Jeffrey Herlings produced an MXGP masterclass at the MXGP of Città di Mantova on Wednesday to seal his second MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship after a thrilling battle with Frenchman Romain Febvre at the last stop of an entertaining season.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I think I deserve to win this championship. I want to thank Romain for a great season – those guys were super fast – and it is just a pity only one guy can win. Next year will be tough again. I am going to celebrate tonight. I want to thank Red Bull KTM Racing for a great job.”
Jeffrey Herlings
Herlings burst onto the motocross scene with three MX2 Motocross World Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2016 before stepping up to the MXGP level in 2017 where he claimed six GP wins to finish second overall.
Jeffrey Herlings
The 2018 season then saw the Geldrop native reel off an astonishing 17 GP wins to capture his first MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship title with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Toni Cairoli second.
Jeffrey Herlings
Sadly for Herlings, he was sidelined for most of 2019 due to injury and – despite a strong start to the 2020 season – he then picked up another bad injury that sidelined him for the second half of the year.
Jeffrey Herlings
This season, though, the 27-year-old overcame a mixed start and missed chance for points at the Czech GP due to a shoulder niggle to roar back into contention up against Febvre and three-time champion Tim Gajser.
Jeffrey Herlings
With Slovenian Gajser all but out of the title race after a disappointing previous Lombardia GP round on the same Mantova track, it was left down to Herlings and Febvre to duel it out for the title trophy spoils.
Jeffrey Herlings
Race one over 18 laps saw Herlings get the better of Febvre’s Kawasaki in second and Gajser’s Honda in third down the stretch to win by 2.465s with Spaniard Jorge Prado sixth and Italian veteran Cairoli down in 28th.
Jeffrey Herlings
The second race of the GP meet was a thrilling affair between old rivals Herlings and Gajser with Febvre too far back in third to boost his title chances as Herlings held off Gajser by just 1.497s for his second win.
The back-to-back victories meant that Herlings sneaked past Febvre in the 2021 overall rider standings to secure the title by 708 points to 703 with Gajser third, Prado fifth, Cairoli sixth and Latvian Pauls Jonass eighth.
Jeffrey Herlings
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were a class above in the 2021 MXGP manufacturer standings as they powered to the title thanks to 842 points with Kawasaki second on 708 and Honda third on 702.
In 2021 Montova, Italy will play host to the year’s edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN). Commencing on 26th September, Motorcycling Australia (MA) has called for all interested competitors to submit their applications to join Team Australia.
Kyle Webster – Team Australia – 2019 MXoN
There are three classes available for riders to nominate for: MX1, MX2 and Open. Riders are advised that they can nominate for more than one class. Applications must be submitted by no later than COB Friday 16th July.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team have confirmed that reigning 450MX Champion Zach Osborne will miss the remainder of the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in order to fully recover from an ongoing back injury.
Zach Osborne will now be out of action until 2022
Osborne, who sustained the back injury mid-way through the 2021 AMA Supercross Championship, worked hard to get himself ready for the opening round of the outdoor season but he unfortunately re-injured himself at the second round in Colorado. Upon further review with the team, Osborne made the tough decision to sit out the rest of the season to fully recover for 2022.
Zach Osborne
“I’m bummed to say the least. This injury has been a big setback with no clear path to 100% but I feel I’m on a good path now and I just need to give my body the time to heal itself. Myself, along with the team, made the decision to pull the plug and be ready for 2022. It was a tough decision in an already-trying year but I believe I can be back to 2020 form with this time away to heal up. Thanks to my team and fans for the support through this!”
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team will return to racing this Saturday, June 19 in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.
Sherco hotshot Jonte Reynders has completed an ideal build-up for the 2021 Hattah Desert Race by dominating the latest round of the Tasmanian enduro series at Bakers Beach, north-east of Launceston, on July 19.
The 24-year-old was a class above on his Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team 300 SE Factory two-stroke, easily winning the three-hour event ahead of great rivals Kyron Bacon and Seton Broomhall – even after an extra fuel stop!
Jonte Reynders
“I’m rapt with the result on a circuit that was quite difficult, but I made it a little hard for myself – just when I had a decent lead I made a silly mistake of refuelling when I didn’t need to. So I topped up the 300 Factory three times instead of two, which obviously cost me a fair bit of time. But I was able to regroup and take a strong win to extend my lead in the series.”
Jonte Reynders
Five rounds remain in the state title, but Reynders’ focus will now switch to the mainland for the Hattah Desert from July 2-4 where he will be one of the favourites in the open two-stroke class.
He’ll have some exalted guest company in the Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team: Ben Grabham – fresh from his two-stroke-winning heroics at the 2021 Finke Desert Race – on a 450 SEF Factory and Justin Carafa on a 500 SEF Factory.
Nathan Trigg, who lives just up the road from the Hattah epicentre at Ouyen, will also be looking to bounce back from his knee-twisting prologue crash at Finke, which put him out of the main game. Trigg rides a Mallee Motorcycles-backed 450 SEF Factory.
The circuit is 37km long, with the senior riders to complete eight laps.
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Daniel Sanders and GasGas ready for Silk Way Rally 2021
The 11th edition of the Silk Way Rally will get underway in less than one month. Setting off from Omsk (Russia), the second town of the Urals, on 1 July, the race will feature 10 varied and technical stages. Crossing Siberia before traversing Mongolia from West to East, the event passes through the famous Gobi Desert before reaching Ulaanbaatar on 11 July.
Silk Way Rally 2019
A total of 5250 km, of which more than 2850 are against the clock, offering the perfect mix of technical difficulty, variety and scenic beauty. From the Altai Mountains to the capital of Mongolia via the Gobi Desert and the endless Mongolian steppes, the 2021 edition of the Silk Way Rally will be quite simply exceptional.
Two years after Sam Sunderland (KTM) in the bikes, who will be the new white tigers to go down in the Silk Way Rally history books at the end of this incredible journey in the land of Genghis Khan?
For its second edition with a bike category, the Silk Way Rally 2021 has once again attracted the major factory teams on what is one of the highlights of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. This second round will benefit from a 1.5 coefficient thanks to its status as a marathon event with over six days of racing.
Sam Sunderland – Silk Way Rally 2019
The titleholder, the British rider Sam Sunderland, Dakar winner in 2017, will defend the colours of Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing alongside his Austrian teammate Matthias Walkner.
Their sister team Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing will enter the Argentinian Luciano Benavides and their latest recruit, the American Skyler Howes, one of the revelations of the last Dakar.
Another rider to make a splash in Saudi Arabia with his fourth place, the Australian Daniel Sanders will have the honour of flying the flag for GasGas Factory Racing.
Daniel Sanders
Over at the Monster Yamaha Rallye Team, the Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren will be accompanied by another recent revelation, the Botswanan Ross Branch and ex-Supercross Champion, the American Andrew Short.
The Hero Motorsports team will be pinning their hopes on an eclectic trio of Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodriguez, the Argentinian Franco Caimi and the young German Sebastian Bühler.
The quad category is also back on this 11th Silk Way Rally and promises us a splendid duel between the ever young, five times world champion and ex-Dakar winner, the Pole Rafal Sonic and the Russian Alexander Maksimov, both riding Yamaha Raptor 700s.
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Herlings on form at Arnhem International
Jeffrey Herlings took the two moto wins over the weekend at the Arnhem International in Holland to claim the overall from Brian Bogers and Max Nagle, with Cyril Genot finishing fourth overall, just over the podium.
The event served as training for Herlings, between GP events, who admits he’s still working on his starts, with an aim to do better than in Russia.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I really enjoyed myself and it was a good training for the GP. Starts have to be better, but I can get a podium, and I will try and do better than I did in Russia.”
Herlings brought home 40-championship points in the MXGP opener last weekend, after finishing 4-2, and sits second overall in the standings, behind Tim Gajser, who won both races.
Dylan Ferrandis tops High Point ProMX
Images by Jeff Kardas
Following its first break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship returned to action with its East Coast debut from legendary High Point Raceway. The third round of the summer campaign marked the sport’s return to the famed Pennsylvania venue for the first time since 2019 with the GEICO Motorcycle High Point National, where the threat of rain loomed over the afternoon but never really materialised.
High Point 2021
In the 450 Class a hard-fought, consistent afternoon was enough to put Dylan Ferrandis atop the podium for the second time this season. In the 250 Class, Jalek Swoll extended the parity in the division and broke through with his first professional victory as Jett Lawrence increased his lead in the 250 Championship.
450 Moto1
Light precipitation was present when the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, where Adam Cianciarulo prevailed with the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Chase Sexton and Christian Craig, who soon gave up the position to Ken Roczen, the championship leader. As Cianciarulo sprinted out to an early lead the Honda teammates engaged in a battle for second place.
450 Start
As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, the lead trio solidified their hold on those positions as Ferrandis gave chase from fourth. As the minutes continued to tick away the distance between the top three continued to shrink. Sexton soon closed in to within a couple bike lengths of Cianciarulo, but a mistake by Sexton not only caused the Honda rider to lose some ground, it forced Roczen into a mistake when he briefly went down and gave up third to Ferrandis.
