting down incredibly fast lap times to pull away from the KTM duo of Marvin Musquin and Webb.

AMA Supercross FInal Tomac JK SX Vegas
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

While maintaining a few bike lengths back from Musquin, Webb was initially under pressure from Zach Osborne but he was able to slowly pull away from the Husqvarna rider. Ken Roczen made his way to the rear wheel of the championship leader put the plucky Webb stuck to hitting his marks around the slippery, hard packed Vegas layout.

As the track deteriorated Tomac continued to push and despite surviving a few ‘moments’ the Kawasaki rider crossed the line some 12 seconds ahead of Musquin while Webb rounded out the podium. Webb led by a narrow margin over Roczen and Osborne with Cole Seely, Blake Baggett, Tyler Bowers, Justin Hill and Justin Bogle rounded out the top ten.

AMA Supercross FInal Roczen JK SX Vegas
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld

Webb, a two-time Western Regional 250SX Champion and a former 250 AMA National Motocross Champion can now add the 2019 AMA 450 Supercross Championship to his resume on the back of 5-10-1-1-8-1-1-2-1-2-3-4-1-3-2-1-3 finishes over the 17 rounds.

Cooper Webb

“It’s been an incredible journey. This KTM team believed in me, they took me in and transformed me back to where I always knew I could be. This year was not expected at all, and I can’t thank them enough for giving me this opportunity to get back into this level and to do it this way is unreal. It’s a dream come true, I’ve had it since I was a little kid. It’s an incredible feeling, I am in shock.”

AMA Supercross FInal Webb JK SX Vegas
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac

“It’s all about putting the whole season together, we need to fill in the gaps which and we haven’t done that yet. I felt like in the beginning we were playing catch up then we kind of found our stride here in the last few races so that is the positive outlook on the season.”

AMA Supercross FInal Tomac JK SX Vegas
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin

“After being second last year I was looking to go one step better and get the championship but I started the year with no training through November and December (thanks to a knee injury) which is where you build up for the season but we had a solid program where the goal was to get better each weekend, which I did, we were close to winning some main events then we won a couple. I would have liked to have been fighting for the championship all of the way to the end but that didn’t happen.”

AMA Supercross FInal Musquin Osborne Multiple JK SX Vegas
Marvin Musquin & Zach Osborne – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Results

  1. Eli Tomac – 22 Laps
  2. Marvin Musquin +12.061
  3. Cooper Webb +17.466
  4. Ken Roczen +18.216
  5. Zach Osborne +29.872
  6. Cole Seely +42.680
  7. Blake Baggett +48.397
  8. Tyler Bowers +55.636
  9. Justin Hill +1:00.694
  10. Justin Bogle – 21Laps
  11. Justin Brayton +02.960
  12. Ben Lamay +05.575
  13. Kyle Chisholm +13.365
  14. Ryan Breece +36.547
  15. Alex Ray +49.372
  16. Henry Miller +1:01.671
  17. Carlen Gardner – 20Laps
  18. Adam Enticknap +09.480
  19. Charles Lefrancois +13.010
  20. Tevin Tapia – 19Laps
  21. Austin Politelli – 15Laps
  22. Scott Champion – 7Laps

  1. Cooper Webb – 379
  2. Eli Tomac – 361
  3. Marvin Musquin – 350
  4. Ken Roczen – 319
  5. Blake Baggett – 290
  6. Dean Wilson – 223
  7. Cole Seely – 211
  8. Joey Savatgy – 208
  9. Justin Bogle – 171
  10. Justin Brayton – 163
  11. Justin Hill – 162
  12. Tyler Bowers – 155
  13. Justin Barcia – 154
  14. Zach Osborne – 154
  15. Chad Reed – 151

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250 East/West Shootout Report

In the 250 East/West Coast shootout both titles were on the line with Chase Sexton holding an 8-point lead over Justin Cooper for the East title. Adam Cianciarulo held a 9-point lead over Dylan Ferrandis in the West and with all four riders easily qualifying into the 15 minute main event the stage was set.

AMA Supercross FInal Sexton Podium JK SX Vegas
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld

In the battle for the East, Sexton was running near the front of the field from the start of the race while Cooper battled mid-pack so at the line Sexton cruised through for a fourth-place finish, securing his first 250 championship for Geico Honda.

As for the West Coast title there was a fair bit of drama with Ferrandis taking the holeshot on his Monster Energy Yamaha while Cianciarulo was outside the top five. Cianciarulo was then able to move up to third behind Ferrandis and Cameron McAdoo, which would have secured Adam his first title and for several laps it was looking like Cianciarulo was riding smart and had the title in his grasp.

AMA Supercross FInal Cianciarulo JK SX Vegas
Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld

Unfortunately for Cianciarulo fans and Mitch Payton, the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider came up short in a rhythm section, clipped a tuff box and crashed heavily leaving his handlebars bent beyond raceable and despite quickly going into the pits for repairs the championship was over for Cianciarulo……again.