Ferrandis and Roczen
With the threat defended, Cianciarulo gradually built a multi-second advantage over Sexton, who in turn built a comfortable margin over Ferrandis. As time ran out on the moto clock with just over three laps to go, Sexton tucked the front of his Honda and went down. As he looked to remount, both Ferrandis and Roczen were able to get by, which placed Sexton in fourth when he resumed.
Out front, Cianciarulo looked to close out his first moto win of the season with ease but was dealt with one last obstacle as a slower rider went down exiting the final corner. With nowhere to go, Cianciarulo ran over the downed motorcycle and fell over.
Adam Cianciarulo
He kept his Kawasaki running, got up, and pushed his bike across the finish line to win in unconventional fashion. Ferrandis followed five seconds behind in second as Roczen rounded out the podium in third. Sexton recovered to finish fourth as Aaron Plessinger completed the top five.
450 Moto 2
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off as Justin Barcia emerged with the MotoSport.com Holeshot out of a gaggle of bikes. He was quickly passed by Plessinger for the early lead, while Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo followed through.
450 Start
Cianciarulo put the hammer down and made an aggressive push that carried him all the way around Plessinger and into the lead. He continued to ramp up the pace and established a multi-second advantage after just two laps. Behind him, Tomac’s first opportunity to run at the front of the field in 2021 saw him surge around Plessinger into second to put the Kawasaki riders at the top of the running order.
As the battle up front took shape the class’ title contenders made moves as well, as Ferrandis worked his way from fourth and Roczen from sixth. Both riders were urgent in their push and successfully moved into third and fourth, respectively. By the time they finished their early charge, the Kawasaki teammates were more than five seconds ahead. From there, Ferrandis and Roczen went head-to-head for third and traded the position before Ferrandis got the upper hand and asserted control of the spot.
Ken Roczen
Up front, Tomac closed onto Cianciarulo’s rear fender and a battle for the lead ensued. Tomac was able to get by, but Cianciarulo fought back and reclaimed the position. However, Tomac didn’t give up and kept the pressure on. The two came together, which pushed Cianciarulo out of a rut and allowed Tomac to move into the lead for the first time this season.
Once out front Tomac started to build an advantage over his teammate and was soon in control of the moto. As the moto surpassed the 20-minute mark Cianciarulo found himself under pressure from Ferrandis and Roczen in third and fourth. All three riders then duked it out for second and used every inch of the track in search of an advantage.
Dylan Ferrandis
As the crowd cheered them on, both Ferrandis and Roczen bullied their way around Cianciarulo, who dropped from second to fourth. That thrilling sequence also changed the battle in the overall classification, as Ferrandis moved into control of the afternoon.
For Tomac it was a dominant ride indicative of his three-year championship run. He stormed to his first moto win of the season by 3.2 seconds over Ferrandis, who was able to fend off Roczen for the entirety of the moto.
Although he missed out on a moto win, Ferrandis’ consistency was enough to vault him to the second overall victory of the season and his career via 2-2 moto finishes. Cianciarulo’s drop off the podium in the final moto relegated him to the runner-up spot by a single point (1-4), while Tomac made his first appearance on the podium this summer in third (6-1), which bumped Roczen (3-3) off the podium via tie-breaker.
Dylan Ferrandis – P1
“What a race. I don’t know (what to say), I got a good start and was able to get by Ken (Roczen), which was good because he was so fast today. It was a war (after that). Ken kept pushing me and we were able to come to Adam (Cianciarulo). It was crazy how competitive it was with them. We were going so fast and the track was so difficult. It’s just amazing to get a win here today and get a hold of the red plate again.”
Dylan Ferrandis
Adam Cianciarulo – P2
“It sure feels good to get that first moto win under my belt. I thought I had a decent sized gap in the second moto, but Eli was flying and caught me a bit off-guard. Fair play to him and the others, they rode amazing. I’m stoked with how awesome my bike has been feeling lately. I honestly believe with a little more endurance, I can be a regular winner this season. Thanks to everyone at Monster Energy Kawasaki for giving me a great bike to ride and always supporting me. We have another break coming up, but I’m ready to build off of this and get back to racing.”
Adam Cianciarulo
Eli Tomac – P3
“This was a big one for us. I’ve been in a bit of slump these last two races, so to get a win and feel like myself on the bike again is huge. After I got off the gate in Moto 2 and saw I had a good jump, I knew it was going to be a good moto. I was able to catch Adam rather quickly and once I was in the clean air, I rode my own race and started pulling away. This was an exciting race, and I can’t wait to keep this momentum rolling into RedBud. Thanks again to the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki squad for all the hard work this weekend.”
Eli Tomac
Ken Roczen – P4
“Today started off really good. I felt comfortable on the track, but we had a slightly different bike setup so in the first moto it really beat me up. I wasn’t that comfortable out there so I really couldn’t do that much. I still rode okay, but it wasn’t the best and I ended up third. In the second moto I was pinched off and had a really bad start. We did some adjustments to the bike that helped me out and I charged forward hard in the first half of the race and ended up having a good battle with Dylan [Ferrandis]. I ended up with another third place for fourth overall, which is kind of weird, but in the end, I’m okay with it because we rode really well and charged hard. That’s all we can do.”
Aaron Plessinger – P6
“This weekend had some ups and downs. I was really happy with my riding in the first moto. I got a really bad start but had a really good flow going and came back to fifth place. I went into the second moto really confident and got an awesome start, but I couldn’t really find that flow that I had in the first moto, and I dropped back to eighth. The track was really tough. There were some spots that were dry and some spots that were soft. So it was definitely weird, but we have a weekend off and will get back to work and get ready for RedBud!”
Justin Barcia – P7
“It was a little bit of a tough day. I just didn’t jive with the track that much and I never felt super comfortable. I think we’ll go back to California and work on a few things and try to be a lot better for RedBud in two weeks. All we can do is keep level-headed and be better for the next race.”
Justin Barcia
Marvin Musquin – P8
“In the first moto, the start was decent but the riding was not good enough and the feeling was not good enough so we decided to go back to some old settings on the shock and it shows, it was definitely better in the second moto. I didn’t get a good start but I was able to fight back, attack and race hard to come back to seventh place, so that was a lot better. Overall, I’m obviously not happy because we’ve been working hard and it didn’t pay off for this weekend, so we need to keep going.”
Cooper Webb – P10
“It was a bit of a struggle today. I felt like I put up a good fight in the first moto and ended up seventh. In the second moto, I got tangled on the start and I ended up crashing three times coming through the pack, so that was pretty unfortunate. Now we’ve got a weekend off and all we can do is try to improve.”
Cooper Webb
Christian Craig – P11
“I didn’t have the best day at High Point. I seemed to struggle to find good lines and had a couple of crashes, but I was able to get through with some points. We’re going to go back to work and look forward to a better RedBud.”
With the win Ferrandis also reclaimed control of the red plate as 450 Class point leader for the second time this season. He currently has a slim three-point advantage over Roczen, while Plessinger, who finished sixth on the afternoon (5-8) maintained his hold on third, 30 points out of the lead.
Eli Tomac arrived in Georgia off the back of a fairly dominant performance in Texas. The Kawasaki rider started on the front foot overnight in Atlanta by recording the fastest lap in qualifying and then also won his Heat race ahead of the 450 Main.
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen was second fastest in qualifying and had won the other Heat ahead of Jason Anderson and Justin Brayton. The 450 Main looked likely to be shaping up as a Tomac versus Roczen showdown…
Roczen scored the holeshot aheead of Davalos and Friese while a slow-starting Tomac was in seventh place sandwiched between Wilson and Brayton.
Jason Anderson and Justin Barcia then both demoted Tomac further down the field over the first couple of laps. The move by Barcia seemed to light a fire under Tomac who then upped his aggression in response.
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
A lap later though Tomac got caught up with Baggett in a left-hander. The Kawasaki man made a move up the inside that Baggett was not expecting, the two got tangled up and both hit the deck, Tomac rejoining the race way down in 14th place.
As the race approached the half-way mark Roczen was nine-minutes clear of second placed Davalos who in turn had two-seconds on Justin Hill. Friese was fourth, Barcia fifth and Anderson sixth. Tomac was working his way back up the field and working on taking tenth spot from Justin Brayton.
Tomac got Brayton then pushed past Stewart, Friese and Plessinger to move up to seventh place behind Cooper Webb with four-minutes remaining. Both Webb and Tomac passed Justin Hill to move up to fourth and fifth respectively.
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia had worked his way past Tomac earlier on and streaked his way through the field to a hard fought second place finish
Justin Barcia had worked hard to force his way through the field during the middle part of the race and on the run to the flag had a three-second buffer over third placed Davalos. That second place somewhat of a triumph for Barcia.
Up front though it was Ken Roczen all on his lonesome. Taking the chequered flag 13-seconds ahead of Barcia, despite backing off considerably on the last two laps and just cruising home.
Ken Rozcen – Image by Hoppenworld
Webb and Tomac fought hard over fourth place all the way to the flag but it was the Kawasaki man that won that battle to score 19-points that sees Tomac tied with Roczen at the head of the points table ahead of Monster Energy AMA Supercross Round Ten at Daytona Beach next weekend.
Chad Reed scored a 15th place finish to add eight-points to his season tally which now stands at 39-points, and ranks him 17th in the standings.
The win for Roczen made it a double for Honda in Atlanta as Sexton had won the earlier 250 SX East Main.
Ken Roczen – P1
“These wins just keep getting sweeter and more fun each time! I’m so happy with how tonight went and stoked to have the red plate again. The last couple weekends have been tough but I’ve managed to minimize the damage, which was huge for us because it put us in a good position for a situation like today. With all the chaos, we made up seven points in one night and now are tied for the points lead again. The battle continues for the championship.”
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia – P2
“What a crazy race. I started middle of the pack and made lots of passes in the beginning. I kind of got into a groove in the middle and was behind a couple guys waiting for some mistakes to capitalize on something. They started falling apart a little and I was able to move into second towards the end and just rode really solid. The track broke down a lot. It was the roughest supercross I’ve ridden in a while, but all in all, I felt really good and the bike was solid. I can’t thank the whole team enough for making good changes on the bike all day and always believing in me.”
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb – P3
“That was probably the hardest race I’ve ever had. I was way back and just put my head down and tried to do the best I can. I got a few gifts from the guys ahead of me but man, it was painful. I knew it wasn’t going to be fun or easy, but that’s racing. It’s a long way out but the only thing keeping me going is this championship, so we’ll do whatever we can.”
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac – P4
“The main event didn’t go as planned, but the good news is we live to fight another day and line back up next weekend at one of my favorite tracks, Daytona. There are still positives to take away from today; we were fastest qualifier, won our heat race, and we never gave up in the main event, and battled hard all the way to the very end to salvage as many points as possible. We are going to put this race behind us and be ready to rock next week in Daytona!”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Eli Tomac
200
2
Ken Roczen
200
3
Justin Barcia
177
4
Cooper Webb
176
5
Jason Anderson
151
6
Malcolm Stewart
137
7
Adam Cianciarulo
128
8
Justin Hill
127
9
Justin Brayton
116
10
Dean Wilson
113
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Chase Sexton claims the Atlanta SX win and lead
RJ Hampshire scored the holeshot from Chase Sexton and Shane McElrath when the third round of the 250 East AMA Supercross Championship got underway on Saturday night in Atlanta.
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
McElrath and Sexton started tussling for position after a few laps and their battle allowed Hampshire a little breathing space. After the first few thrusts from McElrath, Sexton then stepped his pace up a gear to stretch away and close on to the tail of McElrath once again.
Jeremy Martin, Garrett Marchbanks and Jordon Smith were fourth, fifth and sixth with ten-minutes remaining. Sexton finally made a move past Hampshire with eight-minutes left on the shot clock. Hampshire is well known for making hard passes and taking no prisoners, Sexton returned the favour with a very fair but forceful pass for the lead when Hampshire opened the door.
Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
The leaders were now encountering a lot of lapped traffic and at this point of the race it was working somewhat in the favour of Sexton. Jeremy Martin went down out of fourth place and was relegated back to tenth place by the time he was up and running again.
Sexton continued to pull away from Hampshire, the Husqvarna man then lost touch with Sexton and was getting pressured by McElrath in the latter stages of the race. Hampshire held on for that second place though with McElrath finishing in third place at the flag.
Sexton the clear victor and extends his 250 SX East Championship lead to five-points over McElrath.
Chase Sexton
“HOTlanta was a good one! Honda Racing US sweep with Ken Roczen and I taking both heat and main wins! I’m super thankful to be apart of a great team and to have the people behind me that I do! Fans were awesome all night as well! You guys are great.”
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld
RJ Hampshire – P2
“Each week we’re going to continue to get better. Getting those holeshots felt good and we had a good flow out there. I want to win but I also want to be in this thing [championship] a few weeks from now, so we’re going to continue to fight week in and week out.”
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
Shane McElrath – P3
“I felt really good during the day, even in the Heat race. We made a few bike changes for the Main that we thought was going to be good, which was kind of my call. I was struggling with the track quite a bit, but I’m learning a lot. It was tough to get third. I felt like I should have been able to win, but I was struggling with a lot of things. So we’ll work on those this week and we won’t make those same mistakes twice.”
Shane McElrath – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordan Smith – P4
“Honestly, I am happy with today’s performance. I would have liked to be closer to those front three guys battling for a podium position at the end, but after last week’s rough ride I am just happy to be back up towards the front of the pack where I belong. I just need to work on cleaning up a few things and we’ll be right where I expect us to be. The last time I raced Daytona was in 2018 and I won at the iconic track, so I am excited to get back down there and try to do it again.”
Joradn Smith chases Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX East Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Chase Sexton
75
2
Shane McElrath
70
3
RJ Hampshire
61
4
Garrett Marchbanks
53
5
Jordon Smith
47
6
Jeremy Martin
44
7
Jo Shimoda
44
8
Josh Hill
41
9
Enzo Lopes
36
10
Joey Crown
31
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Strong Aussie showing at MXGP opener in Great Britain
The first round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) season has concluded at Matterley Basin, with Jeffrey Herlings and Jago Geerts taking the overall victories in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively, as sunny weather on Sunday set the stage for a fantastic day.
Aussie Mitch Evans kicked off the season on form, claiming third in Race 1, while a more challenging Race 2 still saw him in the top ten, with seventh. This leaves Evans in fifth overall heading to Round 2.
Mitch Evans
“It was a good weekend, excluding the start of that second moto. Everything else went really well. In the first moto I had a good start, avoiding some of the early race carnage and made my way into second for a little bit. Unfortunately, I struggled with my breathing a bit because of my chest infection and finished third. I felt a lot better in the second moto although I had to push throughout the race because of the bad start. I used a lot of energy to get around guys as fast as I could and I hit a bit of a wall with eight minutes to go. Overall it was a good weekend though, I’m happy with my MXGP debut and now I get ready for Valkenswaard next weekend.”
Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
In MX2 top Australian was Jed Beaton in fourth overall, with second in Race 1, and sixth in Race 2. Fellow Aussies Nathan Crawford and Wilson Todd took 14th and 17th overall respectively, at the season opener.
Jed Beaton
“It was a good weekend for me. Fourth overall is a great result for the first Grand Prix, although I’m a little disappointed to miss the podium because of a small crash in the second race. In the first moto I had a good start, found some nice lines and came from eighth to second, which was great. I felt good and, yeah, it was good to get that result in the books. Second moto, it took a while to settle into a rhythm and then I just washed the front wheel out in a corner, losing a few places and I finished the race in sixth. For the upcoming rounds I just need to be a little more patient. Overall, it’s been a great day and there are plenty of positives to take into round two next weekend.”
Jed Beaton
Nathan Crawford
“Qualifying was a really challenge – especially for me coming from Australia. I’ve never race in condition that cold, windy and rainy. It was definitely something that I hadn’t been through before, so it was quite a shock. We tried to prepare for it and did our best in the tough conditions. In race one I got a mid-pack start, but made some good passes on lap one. I was hovering around 10th position and then had a big crash and after that I was just surviving and trying to get through the race. In race two it was an OK start, but not great – so I set about battling my way through and ended the race in 10th place. The second trace was definitely better for me and that gives me something to build on.”
2020 MXGP Standings after Round 1
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
47
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
38
3
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
38
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
35
5
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
34
6
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
32
7
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
32
8
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
30
9
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
23
10
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
21
11
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
13
12
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
13
13
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
13
14
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
13
15
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
12
16
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
11
17
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
11
18
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
9
19
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
6
20
Guillod, V.
SUI
HON
5
21
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
2
22
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
2
23
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
2
MX2 Standings after Round 1
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
43
2
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
40
3
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
40
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
37
5
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
35
6
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
28
7
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
26
8
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
22
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
22
10
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
21
11
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
21
12
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
15
13
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
15
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
14
15
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
14
16
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
11
17
Todd, Wilson
AUS
KAW
8
18
Harrison, M.
USA
KAW
7
19
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
6
20
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
5
21
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
4
22
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
3
23
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
2
24
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
2
25
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
1
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Courtney Duncan opens 2020 WMX campaign with double wins
Defending Women’s World Motocross Champion (WMX) flying Kiwi Courtney Duncan has begun her 2020 campaign with a double victory this weekend – demonstrating to her rivals that she is a returning force to be reckoned with.
Courtney Duncan
Battling through deep mud and ruts at the season-opening MXGP Great Britain at the popular British circuit of Matterley Basin, 24-year-old Otago motocross queen Duncan bagged the maximum 50 points on offer over the two races on her 2020 Kawasaki KX250. Riding for the England-based Kawasaki Dixon Race Team, she was the first to admit she took some time to warm into her winning ways.