Up front Ferrandis took a comfortable race win from RJ Hampshire, McAdoo and Sexton. Alex Martin, Colt Nichols, Michael Mosiman, Cooper, Martin Davalos and Garrett Marchbanks rounded out the top ten, well ahead of Cianciarulo who ended the main in 20th, handing Ferrandis his first championship on American soil.

Dylan Ferrandis

“Coming into the main, I just asked my mechanic to tell me what Adam was doing and when I saw it at P-10 and P-12, I couldn’t believe it.” Ferrandis said. “We trained so hard coming into this weekend. It’s more than a dream come true. It’s hard to put into words. I’m just thinking about all the people that have been with me and supporting me. The team has been behind me the past few years, and I’m very grateful to them for believing in me. This is incredible.”

AMA Supercross FInal Ferrandis Podium JK SX Vegas
Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld
Chase Sexton

“It feels super-good, it really hasn’t sunk in yet but being only 19 and winning my first championship is unbelievable. Man, it was the longest 15 plus one I have ever done, the track was gnarly, to do this for myself and the team is awesome, couldn’t have asked for any better.”

AMA Supercross FInal Sexton JK SX Vegas
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld

250 East/West Coast Results

  1. Dylan Ferrandis – 16 Laps
  2. RJ Hampshire +01.805
  3. Cameron McAdoo +02.858
  4. Chase Sexton +03.365
  5. Alex Martin +04.625
  6. Colt Nichols +05.871
  7. Michael Mosiman +09.340
  8. Justin Cooper +11.993
  9. Martin Davalos +18.488
  10. Garrett Marchbanks +22.901
  11. Brandon Hartranft +26.177
  12. Kyle Peters +35.205
  13. Jordan Bailey +42.976
  14. John Short +46.740
  15. Lorenzo Locurcio +52.624
  16. Justin Starling +1:06.503
  17. Chase Marquier – 15Laps
  18. James Decotis +17.645
  19. Mitchell Falk +23.856
  20. Adam Cianciarulo +44.305
  21. Kyle Cunningham – 13Laps
  22. Chris Blose – 4Laps

  1. Chase Sexton – 193
  2. Justin Cooper – 180
  3. Austin Forkner – 152
  4. Martin Davalos – 148
  5. Alex Martin – 139
  6. Brandon Hartranft – 130
  7. Mitchell Oldenburg – 128
  8. Kyle Peters – 126
  9. Kyle Cunningham – 110
  10. Jordan Bailey – 101

  1. Dylan Ferrandis – 226
  2. Adam Cianciarulo – 211
  3. Colt Nichols – 180
  4. RJ Hampshire – 168
  5. Cameron McAdoo – 149
  6. Michael Mosiman – 144
  7. James Decotis – 133
  8. Shane McElrath – 123
  9. Chris Blose – 120
  10. Garrett Marchbanks – 113

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Murray Bridge hosts MX Nationals double header

South Australia’s historic town of Murray Bridge hosted the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2019 Australian MX Nationals last weekend with the first of the two ‘double-headers’ for the series with four championship classes on show over the two days of action.

MX1 Report

The big drawcard at Murray Bridge was the return of Dean Ferris to the series, albeit a brief one, on the Raceline KTM and it didn’t take long for Dean to start where he left off last year with two wins on Saturday though moto two did see Luke Clout hold pace with the 2018 champion.

MXN Rnd Murray Bridge Dean Ferris
Dean Ferris

Kirk Gibbs was second in the opening moto but well back from Ferris then it all went sour for Gibbs in the second moto with the CDR Yamaha rider crashing twice to earn a DNF before not being able to race on Sunday so Gibbs’ title chance is all but gone.

So it was Ferris taking the overall on Saturday with Clout, Hayden Mellross, Jayden Rykers and Todd Waters round out the top five so heading to Sunday Mellross still has the red plate by two points over Clout.

MXN Rnd Murray Bridge Kirk Gibbs
Kirk Gibbs

Sunday dawned with the MX1 riders tackling two back-to-back sprint races and it was looking to be more of the same with Ferris out front. Just as the NRGTV commentators were regaling how Ferris rarely makes mistakes the number 1 KTM was on the ground handing the lead and win to Clout with Waters, Mellross, Ferris and Justin Rodbell rounding out the top five.

Moto two saw Clout take another win once again over Waters and Mellross with Rodbell holding off Ferris for fourth so the overall for the combined sprint races went to Clout over Waters, Mellross, Rodbell and Ferris.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Luke Clout Craig Dack
Luke Clout

The final 30 minute moto saw Waters take the win by just 1.4 seconds over Clout who had Mellross all over him right to the line while Ferris once again struggled with a poor start to finish a distant fourth.

The overall goes to Waters over Clout and Mellross and as far as the points go Clout now has the red plate by 4-points over Mellross who in turn has a 6-point lead over Waters – with 5 rounds remaining this championship is well and truly alive.