Courtney Duncan
“I’m happy to go 1-1 here at the opener. I felt a little bit rusty. A little bit off the pace but that’s a given, since I haven’t raced in six months. I’m very happy to walk away with the full 50 points and I think we can be proud of that especially given the conditions – they weren’t easy. They were pretty difficult out there with a lot of mud. I’m stoked to get the first round win, I couldn’t ask for more. I can only go up from here. My goal is to just continue to improve and I think I can do that. The more bike time I get on the race bike with testing, I can up the pace. I look at improving each day and each race as it comes.”
Courtney Duncan – Image courtesy of MXGP
During the first race, Courtney Duncan took the holeshot closely followed by Nancy Van De Ven who was flying out of the gate. Van De Ven led the race for two laps, before crashing out, allowing Duncan to run her #1 plate out front, followed by Kiara Fontanesi who made some quick moves in the first laps to move into second. Meanwhile Lynn Valk moved up to third.
The top three stayed the same for the entire race, as Van De Ven tried to fight off Larisa Papenmeier. Papenmeier was able to pass the Dutch rider with two laps to go, to secure her spot in the top four of the race, with Van De Ven finishing fifth.
Larissa Papenmeier – Image courtesy of MXGP
In race two, Duncan got off to another flyer, leading Van De Ven, Valk, Papenmeier and Amandine Verstappen. By lap 4, Papenmeier passed Van De Ven for second securing herself the second spot on the podium, as she remained in the position for the entire race.
From then on there was not much change with the leaders, as Duncan continued to lead Papenmeier, with Van De Ven, Verstappen and Valk rounding out the top 5.
Kiara Fontanesi was making her way back up the chart, following a start in the top 10 and by lap 5 was up in P6 after gradually passing riders each lap. Also doing the same was Mathilde Martinez who finished the race in seventh behind Fontanesi.
Kiara Fontanesi – Image courtesy of MXGP
The top three were Courtney Duncan securing the first overall victory of the season, followed by Larissa Papemnemier and Kiara Fontanesi.
Courtney Duncan
WMX – Race 1 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:54.805
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:11.560
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:17.018
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:31.542
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +1:20.495
WMX – Race 2 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:37.429
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:05.505
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:27.613
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:31.137
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:32.200
WMX – Overall Classification Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 50 points
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 37
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 36
Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 36
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Liam Everts tops EMX125 in Great Britain
Liam Everts secured his first overall victory in the EMX125 class over the weekend, at Round 1 of the MXGP championship held at Matterley Basin in Great Britain.
EMX125 Podium – Image courtesy of MXGP
In the opening race Everts got off to a flying start, followed by Kjell Verbruggen and Maxime Grau. By lap two Verbruggen was in second, as Grau went missing, dropping down to 13th position.
By lap 4, Verbruggen was coming under fire from Rasmus Pedersen and a crash saw the Dutch rider drop down to 35th. Pedersen then moved to third as Kevin Brumann passed for second place.
Finding good rhythm around the British circuit, Everts was able to pull away from Brumann, finishing the race with an impressive 24.122 second lead! Pedersen finished third, while Cato Nickel and Meico Vettik placed fourth and fifth. Local riders, Joel Rizzi and Eddie Jay Wade made the Brits proud with a ninth and tenth place finish.
In race two, it was Brumann who took the holeshot and led the race for four laps, before Everts was able to chase him down on lap 5, with Florian Miot and Grau in third and fourth.
Kevin Brumann – Image courtesy of MXGP
Grau moved up to third, but less than a lap later Miot passed him back to secure third. While the top three stayed the same, Haakon Osterhagen found his way past Andrea Bonacorsi.
It was Liam Everts who took the race win, overall victory and red plate, going into Round 2 as championship leader.
Liam Everts
“I wasn’t expecting when I came here, second race was a bit tough for me but I had good starts during the weekend. I’m super happy to win here after my dad (Stefan Everts) did 14 years ago. This victory is for him.”
Liam Everts – Image courtesy of MXGP
EMX125 Race 1 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 33:17.460
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:24.122
Rasmus Pedersen (DEN, KTM), +0:34.977
Cato Nickel (GER, KTM), +1:23.920
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +1:36.878
EMX125 Race 2 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30:50.463
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:10.584
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), +0:20.625
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), +0:25.385
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +0:26.749
EMX125 Overall Classification
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 50 points
Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 44
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), 35
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), 32
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 31
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Gibbs and Purvis take NZ MX lead at Hawke’s Bay
Altherm JCR Yamaha riders Kirk Gibbs and Maximus Purvis were two men on a mission, storming into the lead of their Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship classes over the weekend in Hawke’s Bay.
Riding their respective Yamahas in the series’ penultimate round at Ngaruroro Raceway, near Fernhill, the two took the upper hand in their title hunts, ahead of the championship wrapping up in Taupo, in a fortnight.
Sunshine Coast-based Gibbs was untouchable in the premier class on his YZ450 – qualifying first and winning three from three races.
Kirk Gibbs took the round win from Cody Cooper and Hamish Harwood, with Kayne Lamont fourth and Brad Groombridge fifth.
The top-notch results give him a five-point lead over defending champion Cody Copper and 29-point buffer over Hamish Harwood in third.
Kirk Gibbs
“It was a really good day for me. I’ll go home and work on some more things that Josh [Coppins – Team Manager] and BT [Ben Townley] gave me to work on. It’s so helpful to have such good people to get information from. I’ll go there with a good mindset and put a couple of good races in and try to bring it home.”
Kirk Gibbs – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis went 2-1-4, with the final race result slightly lower after the 19-year-old Mangakino flyer crashed on the last lap, while in second.
Maximus Purvis and Dylan Walsh were tied on 65-points for the round win, with James Scott third overall, Josiah Natzke fourth and Caleb Ward fifth.
Maximus Purvis
“It definitely feels good to be leading the points going into the last round. I’ve been trying to chip away at it and now I just have to finish it off with some good results at Taupo.”
Maximus Purvis – Image by Clmintiepix
Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh displayed some of the form that saw the 22-year-old crowned the British Motocross Championship’s MX2 winner last year, with a 4-2-1 results’ set on his Yamaha YZ250F.
Dylan Walsh
“Round three was a big improvement for me. We made huge changes during the week on the suspension and it paid off. I was able to get the round win and show what I was capable of.”
Dylan Walsh – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis now holds the MX2 lead on 183-points, with Josia Natzke second on 179-points, with James Scott third overall on 172. Dylan Walsh is currently fourth on 161 points, with Caleb Ward fifth.
MX1 Round Results
Kirk Gibbs (YZ450) – 75
Cody Cooper – 64
Hamish Harwood – 62
Kayne Lamont (YZ450) – 54
Brad Groombridge – 46
MX1 Standings
Kirk Gibbs, 211 points
Cody Cooper, 206
Hamish Harwood, 182
Kayne Lamont, 149
Brad Groombridge, 138
MX2 Round Results
Dylan Walsh (YZ250F) – 65
Maximus Purvis (YZ250F) – 65
James Scott – 58
Josiah Natzke- 53
Caleb Ward – 53
MX2 Standings
Maximus Purvis, 183 points
Josiah Natzke, 179
James Scott, 172
Dylan Walsh 161
Caleb Ward, 143
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AMA Supermoto Championship kicks off in April
The 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association, kicks off 2020 in Primm, Nev., on April 4-5, with the 2020 season to feature two rounds at new venues, including one in Honolulu at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on May 2. The remainder of the schedule includes four events in the United States and Canada. The other new venue is Colorado National Speedway, which hosts Round 3 on May 30.
2020 AMA Supermoto Championship – Image by Steve Alkyer, courtesy DRT Racing
The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, round is sanctioned by the Canadian Motorcycle Association. That round, coupled with the event in Sturgis, S.D., determines the FIM North America Supermoto Championship.
Ken Saillant – AMA Track Racing Manager
“This year’s AMA Supermoto National Championship Series schedule features a great mix of proven venues and new markets for one of motorcycling’s youngest competition disciplines. We’re looking forward to another year of intense supermoto competition.”
Supermoto racing includes a mix of street-style racing and motocross. Riders compete on tracks that feature dirt and pavement sections with jumps and turns. Venues can range from football stadiums to closed-course streets or parking lots. The AMA Supermoto National Championship Series is promoted by DRT Racing.
For more information about the 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series, visit www.drtracinginc.com.
2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series
April 4-5: Primm, Nev.: Anthony Hart Memorial Race
May 2: Honolulu, Hawaii: Aloha Stadium
May 30: Dacono, Colo.: Colorado National Speedway
June 12-13: Austin, Texas: 25th Annual Republic of Texas Rally
July 31-Aug. 2: Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada: 51st Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières (CMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
Sept. 11-12: Sturgis, S.D.: 8th Annual Streets of Sturgis (AMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
Preparations are already underway for the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) that will be hosted in Rivanazzano Terme in northern Italy from 31 August to 5 September. The pre-registration phase that closes on 30 March 2020 is now opened on www.fim-isde.com.
PRE-REGISTRATION CLOSES 30 MARCH
All riders (World Trophy, Junior World Trophy, Women’s World Trophy Teams and Club Teams / riders) must contact their National Motorcycling Federation (FMN) to register. Login access will only be given to FMNs. Same procedure apply for riders wishing to compete in the Enduro Vintage Trophy (Teams and Individuals). Federations have to complete the relevant online form before the pre-registration closing date.