MX1 Round 4 & 5 Results

  1. Dean Ferris – 70 points
  2. Luke Clout – 58
  3. Hayden Mellross – 58
  4. Jayden Rykers – 56
  5. Todd Waters – 53
  6. Richie Evans – 48
  7. Justin Rodbell – 47
  8. Dylan Long – 43
  9. Erki Kahro – 42
  10. Brett Metcalfe – 39

  1. Todd Waters – 67 points
  2. Luke Clout – 67
  3. Hayden Mellross – 60
  4. Dean Ferris – 54
  5. Justin Rodbell – 53
  6. Richie Evans – 50
  7. Jayden Rykers – 49
  8. Brett Metcalfe – 45
  9. Lawson Bopping – 45
  10. Erki Kahro – 41

  1. Luke Clout- 275 points
  2. Hayden Mellross – 271
  3. Todd Waters – 265
  4. Justin Rodbell – 210
  5. Jayden Rykers – 207
  6. Erki Kahro – 190
  7. Brett Metcalfe – 181
  8. Kirk Gibbs – 179
  9. Richie Evans – 174
  10. Jesse Dobson – 173

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MX2 Report

Saturday saw the back-to-back sprint races start the weekend off for the MX2 riders and surprisingly it was Kyle Webster who stamped his dominance by taking the win in the first moto over Jay Wilson, Bailey Malkiewicz, Kaleb Barham and Wilson Todd. He then back that up with another win in the second moto this time over Wilson, Barham, Dylan Wills and Todd.

MXN Rnd Murray Bridge Kyle Webster
Kyle Webster

So heading to the final 30-minute moto Webster held the overall so far ahead of Wilson, Barham, Malkiewicz and Todd. However the longer moto allowed Todd to redeem himself with a narrow win over the in-form Webster who had a fair gap back to third place Wilson while Wills and Riley Dukes rounded out the top five.

So the overall for Saturday goes to Webster over Wilson and Todd but with Sunday looming with two 30-minute motos all eyes were on Todd to extend his championship lead.

On the day it was Webster who once again put together a great race with a win in the opening moto over Malkiewicz, Wilson, Aaron Tanti and Dukes while Todd suffered a flat tyre while leading and was forced to dive into the mechanics area to change the wheel and finish in 14th place.

Moto two saw Todd take the win by four seconds ahead of Webster with the Serco Yamaha pairing of Nathan Crawford and Tanti putting together their best finishes after a tough weekend for the team. Heading to the seven week break in the series Todd now had a 23 point lead over Webster who in turn has a 2 point gap back to Wilson.

Kyle Webster

“Things couldn’t have gone much better! Everything clicked from the moment we rolled onto the track and I’m absolutely stoked on how the day went. I can’t ask for much more, with two round wins in two days. It feels like it’s been a while coming this year to get a few wins on the go, but now that they’re here, it’s awesome. Everyone in the MX2 class has been having a real go and the competition is fierce, so getting two round wins now at the double-header rounds is the perfect way to go into the mid-season break. I can’t thank everyone on the Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing team enough, and all the team sponsors and supporters, and my family and everyone who helps make this happen; like I said, getting back-to-back round wins feels just awesome!”

MXN Rnd Murray Bridge Kyle Webster
Kyle Webster

MX2 Round 4 & 5 Results

  1. Kyle Webster – 67 points
  2. Jay Wilson – 62
  3. Wilson Todd – 61
  4. Dylan Wills – 53
  5. Kaleb Barham – 53
  6. Bailey Malkiewicz – 52
  7. Riley Dukes – 50
  8. Jai Constantinou – 44
  9. Ricky Latimer – 41
  10. Nathan Crawford – 38

  1. Kyle Webster – 67 points
  2. Bailey Malkiewicz – 58
  3. Aaron Tanti – 56
  4. Jay Wilson – 54
  5. Wilson Todd – 52
  6. Nathan Crawford – 52
  7. Riley Dukes – 49
  8. Ricky Latimer – 45
  9. Jye Dickson – 43
  10. Jai Constantinou – 42

  1. Wilson Todd – 283 points
  2. Kyle Webster – 260
  3. Jay Wilson – 258
  4. Nathan Crawford – 212
  5. Aaron Tanti – 212
  6. Dylan Wills – 206
  7. Riley Dukes – 202
  8. Bailey Malkiewicz – 198
  9. Jye Dickson – 188
  10. Cooper Pozniak – 184

MXD Report

The MXD riders once again put on a great show all weekend with lap times that matched the top MX2 riders and most of the MX1 field but in the end it was Kiwi Max Purvis who won the overall on Saturday over Brodie Ellis and championship leader Regan Duffy but on Sunday Duffy narrowly got the overall ahead of Purvis and Mason Rowe.

MXN Rnd Murray Bridge MXD Regan Duffy
Regan Duffy

At the halfway point of the series Duffy has a 17 point lead over Purvis while Rhys Budd sits a further 15 points back.