CONFIRMATION OF SELECTED TEAMS ON 15 APRIL
At the end of the first phase, depending on the number of pre-registrations, Club Teams will be informed about the selection of their teams by their National Motorcycling Federation. The National Motorcycling Federation must then pay the relevant 25% deposit of registration fee relating to the number of Club Teams confirmed. At this stage, each National Motorcycling Federation will be asked to fill the detailed information about the team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so.
FINAL ENTRY PHASE FROM 1 MAY TO 30 JUNE
The National Motorcycling Federation must pay the remaining 75% of the registration fee for all Teams as confirmed on 15 April. The National Motorcycling Federation must have fully completed the entry form and details about team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so, and before 30 June.
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Jeffrey Herlings signs new KTM MXGP contract
Four-times FIM Motocross World Champion Jeffrey Herlings has signed a new contract with his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and will remain ‘in orange’ for a further three years until the end of the 2023 MXGP season.
The 25-year-old Dutchman inked his deal on the eve of the British Grand Prix this weekend and the opening round of twenty in the 2020 MXGP series; his fourth in the premier class and eleventh in the FIM World Championship all with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
The association began in 2009 when Herlings was signed to make his MX2 GP debut for the 2010 season as a fifteen-year old. He claimed his first top-three race finish in just his second moto at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria at Sevlievo, celebrated his first podium at Mantova in Italy for round two and then started an incredible seven-year unbeaten streak of wins a few weeks later at his home event at Valkenswaard; scene of his very first 1-1 clean sweep.
Since that initial term in 2010 Herlings has gone on to accumulate 86 Grand Prix victories in two classes and ace titles in 2012, 2013, 2016 (all MX2) and then 2018 (MXGP) with KTM 250 SX-F and KTM 450 SX-F machinery. In that time there have been some astonishing performances – such as the first moto chequered flag in Latvia last summer, taken with a broken foot – and also some tough moments when he conceded likely titles in 2014 and 2015 due to injury. His peerless 2018 MXGP campaign saw #84 own 17 from 19 Grands Prix and classify as runner-up in the other two outings.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Herlings is already the most successful Dutch rider in the history of the sport and is third on the list for all-time Grand Prix triumphs. In 2019 he added the Motocross of Nations Chamberlain trophy to his heaving collection of silverware.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I’m very, very happy. I have been with KTM since 2009 so by the end of this next contract it will be fifteen years together. I’m excited to stay in the orange family and I have been working with Pit [Beirer] and the entire crew since the beginning and I was fourteen. I’m blessed to be able to do it for another three years; four including this one about to start. It is also good to have this done before the weekend and GP1 of 2020. KTM is where my heart is, and they are my family. I’m thankful that they trust in me, and I believe in them, the bike and all the people I work with. I’ll be racing with them until I’m 28 and I’m super-happy, hopefully there many more happy days ahead.”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director
“This contract definitely means a lot to me personally because it was back in 2009 that we gave this young kid and his family our word that we’d take good care of him and he had a great future in front of him: we wanted to be a partner in that. We went through so many ups and downs with Jeffrey and he has collected all of his wins and titles with us – just one brand. It was actually quite emotional to know he could spend his career with just one company. I’m really happy that we could agree everything so early for another three years and I wish him a healthy and strong season and hopefully an even longer association with us when he’s stopped racing.”
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2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
The final round of the 2019 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship arrived at the Shanghai Off Road Circuit in China over the weekend, with big crowds turning out to witness the world’s best duke it out.
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Jeffrey Herlings proved his return to form with the MXGP round overall win – his second of the season – while Jorge Prado’s untouchable form continued with another MX2 win, giving KTM the first ever MXGP of China round wins.
Jorge Prado – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Being the last round of the season, the Shanghai off road international circuit witnessed the conclusion of one of the most spectacular seasons ever. Taking the top three spots in the final MXGP Championship standings were Tim Gajser, Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff while in MX2 class Jorge Prado, Thomas Kjer Olsen and Jago Geerts finalised the MX2 Championship standings.
MXGP Race 1
In the opening MXGP race it was Glenn Coldenhoff who led from Jeremy Seewer, Tim Gajser, Jeffrey Herlings and Pauls Jonass. Herlings was quickly into third place and relegating the MXGP champion to fourth. After a lap the battle for first place between Coldenhoff and Seewer was intense, with Herlings three seconds back in third.
Jeremy Seewer – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Seewer had passed Coldenhoff but was repassed and then crashed in a corner as Herlings moved into second place. Seewer again crashed as he dropped to seventh place.
Coldenhoff continued to control the race, although after five laps the lead was down to just over two seconds and Gajser was five seconds back in third place while the two Arminas Jasikonis and Pauls Jonass filled the remaining top five positions.
Seewer was sixth, Ivo Monticelli seventh, Jeremy Van Horebeek eight, Gautier Paulin ninth and Jordi Tixier in 10th. After nine laps Herlings was just over two seconds behind Coldenhoff and made a move for the lead. 11 laps in and Paulin dropped back to eight while Tixier moved into ninth place.
Jeffrey Herlings – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Herlings was suddenly all over Coldenhoff as the race heated up and to make it even more exciting, Gajser joined the party. For a couple of laps the big three battled for the top spot, and the pace clearly went to another gear.
MXGP came alive again as Coldenhoff tried to fight off Herlings and Gajser. Coldenhoff hung in there to win it from Herlings and Gajser.
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
MXGP Race 2
The second MXGP gate dropped and Seewer took the FOX Holeshot, but got passed by Coldenhoff who lead again, Gajser was in third, then Van Horebeek, Herlings, Bogers, Jonass, Paulin, Monticelli and Jasikonis who rounded up the top 10. Herlings quickly passed Van Horebeek and was onto Gajser for third.
2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
After a lap Coldenhoff was a second and a half ahead of Seewer who was fighting off Gajser, with Herlings fourth and Van Horebeek fifth. Tixier had worked his way into 10th place as Jasikonis dropped to 12th.
After three laps the lead remained a little over a minute while Gajser miscalculating a jump ran off the track, having to pull the board from his machine and lost places to Herlings, Van Horebeek and Jonass as he dropped to sixth position. On lap nine Gajser passed Jonass for fifth, and Seewer was still a second and a half behind Coldenhoff.
Jeremy Seewer and Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Herlings was all over Seewer for second place as he tried to get an overall victory while Coldenhoff continued to ride in cruise control and at the pace he was comfortable. Herlings made a move to take second place from Seewer and the race of the Dutchman would continue.
Coldenhoff remained calm and continued to lead Herlings, with Seewer third, Van Horebeek fourth and Gajser fifth. After 14 laps Coldenhoff was nearly three-second lead over Herlings and seemingly did enough to win the race and the Grand Prix while Gajser passed Van Horebeek for fourth position.
Jeremy Van Horebeek – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Herlings turned it up in the final three laps and caught Coldenhoff, then he pulled into the lead on the last lap as he won the Grand Prix with 2-1 results.
Jeffrey Herlings has won the MXGP of China with a stunning 2-1 result leading his Motocross of Nations team-mate Glenn Coldenhoff who scored 1-2 results. Third overall was Jeremy Seewer.
Jeffrey Herlings – Round Winner
“I wanted to finish the year strongly: I owed Red Bull, KTM and all my partners that after the injury. I gave everything I had and I’m very grateful to have won the last two GPs. I’ll race in the sand next week for the final preparation for Assen. Hopefully with Team Holland we can go for the win. Then, next year in MXGP, I want to fight hard to get the title back. I really enjoyed the track here – it was tough to pass in places – but we won the GP and that’s the most important thing.”
Jeffrey Herlings – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
While Tim Gajser climbed again the MXGP Podium to be awarded with the Gold Medal, Jeremy Seewer celebrated the 18th round of the Championship with a silver media ensured just after race 1 and Glenn Coldenhoff clinched the bronze medal after an unpredictable season.
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP Champion
“First of all, I am super happy to have my third world title this year, especially winning it in front of so many fans in Imola. It was really something special. Now, after that my level maybe hasn’t been as high and I’ve struggled to find the flow but overall I’m super happy with the year and I must say a big thank you to the team for their part in that. They have been amazing this year, but they also stood behind me these past two years when things didn’t go my way, and that is when you know you have a good team around you. I must also thank all the fans who have supported this season, they have followed me around the world and it is so great to have people at the track cheering you on. People from Slovenia even came all the way here to China and I am so thankful for that. As for this Shanghai race, I really enjoyed the layout and the dirt and I really felt good out on the track. I was fast in practice and grabbed a holeshot yesterday but a mistake a couple of laps later cost me positions. This meant I had 11th gate pick but I was still able to get two good starts, inside the top three. In the first moto we were all close together and it was tight racing but it was difficult to find a place to pass so I finished third. Then in the second moto, I was running third again but I jumped off the track and got tangled in a banner and by the time I was free from that I had lost a lot of time and positions. I was still able to get back to fourth which was good enough for fourth overall. I would have loved to have been on the podium, but it was still amazing to get handed the gold medal as champion and overall it has been a great, great season.”
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Jeremy Seewer – P2 Overall
“It has been incredible. My winter preparation for this season was horrible. I was in bed sick for three weeks. I came into the season battling to be in the top-ten and I had to fight my way back. I am really happy to be here now. It was a process, I started to break into the top five after the few weeks we had off in May, and then eventually got on the podium and then got six podiums and now I am here, second in the world!”
Jeremy Seewer – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Glenn Coldenhoff – P3 Overall
“I feel like we did a great job this weekend. It was a solid start in the second race and I was second and led all the races, I started making mistakes and I was looking at the bigger picture that is the bronze medal and I got a podium, which was good. First race was great. I am so pumped, I knew I needed a great gate pick and I was able to hold of Jeffrey (Herlings) and Tim (Gajser).
Gautier Paulin – P4 Overall
“I really want to thank my team first of all, Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP team. We have had a tough season and have worked hard all year long as a satellite team. We were fighting for second in the championship to begin with and then second, and then third, and finally we came up short in fourth. It was a good year for my first year back on the Yamaha. We have some experience for the future. The bike was working good today, although it was not the best day for me. I am happy I put in a full season without injuries and could fight to the finish.”
Gautier Paulin – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Pauls Jonass – P6 Overall
“I have some mixed feelings after this MXGP of China. With some podium results in recent races I really wanted the same here, to end the year on a high note. But I didn’t feel as sharp as I have been feeling. I’m not sure it’s the travel, but anyway it certainly wasn’t a bad way to end the series. I got pretty ok starts in both races but dropped back a little. Both races were like that. But sixth overall is a pretty decent result. Also, to finish sixth in the MXGP championship is very positive. It was a steady start to the year, coming back from injury and also adjusting to the MXGP bike. The second half of the year was very positive – I started to improve my strength, feeling with the bike, starts and results. Now we’ll focus on the Nations, before some time at home and then preparations for next season.”
The MXGP of Turkey proved a brilliant return to form for KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings, under perfect weather conditions and in front of large crowds. The penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship marked the 85th GP win for Herlings, his first GP win of the season on a hard park track he fitted well.
Jeffrey Herlings – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Herlings won the MXGP of Turkey in the MXGP class with 1-1 results, while second was fellow Dutchman Glenn Coldenhoff with 3-2 and third Pauls Jonass with 2-5. Herlings came to Turkey with further mileage under his belt after a domestic race appearance in Germany the previous weekend, with the 2018 world champion rapidly gaining shape and form at the highest level.
Jorge Prado – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
In the MX2 class it was Jorge Prado who once again went 1-1 for his 30th GP win of his career, while Jago Geerts was second overall with 2-5 and third was Roan Van De Moosdijk who went 5-3. Aussie Mitch Evans went 14-9 for 11th overall.
MXGP Race 1
In the first MXGP race, it was Pauls Jonass who took his first FOX Holeshot of the season and led from Glenn Coldenhoff, Jeffrey Herlings, Jeremy Seewer and Tim Gajser. Further back was Arnaud Tonus, Brian Bogers, Alessandro Lupino, Kevin Strijbos and Jeremy Van Horebeek.
2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Herlings quickly moved into second place, and Gautier Paulin entered the top ten in ninth position. Herlings took the lead as the riders entered the second lap while Gajser moved into fourth place, then went down hard and dropped well back in 14th position.
Three laps in and the lead by Herlings was two seconds from Jonass, followed by Coldenhoff. Seewer was fourth and Bogers in fifth place. While Herlings led, Jonass, Coldenhoff and Seewer were not letting the KTM rider get too far ahead with just three seconds separating the top four.
Glenn Coldenhoff – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
After seven laps Herlings had opened the lead up to two seconds over Jonass, and Gajser moved back into the top ten as he rounded in 10th place, while Tonus moved past Bogers for fifth, and Gajser did the same to move into ninth position. Paulin and Van Horebeek also both passed Bogers.
After 10 laps the lead by Herlings was three seconds over Jonass but Herlings made a mistake and slipped over while Jonass caught right up to his back wheel.
Pauls Jonass – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Gajser moved back into seventh place as he passed both Bogers and Van Horebeek and he managed to finish in sixth position while Paulin moved into fifth place. Herlings meanwhile won his second race of the season from Jonass and Coldenhoff.
MXGP Race 2
When the second MXGP gate dropped and Coldenhoff led from Seewer and Herlings, with Gajser in fourth and Bogers in fifth place. Herlings was quickly past Seewer, who dropped to sixth place, and Gajser moved to third on the first lap.
Jeremy Seewer – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Seewer crashed hard and dropped to 16th position and after three laps it was Coldenhoff, Herlings, Gajser, Monticelli, and Bogers rounding up the top five. Ivo Monticelli passed Gajser for third place, as the World MXGP champion crashed and dropped to fifth position.
Herlings was all over the leader Coldenhoff for the lead on lap seven, as the two Dutch riders showed they are in great form for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in three-week’s time. Bogers and Jonass had battled with Jonass moving into fifth and Bogers dropped back to sixth.
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Herlings started reeling in Coldenhoff for the lead and on lap 10 they were locked together while Gajser moved into third place followed by Monticelli and Jonass. Coldenhoff continued to lead, but Herlings was hounding him, and Gajser was 23 seconds further back in third place.
A few seconds before the end of the race a sensational pass was made by Herlings as he took the lead on the final lap and took the third race win of the season and the GP overall for the first time in 2019.
Tommy Searle after a crash during the warm up on Sunday morning wasn’t able to race this 17th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship and he was forced to withdraw from the race.
Tommy Searle posted the twelfth fastest lap in both practice sessions on Saturday and later qualified in eleventh position for the GP. But during the warm up on Sunday morning Tommy crashed and suffered a shoulder contusion which forced him to withdraws from the GP. Tommy Searle normally will be back on track next weekend in China for the final round of the 2019 championship.
Jeffrey Herlings – P1
“It is getting better and better, in Sweden I wasn’t that prepared, but now just after three weeks on the bike, it is amazing what I can do. It has been a crazy weekend and I am super happy with my win. I had that line and I knew I had to make it perfect. I want to thank my mum the team and everyone who supported me and I wish to congratulate Glenn, he rode amazingly.”
Jeffrey Herlings – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Glenn Coldenhoff – P2
“We are close to the end of the Championship and I really need those points as I still have a chance for third in the standings. I’m pushing hard for that. I don’t like to get passed on the last lap but it’s really amazing to see two Dutch flags on the box so I am really happy.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Pauls Jonass – P3
“It’s been a really good GP, but it didn’t start the best way. I had to work really hard to come back from my start crash in my qualifying race on Saturday, but it also gave me some good confidence coming into today’s motos as I knew I had good speed and I also liked the track. Getting the holeshot in the first moto today was awesome – I’ve been working hard on my starts and to get a first MXGP holeshot is really positive. I felt good the whole race. After Herlings passed me I rode well and, yeah, second place was great. The second race was also good – a good start but then I made a few small mistakes and dropped a few positions. I kept a good pace and managed to move into a position to get on the overall podium, which is a great way to finish the GP. I’m looking forward to China now.”
Pauls Jonass – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Tim Gajser – P4
“It was a tough weekend, but yesterday I felt okay. My speed was good, I just had that crash in the qualification race which meant I wasn’t completely 100% today. I got a good start in the first race, but crashed in the wave section and managed to climb back to sixth place after remounting in around 15th. I still knew I could better and I wanted to prove that in race two and again I got a good start, in the top three where again I felt I could I run with the leaders. However I made a small mistake in a corner, tipped over and dropped to fifth. By the time I got back to third they were gone so that’s where I finished. I am disappointed but I will try to take some positive things from this GP and do better next weekend in China. A big thanks to the whole team for their work again and helping me feel comfortable out on the track, and thanks for all the birthday wishes from everyone.”
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Gautier Paulin – P6
“Actually my starts cost me a good result this weekend. A good start was important today with the track being so rutty it was difficult to change your line to make a pass. Everything else was there. The track was really rough, but I enjoyed it and I felt good. My YZ450F was really good too, both suspension and engine. Physically I felt awesome, so I am looking forward to China.”
Gautier Paulin – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Jeremy Seewer – P7
“Overall today I had the speed to be on the podium. Fourth in the first moto with a gap to the riders behind me and I could control the position. In the second moto, I took the holeshot and for some reason it felt like I was standing still, and a lot of riders passed me. I made a small mistake, and I tried to keep Pauls Jonass behind me, but neither of us closed the throttle and I got put over the berm. After that I had a good pace and came back to eighth. I am sad because I could have been on the podium today, but happy because my second place in the championship is pretty safe now.”
Jeremy Seewer – 2019 MXGP of Turkey – Round 17
Arnaud Tonus – P11
“Race 1 was alright considering I had a bad feeling on the track yesterday. In the second moto, I was completely ‘off’ and tired for some reason. I don’t even know how I ended up, but I was completely drained of energy. So, I will try to recover and regain some energy for China next week.”