MXD Rounds 4 & 5 Results

  1. Maximus Purvis – 67 points
  2. Regan Duffy – 65
  3. Rhys Budd – 58
  4. Brodie Ellis – 57
  5. Jack Kukas – 52
  6. Mason Rowe – 49
  7. Jai Walker – 44
  8. Tye Jones – 44
  9. Jayce Cosford – 44
  10. Mackenzie O’Bree – 41

  1. Regan Duffy – 67 points
  2. Maximus Purvis – 65
  3. Mason Rowe – 60
  4. Brodie Ellis – 51
  5. Noah Ferguson – 49
  6. Rhys Budd – 47
  7. Tye Jones – 46
  8. Mackenzie O’Bree – 45
  9. Jai Walker – 44
  10. Liam Walsh – 43

  1. Regan Duffy – 289 points
  2. Maximus Purvis – 272
  3. Rhys Budd – 257
  4. Brodie Ellis – 218
  5. Mason Rowe – 207
  6. Jack Kukas – 200
  7. Noah Ferguson – 197
  8. Jai Walker – 181
  9. Liam Walsh – 179
  10. Jayce Cosford – 178

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YMF Australian MXW Report

Meghan Rutledge was in a class of her own to win all four MXW motos while running lap times within 10 seconds per lap of the top MX2 riders while Maddy Brown and Jessica Moore battle over the minor podium positions all weekend.

MXW – Round 1 Overall (Top 10)

  1. Meghan Rutledge – 70 points
  2. Maddy Brown – 62
  3. Jessica Moore – 62
  4. Emma Milesevic – 56
  5. Kara Cats – 51
  6. Roma Edwards – 50
  7. Tanesha Harnett – 49
  8. Amy Bartsch – 45
  9. Ebony Harris – 43
  10. Britney Boyce – 42

  1. Meghan Rutledge – 70 points
  2. Jessica Moore – 60
  3. Maddy Brown – 60
  4. Emma Milesevic – 60
  5. Roma Edwards – 51
  6. Kara Cats – 51
  7. Ebony Harris – 47
  8. Amy Bartsch – 47
  9. Steph Cutler – 43
  10. Tanesha Harnett – 43

  1. Meghan Rutledge – 140 points
  2. Jessica Moore – 122
  3. Maddy Brown – 122
  4. Emma Milesevic – 116
  5. Kara Cats – 102
  6. Roma Edwards – 101
  7. Amy Bartsch – 92
  8. Tanesha Harnett – 92
  9. Ebony Harris – 90
  10. Britney Boyce – 81


Russell Lands Win at Indianapolis GNCC

The X-Factor Whitetails GNCC at Indianapolis has been won by defending champion and current points leader Kailub Russell by just under 8-seconds over Thad Duval while Ben Kelly won the XC2 class with a fifth overall result.

Kailub Russell X Factor Whitetails GNCC win
Kailub Russell captured the X-Factor Whitetails GNCC trophy with his overall win – Image by Ken Hill

Russell got the win over arch rival Thad Ducal and Josh Toth while Aussie Josh Strang struggled to a distant 13th overall but in the XC2 class Ben Kelley continues to be the man to beat with another win this time over Craig Delong and Alex Lee.

Jordan Ansley easily won the XC3 class with an incredible 16th outright while in the WXC class Tayla Jones continues to build the points lead as she defends her 2018 title with another win over Becca Sheets but fellow Aussie Mackenzie Tricker had a shocker with an unusual ninth but the former AMA Motocross Champion still hold third in the points.

GNCC Overall

  1. K. Russell – XC1 Open Pro – Overall Leader
    2. T. Duvall – XC1 Open Pro
    3. J. Toth – XC1 Open Pro
    4. S. Baylor JR – XC1 Open Pro
    5. B. Kelley – XC2 250 Pro – Class Leader
    6. R. Russell – XC1 Open Pro
    7. G. Baylor – XC1 Open Pro
    8. C. Delong – XC2 250 Pro
    9. A. Delong – XC1 Open Pro
    10. A. Lee – XC2 250 Pro
    11. T. Bollinger – XC1 Open Pro
    12. J. Ashburn – XC1 Open Pro
    13. J. Strang – XC1 Open Pro
    14. C. Buttrick – XC1 Open Pro
    15. M. Witkowski – XC2 250 Pro
    16. J. Ansley – XC3 125 Pro-Am – Class Leader

Overall Top 10 Points after Round 5

  1. Kailub Russell – 140
  2. Thaddeus Duvall – 122
  3. Steward Baylor Jr – 105
  4. Trevor Bollinger – 90
  5. Benjamin Kelley – 78
  6. Josh Strang – 67
  7. Joshua Toth – 67
  8. Jordan Ashburn – 58
  9. Andrew Delong – 55
  10. Michael Witkowski – 49

WXC Results

  1. Tayla Jones
  2. Becca N Sheets
  3. Rachael Archer
  4. Korie Steede
  5. Shelby Rolen
  6. Shyann Phelps
  7. Elizabeth Perez
  8. Brooke Cosner
  9. Mackenzie Tricker

WXC Points after 5 Rounds

  1. Tayla Jones – 141
  2. Becca N Sheets – 130
  3. Mackenzie Tricker – 100
  4. Rachael Archer – 86
  5. Brooke Cosner – 73
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Holcombe & Freeman share EnduroGP wins

The small town of Valpaços, about two-hours from Porto, hosted the second round of the FIM Enduro World Championship on mostly hard ground characterised with enormous rocks, as is typical for Portugal. Four rounds took place on Day 1, for a total of twelve special trials, while the following day three rounds took place.