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The LATEST News
Musquin and Ferrandis win in Seattle SX
Chad Reed OUT of 2019 Season
2019 A4DE postponed – Date TBA
Cairoli and Kjer Olsen storm Matterley Basin MXGP
Forato and Anderson win EMX in Great Britain
Prado sits out MXGP of Great Britain
Herlings to return to MXGP in May
Holcombe dominates EnduroGP
HRC’s Ricky Brabec wins the Sonora Rally
Ryan brothers shine at Casey Stoner Cup
Musquin and Ferrandis win in Seattle SX
Seattle hosted last weekend’s round of the AMA Supercross Championships and it was French riders Marvin Musquin and Dylan Ferrandis who won the 450SX and 250SX West main events respectively after an action-packed and somewhat controversial night of racing.
AMA Supercross Round 12 – Seattle – Image by Hoppenworld
The race was reasonably stagnant right up to the chequered flag with Musquin, Roczen, and Tomac filling the. Musquin took his second consecutive win but as far as the points go he was docked seven points for jumping through a medical flag.
Marvin Musquin
“I know what I did wrong, I have no excuses, I was leading and going for it and I saw the yellows (flags) and I did slow down but I did jump, but this doesn’t take away from my win because after that I slowed down and was looking back and Kenny was right behind me but I put in a solid main, I am really happy with my riding and that doesn’t take anything away (from the win), so I am really happy.”
Marvin Musquin – Image by Hoppenworld
Chad Reed lost traction as the field entered the second jump section at Seattle on the weekend, and sustained a hefty injury list from the clash, with eight broken ribs, a broken scapula and a collapsed lung. But blamed nobody but himself. See below for more details.
450SX Main Event Results
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen
Eli Tomac
Cooper Webb
Joey Savatgy
Dean Wilson
Blake Baggett
Zach Osborne
Cole Seely
Tyler Bowers
450SX Main Event Results – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen +02.361
Eli Tomac +07.407
450SX Points after 12 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 262
Marvin Musquin – 248
Eli Tomac – 243
Ken Roczen – 239
Blake Baggett – 200
Dean Wilson – 180
Joey Savatgy – 159
Chad Reed – 151
Justin Barcia – 144
Cole Seely – 142
250 West Coast Report
Cianciarulo made a mistake in the whoops late in the race, handing Ferrandis a handy lead with one lap remaining but Cianciarulo was able to close right back up on Ferrandis and even went for an unlikely block pass on the final turn. He came up short so it was Ferrandis’ first main win in America while Cianciarulo, Decotis, Mosiman and Chris Blose rounded out the top five ahead of RJ Hampshire who came back to sixth after the start straight crash.
AMA SX Round 12 – 250 Start – Image by Hoppenworld
Cianciarulo now holds a 12-point lead over Ferrandis as they head to Houston next weekend while the big losers at Seattle were Shane McElrath and Nichols with the third and fourth placed riders in the points scoring zero on the night thanks to McElrath pulling out after practice with a back injury and the first lap crash of Nichols.
Dylan Ferrandis
“It has taken me three years in America to get my first win, I have suffered a lot of bad starts but tonight I got a good start then my teammate (Nichols) crashed right in front of me so I took the lead and I was leading the main which is new for me so I just tried to ride with no mistakes, Adam was right on my back and it was really challenging for me but I think for the future this is going to help me a lot.”
Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld
250 West Coast Main Event Results
Dylan Ferrandis
Adam Cianciarulo
Jimmy Decotis
Michael Mosiman
Chris Blose
RJ Hampshire
Mitchell Harrison
Cameron McAdoo
Enzo Lopes
Justin Starling
250 West Coast Main Event Results – Image by Hoppenworld
Dylan Ferrandis
Adam Cianciarulo +00.571
Jimmy Decotis +23.247
250 West Coast Points after 7 of 11 Rounds
Adam Cianciarulo – 163
Dylan Ferrandis – 151
Shane McElrath – 123
Colt Nichols – 121
J. Hampshire – 103
Michael Mosiman – 99
Chris Blose – 98
Cameron McAdoo – 94
Jimmy Decotis – 94
Garrett Marchbanks – 85
250 East Coast Points after 6 of 9 Rounds
Austin Forkner – 151
Chase Sexton – 125
Justin Cooper – 123
Alex Martin – 92
Martin Davalos – 89
Mitchell Oldenburg – 88
Brandon Hartranft – 82
Kyle Cunningham – 81
Kyle Peters – 79
Jordon Smith – 70
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Chad Reed OUT of 2019 Season
Superstar Chad Reed has been forced out of the remainder of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship following injuries received in a multi-rider pile-up at Seattle last weekend.
Reed has a hefty injury list from the clash, with eight broken ribs, a broken scapula and a collapsed lung. – Image by Hoppenworld
Reed was on the inside of Cooper Webb going through the second right hand corner of the main event but his JGR Suzuki spun up as he was trying to launch into the next rhythm section and with the rest of the field flying down to the left his Suzuki spewed directly into the path of a heap of riders bringing Ryan Breece and Justin Brayton down before Kyle Chisolm was left with no choice but to land right on top of Reed.
Via social media the 32-year-old Reed announced that the crash has resulted in the multi supercross champion having to sit out the remaining five rounds.
Chad Reed – Instagram
“Yesterday was fun. Finally a halfway technical track; The whoops were so freaking awesome loved every pass, unfortunately a mistake in the main was costly. Eight broken ribs, broken scapula and a collapsed lung. I’m bummed my year comes to an end with five to go.”
Chad Reed – Image by Hoppenworld
2019 A4DE postponed – Date TBA
Motorcycling Australia (MA) have advise all competitors and teams entered into the 2019 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE), that the event has been postponed, with a date to be confirmed in due course, find below further details:
A4DE 2018 – Image by Jeff Mawston
Motorcycling Australia (MA) Statement
“Due to government approvals surrounding the environment in which the 2019 A4DE will take place, the date for this prestigious event has been delayed. To ensure that the area spanning the event’s four days are supported and protected to best of the Motorcycling New South Wales Enduro Committee’s and Far South Coast Motorcycle Club’s abilities, this change in date is vital to the success of the A4DE 41st anniversary.
“To ensure the least amount of disruption to riders and teams alike, full refunds due to the date change will be provided, if requested, within 21 days. For a full refund please contact the A4DE secretary via [email protected].
“For further information surrounding the event and how to enter, please head to the A4DE website and Facebook. “MA and A4DE appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter. Further updates regarding the 2019 A4DE official date will be released via MA in due course.”
Cairoli and Kjer Olsen storm Matterley Basin MXGP
Perfect weather and a huge crowd gave Great Britain’s Matterley Basin circuit a boost as it hosted the second round of the FIM World Motocross Championship last weekend and it was Tony Cairoli who clinched his second win of the season while Thomas Kjer Olsen rode the wheels off his Husqvarna in the MX2 class to take his first win of the year.
Tony Cairoli in the lead
MXGP Report
Despite a shoulder injury Cairoli garnered his 87th GP victory with 1-2 moto results but you would have to say ‘the man’ of the GP was Tim Gajser who had a massive high-speed crash while leading the opening moto only to bounce back to finish third THEN get it all together to win the second moto ahead of a determined Cairoli.
Gautier Paulin’s 2-3 gave him third overall ahead of Clement Desalle, Jeremy Van Horebeek, Arnaud Tonus, Max Anstie, Jeremy Seewer, Arminas Jasikonis and Julien Lieber so after two rounds Cairoli leads the championship by just 8 points over Gajser who in turn has a 15-point lead over Paulin.
Tony Cairoli
“It was a great weekend and this track is for sure one of my favourites but, today it was very difficult to push from the beginning. I couldn’t really push because I am stiff on my right shoulder and neck which gave me arm pump right away. Hopefully I can be 100% again for the next race but overall, I’m really happy, of course for the championship everything is going well and this is my goal.”
Tony Cairoli
Tim Gajser is proving to be Cairoli’s main competition so far this season.
Tim Gajser
“Today was a special day for me and I’m really happy to finish on the podium. The first race I had a good start I was behind Tony and managed to pass him quickly but made a little gap then I made a mistake … thankfully I could continue. I was really happy to win the second race and I’m looking forward to next weekend. We can see that we are going to the right direction so we will continue pushing hard with the team and everybody I’m just happy that the pace and everything is finally back.”
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Gautier Paulin’s second round on the Yamaha earned the French star a solid podium.
Gautier Paulin
“Every weekend on the box is a good weekend. I was happy with the first moto. In the second moto I was riding stiff in the beginning, but overall, we had a good weekend and made a big step forward since Argentina. This was always the goal and this is what we are working really hard towards. I am really happy with my team Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP and the work they are putting in.”
Dean Ferris started the opening moto just inside the top 30 but as you would expect our fastest 450 rider made his way to 15th with lap times that were comparable to the like of Max Anstie, Arminas Jasikonis and Glenn Coldenhoff but a fall at the start of the second moto not only put pay to what should have been a great weekend for Ferris and it looks like he has picked up a knee injury.
Dean Ferris
“It was a tough weekend, but I got more comfortable in every session. I thought the last fifteen minutes of the race I found my groove and had some really good lap-times, so I was content with that. In moto two, I went down on the start and I have hurt my knee, so that will need to be assessed.”