EnduroGP Portugal Rnd Steve Holcombe
Steve Holcombe

Steve Holcombe (Team Beta Factory Enduro), Alex Salvini (S2 Motorsport Honda RedMoto Sembenini Team) and Andrea Verona (TM Racing Factory Team) were the undisputed leaders in Portugal on the occasion of the second GP of the 2019 FIM Enduro World Championship, in their respective Enduro GP, E3, E2 and Junior classes.

In the EnduroGP, Steve Holcombe (Team Beta Factory Enduro) dominated the opening day in a fight to the end with his compatriot Brad Freeman, the following day winning second place. An excellent performance was also seen from Alex Salvini (S2 Motorsport Honda RedMoto Sembenini Team) who won two third places.

EnduroGP Portugal Rnd Alex Salvini
Alex Salvini

It was also a positive weekend for Davide Guarneri (Team Honda RedMoto) who in the E1 class gained two excellent second places.

The E2 class was dominated by Alex Salvini (S2 Motorsport Honda RedMoto Sembenini Team). The Bologna-born rider won both days of racing and fought to the end against Christophe Charlier (Team Honda RedMoto) who gave an outstanding performance. Alex Salvini thus jumps to the head of the provisional rankings.

A double win in the E3 class for the Metzeler-supported rider Steve Holcombe, saw the rider from the Team Beta Factory Enduro also dominate the second GP of the season. Two second places were claimed by Daniel McCanney (TM Racing Factory Team).

EnduroGP Portugal D McCanney
Daniel McCanney

It was also an excellent weekend of racing for the rider from the TM Racing Factory Team Andrea Verona who, also equipped with Metzeler MCE 6 Days Extreme tyres, on both days in the Junior class and is currently the leader in the class.

The FIM Enduro World Championship continues, and next weekend the racing will take place in Santiago de Compostela for the Spanish GP.

EnduroGP standings

  1. Holcombe, Steve – 77
  2. Freeman, Brad – 69
  3. Mccanney, Daniel – 58

E1 Class standings

  1. Freeman, Brad – 80
  2. Guarneri, Davide – 62
  3. Cavallo, Matteo – 62

E2 Class standings

  1. Salvini, Alex – 64
  2. Charlier, Christophe – 58
  3. Herrera, Benjamin – 50
EnduroGP Portugal Rnd Christophe Charlier
Christophe Charlier

E3 Class standings

  1. Holcombe, Steve – 80
  2. Mccanney, Daniel – 68
  3. Geslin, Anthony – 56

Junior Class standings

  1. Verona, Andrea – 80
  2. Francisco, Enric – 55
  3. Espinasse, Thèophile – 54
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Simpson and Ostlund Win British MX Nationals

Canada Heights hosted the third round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship and it was Shaun Simpson and Alvin Ostlund who won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.

Simpson put his RFX KTM at the front of the pack in both motos to take two wins ahead of Tommy Searle (2-2) and Jake Millward (3-5) while Ostlund went 2-1 to earn the overall ahead of Dylan Walsh and Josh Gilbert but it was bad news for the defending champion in Conrad Mewse who won the opening moto before failing to finish the second moto.

Simpson now sits on 144pts and Searle on 136pts so the championship is still well and truly alive and they head to round four at the Blaxhall circuit on June 2.

MXGP Overall

  1. Shaun Simpson – 50
  2. Tommy Searle – 44
  3. Jake Millward – 36
  4. Harri Kullas – 33
  5. Gert Krestinov – 33
  6. Brad Anderson – 30
  7. John Adamson – 25
  8. Lewis Tombs – 24
  9. Stuart Edmonds – 24
  10. Robbie Dowson – 20

MX2 Overall

  1. Alvin Ostlund – 47
  2. Dylan Walsh – 40
  3. Josh Gilbert – 38
  4. Martin Barr – 36
  5. Alexander Brown – 30
  6. Taylor Hammal – 29
  7. Michael Ellis – 27
  8. Conrad Mewse – 25
  9. Glen McCormick – 18
  10. Ashton Dickinson – 18
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Jasikonis and Jacobi with Dutch Masters

The small town of Axel in Holland hosted the latest round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross and it was GP regulars in Arminas Jasikonis and Henri Jacobi who won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.

Jasikonis Holland
Arminas Jasikonis

Jasikonis’ 1-2 moto finishes gave the Husqvana rider the overall ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff and Jeremy Seewer while Jacobi (2-2) won the overall from Ben Watson (3-3) and Davey Pootjes (4-4) with Aussie Jed Beaton coming home in sixth overall well ahead of Jargo Geerts and Roan Van de Moosdijk both won a moto but DNF’d the other.

Ben Watson Holland
Ben Watson

Dutch MX Masters – MXGP Overall

  1. Arminas Jasikonis – 47
  2. Glenn Coldenhoff – 41
  3. Jeremy Seewer – 36
  4. Arnaud Tonus – 36
  5. Pauls Jonass – 35
  6. Petar Petrov – 27
  7. Yentel Martens – 25
  8. Benoit Paturel – 25
  9. Lars Van Berkel – 23
  10. Max Anstie – 22

MX2 Overall:

  1. Henri Jacobi – 44
  2. Ben Watson – 40
  3. Davy Pootjes – 36
  4. Mikkel Haarup – 30
  5. Tom Vialle – 28
  6. Jed Beaton – 27
  7. Roan Van De Moosdijk – 25
  8. Brent Vandonick – 25
  9. Adam Sterry – 25
  10. Jago Geerts – 25

Honda Signs Roczen for Three Years

American Honda have announced that Ken Roczen has renewed his contract with Team Honda HRC where the popular German will campaign the CRF450R in AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross for the next three years.

Honda signs Roczen for three years
Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen

“Re-signing with Honda was a no-brainer for me, I owe the team a lot and I feel like we have a lot of good days ahead of us. Three years is a long time, so when I signed, I was beyond stoked and it was a big pressure relief for me. The guys that I work with on this team are like a big family. Over the last two and a half years, the team and I have been through a lot. We’ve had some incredible highs but we’ve also hit rock bottom, and one thing that Honda always did—no matter what—was believe in me. They never gave up. The team also does whatever it takes to make a rider happy, which is huge because it brings comfort, and I want to win just as bad as they do. I know we haven’t done that in a while, but our work and what we do together isn’t done. Them standing behind me through thick and thin, the good times and the bad times, is what makes a great team, so I’m excited to continue our relationship.”

Honda signs Roczen for three years
Ken Roczen
Lee Edmunds –
American Honda’s Manager of Powersports Marketing Communications

“During his time with Honda so far, Ken’s dedication has been exemplary, the tenacity with which he pursues success is exceeded only by the resolve with which he approaches challenges. We firmly believe that attitude will help him—and us—get back on top. Ken is our guy, and we’re thrilled to continue together.”

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No Yamaha 450 riders at Vegas

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team was left without any riders at the final round of the AMA Supercross Championships after fill-in rider Josh Grant was forced to sit out the event after injuring his leg and ribs in a training crash Wednesday at the test track in Southern California.

AMA SX Rnd Grant JK SX NJ
Josh Grant – AMA SX Round 16, 2019

The veteran Supercross racer was brought on board to fill in for Aaron Plessinger who was injured around the halfway mark of the season in Daytona while Justin Barcia decided to sit out the final four rounds to recover from several injuries in a bid to be fot the motocross season.

Jim Perry, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

“This was not the phone call you want to get, however, it is the sad part of the game. What a bummer for Josh Grant and the whole team. Josh has been making improvements each week with two strong top-10 finishes in the previous events. He has been working hard to finish the Supercross series on a high note and it’s a shame that he will be sidelined for the finale.”


Todd Waters to USA

With the Australian MX Nationals on a seven-week break Todd Waters is heading to America to compete in the opening three rounds of the AMA Motocross Championships and here is what he wrote on social media:

Todd Waters – Social Media

“On Thursday we jump on the plane to the United States. The Australian MX Nationals calendar has a seven week break, which we realised lines up perfectly with the opening 3 rounds of the AMA Outdoors. In 2018 I had planned to do the AMA outdoors but found myself back competing in the MXGP’s. I’m excited to live out a lifelong dream. I’m looking forward to keeping the ball rolling. I’m anticipating that continuing to race and to race against some of the world’s fastest riders will up my intensity for the second half of the Australian MX Nationals season.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Todd Waters
Todd Water

“The trip will be a journey of epic proportions. 3000+ miles in a hired RV, an entourage (including but not limited to, my girlfriend, mum & little sister plus New Zealand buddies Cody Cooper and mechanic Lee), a couple of albek.co suitcases filled with parts, 2 mechanics (my Dad & cousin Jason), one borrowed, stock FC 450 and one pipe dream!”


Sweden, Poland and Germany Advance to SoN Finals

Sweden, Poland and Germany have qualified for the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals in Togliatti on July 20 and 21 after top Swede Fredrik Lindgren scored 18 points to lead his team to an emphatic win.

The Swedish team of Lindgren (18p), Peter Ljung (6p) and Peter Hjelmland (1p) topped the teams event on 25 points at Race Off 1 in Landshut last Saturday night, with Poland scoring 24 and Germany 20 to join them in the Finals.

Speedway of Nations
Speedway of Nations 2019

Lindgren may have been in red-hot form, but he admits Ljung’s decision to let him start every race from gate one or two made a huge difference as the Vastervik man bagged his points the hard way.

Fredrik Lindgren

“We are very satisfied with this performance. We are happy to go straight through to Russia for the Finals. It’s a tough meeting. You can’t afford to make any mistakes. That was a job well done. It’s a team effort because Peter gave me the inside gates. He didn’t really feel comfortable in the beginning and I said to him he should maybe try the inside gates to get going. But he wanted us to at least get the heat win and I have to give it up to him. It’s a team effort and we did a good job together.”

Speedway of Nations
Speedway of Nations 2019

Polish star Bartosz Zmarzlik was delighted to power his side through to Togliatti as he joined forces with Patryk Dudek, who was only drafted in the 11th hour when Maciej Janowski withdrew due to a shoulder ligament injury.

Bartosz Zmarzlik

“I am very happy because Poland took the next step and we’re through to the Finals in Togliatti. Second place is not so bad and we were very close to the win against Sweden. Patryk did a very good job for the Poland team, but I’d like to say hello to Magic and we keep our fingers crossed he will come back to the track soon. This meeting wasn’t bad for me and I am happy. But in Togliatti we have two days and we will see what happens. There are two months to go.”

German ace Martin Smolinski was delighted to see his side reach their second straight world final in front of a passionate home crowd in Landshut.

Martin Smolinski

“It’s job done – it’s very nice. It’s always nice to get to the next round in front of the home crowd. We had a very good team performance, I think. Every one of us scored some good points. We showed how good German speedway is at a very good venue. We had a lot of rain in the afternoon, but the track guys worked very well and I think we saw some very nice racing out there.”

Speedway of Nations
Speedway of Nations 2019

The Monster Energy SON now moves to Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium for Race Off 2 next Saturday, as Great Britain tackle Australia, Denmark, USA, France, Finland and Latvia.

Monster Energy Son Race Off 1 Scores

  • SWEDEN 25:
    • 1 Fredrik Lindgren 18, 2 Peter Ljung 6, 3 Peter Hjelmland 1.
  • POLAND 24:
    • 1 Patryk Dudek 7, 2 Bartosz Zmarzlik 15, 3 Bartosz Smektala 2.
  • GERMANY 20:
    • 1 Kai Huckenbeck 8, 2 Martin Smolinski 11, 3 Michael Hartel 1.
  • CZECH REPUBLIC 19:
    • 1 Vaclav Milik 16, 2 Eduard Krcmar 2, 3 Jan Kvech 1.
  • SLOVENIA 19:
    • 1 Matej Zagar 13, 2 Matic Ivacic 4, 3 Nick Skorja 2.
  • UKRAINE 10:
    • 1 Andrii Rozaliuk 0, 2 Stanislav Melnychuk 8, 3 Marko Levishyn 0.
  • ITALY 9:
    • 1 Nicolas Covatti 9, 2 Paco Castagna 0, 3 Michele Menani 0.
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Woffinden and Doyle to Clash his Weekend

World Champions Tai Woffinden and Jason Doyle will go head-to-head this weekend at the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Race Off 2 in Manchester where the Brits and Aussies are up against Denmark, USA, Latvia, France and Finland with three places up for grabs for the SON Finals at the Russian race track Togliatti on July 20 and 21.

Jason Doyle leading heat one at the Melbourne FIM Speedway GP 2017 - Image by Colin Rosewarne
Jason Doyle Speedway GP – Image by Colin Rosewarne

Reigning world No.1 Woffinden captains the Lions on home shale in his first racing appearance in the UK since becoming the first Brit to win three world titles last October while 2017 World Champion Doyle leads the Australian challenge.

The top three teams in Manchester join last weekend’s SON Race Off 1 qualifiers Sweden, Poland and Germany along with hosts and defending champions Russia at the Finals in Togliatti.

Race Off 2 Squads & Line-Ups (In Draw Order):

  • AUSTRALIA:
    • 1 Jason Doyle (captain), 2 Max Fricke, U21 Jaimon Lidsey.
    • Also in squad: Chris Holder, Jordan Stewart (U21).
  • FINLAND:
    • 1 Timo Lahti (captain), 2 Tero Aarnio, U21 Timi Salonen.
    • Also in squad: Jesse Mustonen, Niklas Sayrio (U21).
  • LATVIA:
    • 1 Andzejs Lebedevs (captain), 2 Jevgenijs Kostigovs, U21 Olegs Mihailovs.
  • DENMARK:
    • 1 Niels-Kristian Iversen (captain), 2 Leon Madsen, U21 Frederik Jakobsen. Also in squad: Michael Jepsen Jensen, Patrick Hansen (U21).
  • GREAT BRITAIN:
    • 1 Tai Woffinden (captain), 2 Craig Cook, U21 Robert Lambert.
    • Also in squad: Chris Harris, Daniel Bewley (U21).
  • FRANCE:
    • 1 David Bellego (captain), 2 Dimitri Berge, U21 Gaetan Stella.
  • USA:
    • 1 Austin Novratil, 2 Luke Becer (captain), U21 Broc Nicol.
    • Also in squad: Ricky Wells.
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WESS Kicks off this Weekend

After a successful debut as a series in 2018, the opening round of the 8-round World Enduro Super Series (WESS) kicks off in Portugal this weekend with the Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares which is now in its 15th edition where the three-day race showcases Superenduro, Urban and Hard Enduro.

WESS set for action this weekend
WESS returns this weekend!

Defining its parameters for 2019, WESS will feature Classic Enduro, Hard Enduro and Cross-Country racing, while mixing a variety of iconic events and new venues together to create the perfect blend of Enduro racing.

From Portugal defending champion Billy Bolt and the rest of the WESS contenders will criss-cross Europe to take on some of the most iconic and challenging off-road events in France, Austria, Italy, Romania, UK, Spain and Germany – below is the official calendar.

World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Calendar

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
  • Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
  • Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
  • Round 4: Classic Enduro (Italy) TBA
  • Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 4
  • Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
  • Round 7: Solsona Enduro (Spain) October 5-6
  • Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2-3

Weekly update on our Aussies abroad

Jed Beaton – Rockstar Husqvarna

Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship
Current Standing: 13th after Round 4 of 17
Notes: Jed rode the Dutch Masters of Motocross last weekend and came away with a solid 6th so he is primed and ready for the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy this weekend.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jed Beaton
Jed Beaton

Mitch Evans – 114 Honda

Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship
Current Standing: 8th after Round 4 of 17
Notes: Mitch sensationally started the season with a podium finish but since then it has been a bit of a roller coaster with great speed let down by two mechanical DNFs. The next round will be the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy this coming weekend.

MXGP Rnd Britain Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans

Tayla Jones – Rockstar/Husqvarna/Moose Racing/Shaw Wines

Championship: GNCC
Current Standing: 1st after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Tayla won the latest round in Indianapolis on May 5 and has extended her points lead in the WXC class to 11 over second placed Becca Sheets.

ISDE Tayla Jones ImageSarahKinrade
Tayla Jones – Image by Sarah Kinrade

Caleb Grothues – SDM Corse Yamaha

Championship: EMX250
Current Standings: 16th after Round 2 of 8
Notes: The former Australian and World Junior Motocross Champion rode well at the opening round but was forced to sit out the second round due to injury but the West Aussie should be back for the next round in France on the 26th of May.

Hunter Lawrence – Geico Honda

Championship: AMA Motocross Championship
Current Standings: TBA
Notes: Hunter was looking sharp heading into the supercross championship before he crashed right before the opening round so he is now healed and by all accounts 100% ready for the outdoors which kicks off at Hangtown on May 18.

MXoN Lawrence MX JK MXON Cover
Hunter Lawrence – Hoppenworld Image

Jett Lawrence – Geico Honda

Championship: TBA
Current Standings: TBA
Notes: Jett joined the Geico Honda amateur program for 2019 and to date he has raced a handful of events like the Mini-Os etc – as soon as he races and there are results it will be right here.

ADAC Youngsters Cup Jett Lawrence
Jett Lawrence

Tahlia ‘TJ’ O’Hare – KTM DIGA Racing Team

Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship
Current Standings: 13th after Round 1 of 5
Notes: Tahlia’s initiation into the world motocross scene was at the toughest track on the circuit in Valkenswaard but she managed to get through with a solid 13th but look for TJ to move up the points standings at the second round in Portugal on May 19.

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Chad Reed – JGR Suzuki

Championship: AMA Supercross
Current Standing: 15th after Round 17 of 17
Notes: Chad was part of a multi bike crash at Seattle when he was sitting 7th in the championship and after the series was completed the Aussie still ended up 15th in the points – we now hold out hopes that Chad will line up for the AMA Motocross Championships.

AMA SX Rnd Reed JK SX Seattle
Chad Reed – Image by Hoppenworld

Wil Ruprecht – Johansson MPE Yamaha

Championship: EnduroGP – Junior Class
Current Standing: 2nd after Round 2 of 7.
Notes: Wil once again proved his world class riding ability at Valpaços in Portugal last weekend with a 2nd and a 4th over the two days of competition where some of the veterans of the sport declared it one of the toughest events in recent history.

EnduroGP JohanssonMPE Wil Ruprecht fotoCarolineJoelsson
Wil Ruprecht – Image by Caroline Joelsson

Meghan Rutledge – Bud Racing Kawasaki

Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship
Current Standings: 8th after Round 1 of 5
Notes: Meghan sat out the World Championships for four years and her first round was marred with some minor mistakes but there was no mistaking her speed so look for Meghan to have a much better round in Portugal on the 19th of May.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Rutledge
Meghan Rutledge

Josh Strang – Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki

Championship: GNCC / AMA Enduro
Current Standing: 6th after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Josh ended the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis in a disappointing 13th outright but he still sits 6th overall in the series with 8 rounds remaining.

ISDE Day Josh Strang
Josh Strang

Mackenzie Tricker – KTM/MEPMX/Fly Racing

Championship: GNCC
Current Standing: 3rd after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Mackenzie ended the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis in 9th place which is her poorest performance in years but she still sits third in points with 8 rounds remaining and my bet is still for the former motocross champion to pull off a win this season.

FIM ISDE Vina del Mar Day Mackenzie IMGDarioAgrati
Mackenzie Tricker – Image by Dario Agrati

Max Whale – Weirbach Racing Kawasaki

Championship: AFT Singles
Current Standings: 10th after Round 4 of 18
Notes: Max scored a disappointing 16th at the Super TT in Arizona last weekend thanks to still feeling the effects of the previous weekend’s big crash but he still sits 10th in the points with plenty of rounds left to prove his worth.

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Source: MCNews.com.au