Dean Ferris
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36:37.831
Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.956
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.473
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:24.293
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:26.271
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:27.618
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:45.107
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:46.683
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:49.675
Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:56.271
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 36:01.717
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.709
Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:54.204
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:57.637
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:00.564
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:05.984
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:20.385
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:22.071
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:26.697
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:28.257
2019 MXGP Podium – Matterley Basin, UK – 1) Tony Cairoli, 2) Tim Gajser, 3) Gautier Paulin
MXGP Overall Top Ten
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 points
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 42 points
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 points
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 31 points
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 30 points
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29 points
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 points
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 21 points
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 17 points
MXGP Championship Top Ten
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 97 points
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 89 points
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 74 points
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 66 points
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 65 points
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 56 points
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 50 points
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 39 points
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 39 points
Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 38 points
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MX2 Report
Olsen’s dominant weekend ended with a perfect 1-1 score to take the overall ahead of the hard charging Henry Jacobi’s 2-3 and Tom Vialle’s 3-4 which put the second-generation French motocross star on the podium in his second ever MX2 GP.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen’s first win of the season is not only a confidence booster but the Husqvarna rider now has a 16 point lead over second placed Jacobi in the championship and more importantly a 44 point lead over defending champion Jorge Prado who was forced to sit out the GP with a shoulder injury.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“It was amazing to go 1-1 for the first time and it was even better when I was on the podium and they gave me the red plate because I didn’t realize I would be leading the points. Overall I had a great weekend, I felt really good out on the track, I had great energy and I felt really comfortable, we even made improvements every time I was out so I was really happy with that and how the whole team is working.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Jacobi is supported by F&H Kawasaki but it is far from being a factory team.
Henry Jacobi
“I had some special lines that I was seeing and nobody else took. 2nd overall is really good for us, the team, you know we are not a factory team, but we made some really good steps over the winter with F&H Racing.”
Henry Jacobi
Australian riders Jed Beaton and Mitch Evans had mixed success with Beaton’s return to racing after an injury kept him out of the opening round earned the Husqvarna rider tenth overall with a 9-13 finishes while Evans finished 15th overall after a DNF in the opening moto and an eighth in moto two.
Jed Beaton
“I had a really good weekend here at Matterley Basin. It was my first GP after many months, and I felt strong on the bike. It was good to get a top-10 in the opening moto. In the second moto I was close to the top-10 again and ended up finishing in 13th place. Getting a top-10 result in the overall is really positive for the rest of the season. There’s still a long way to go in this series. I’m pretty happy with where I am, hopefully I can start building from here.”
Jed Beaton
Mitchell Evans
“My weekend started well with a fourth in the qualifying race on Saturday, but Sunday I struggled with my starts. After a bad start in the first race I crashed whilst trying to fight my way forward. After a pit stop to fix a damaged clutch, I found myself almost a lap down and unfortunately, due to the track having such a long lap, I was unable to make up any positions. Another bad start in race two left me with a lot of work to do. I was able to fight my way back to eighth. I am happy with my riding and fitness after ten days of sitting on the couch following Argentina, due to an infection in my knee. We will work on my starts this week and be more prepared for next weekend! Thanks to my team and everyone supporting me!”
Mitch Evans
The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship is this weekend for the MXGP of The Netherlands in Valkenswaard.
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 35:01.449
Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:04.278
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:16.160
Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:28.500
Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:30.179
Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:35.271
Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.018
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:44.908
Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:50.189
Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:54.010
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 37:10.022
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:09.936
Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:16.035
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:16.935
Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:20.044
Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:38.635
Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:43.577
Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:46.268
Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:54.765
Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:59.920
2019 MX2 Podium – Matterley Basin, UK – 1) Kjer Olsen, 2) Henry Jacobi, 3) Tom Vialle
MX2 Overall Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 50 points
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 42 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 38 points
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 35 points
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 34 points
Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 28 points
Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 28 points
Dylan Walsh (NZL, HUS), 22 points
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 20 points
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 20 points
MX2 Championship Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 94 points
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 78 points
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 71 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 65 points
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 63 points
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 50 points
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 49 points
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 45 points
Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 41 points
Forato and Anderson win EMX in Great Britain
Elberto Forato and Brad Anderson have won the opening rounds of the EMX250 and EMX2T classes respectively at the Matterley Basin round of the FIM World motocross Championships last weekend.
EMX250 Start – Matterley Basin
EMX250 Report
The EMX250 class is now age limited to 23 years of age and the overall winner was clearly Forato who led every lap on the way to a perfect weekend while Stephan Rubini took second with 3-5 finishes ahead of Roan Van de Moosdijk finished third with 6-3 scores.
Alberto Forato
“For me it was a good weekend, I lead from the first lap of every race, so I was able to focus on myself and I want to do this every weekend. It is a different bike and a different team this year but now I am really comfortable with everyone, the bike, the mechanics, and everything so it is good for me.”
EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten
Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), 32:04.381
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:07.871
Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:13.441
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:17.624
Pierre Goupillon (FRA, Honda), +0:20.202
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:24.296
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:25.668
Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), +0:29.951
Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), +0:31.131
Caleb Grothues (AUS, Yamaha), +0:53.522
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten
Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), 32:24.557
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), +0:09.886
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:22.042
Pierre Goupillon (FRA, Honda), +0:23.370
Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:26.631
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, Yamaha), +1:01.793
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +1:06.422
Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), +1:10.730
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:13.653
Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), +1:17.062
EMX250 Championship Top Ten
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 50 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 36
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 35
Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 34
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 30
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 29
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 23
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 22
Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), 22
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EMX2T Report
The EMX2T class is the newest category of EMX racing and with this weekend being the first round of the championship a long list of riders entered for their chance to become the first winner and in the end it was Brit Brad Anderson who earned the overall with 1-1 moto results ahead of Vaclav Kovar’s 3-2 results while Andrea Gorini battled hard to go 6-4 for third overall.
EMX 2T Start – Matterley Basin
EMX2T Race 1 Top Ten
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 32:30.711
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), +0:11.823
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:18.398
Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:28.185
Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:29.117
Andrea Gorini (SMR, Yamaha), +0:41.229
Jamie Law (GBR, KTM), +0:48.410
Emanuele Alberio (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:51.244
Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:53.367
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:54.018
EMX2T Race 2 Top Ten
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 31:53.709
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:13.016
Brad Todd (GBR, Yamaha), +0:23.472
Andrea Gorini (SMR, Yamaha), +0:31.933
Ben Putnam (GBR, Yamaha), +0:39.101
Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:41.262
Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:42.289
Matt Burrows (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:53.431
Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:57.771
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), +0:59.480
EMX2T Championship Top Ten
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 50 points
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 42
Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 33
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 33
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 30
Ben Putnam (GBR, YAM), 26
Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 24
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 22
Matt Burrows (GBR, HUS), 21
Emanuele Alberio (ITA, HUS), 21
Prado sits out MXGP of Great Britain
Defending MX2 World Champion Jorge Prado did not take part in the second round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship last weekend in Great Britain after sustaining a shoulder injury thanks to a crash while practicing three weeks ago.
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Prado did complain of a sore left shoulder after the crash but the Spaniard continued to prepare for Matterley Basin but felt the condition of the joint deteriorate and become more painful.
Further detailed medical examination with renowned surgeon and specialist Dr Claes in Belgium revealed a haematoma under the left shoulder blade was causing the discomfort so the best course of recovery involves rest, and Prado will return for another check-up on Tuesday 26th for further evaluation ahead of the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard.
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Claudio De Carli – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“After such a strong start to the season for the team and Jorge it is disappointing for everyone that he and Jeffrey are now missing Matterley Basin and the first European round of 2019. Unfortunately this is part of the sport but, fortunately, it could be worse and we hope Jorge will be back on the bike very quickly. We’re in good shape and we are confident, and we believe this will not be such a big setback for us in what is a long season.”
Herlings to return to MXGP in May
In the wake of a complex operation on his broken right foot, MXGP World Champion Jeffrey Herlings has stepped-up his physical training program with a view to start riding his Red Bull KTM 450 SX-F in late April and return to competition in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship action sometime in May.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
The four-times World Champion was already missed the opening two Grands Prix and he will also miss Holland and Italy but will then hopefully be counting the days until he can again be behind a FIM World Championship gate.
Jeffrey Herlings
“Rehab has been going very well and I cannot wait to be back and to throw a leg over the bike again. I want to be back at the GPs as quick as possible but we cannot say which race yet until I get some riding time. I’m also able to step-up my cycling and swimming now. For sure we’ll miss the next three rounds and we also don’t want to rush things and risk a setback.”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff KardasSmarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Australia to host MXGP in 2020?
There was some noise made at the British GP last weekend with Australian GP promoter Willie Thomson on hand to hold talks with Youthstream, but it must be noted that nothing is concrete right now and that Thomson has yet to convince the WA government to foot the bill.
Holcombe dominates opening EnduroGP round
2019 EnduroGP Round 1
In almost perfect conditions Germany hosted the opening two rounds of the World EnduroGP Championships and it was defending champion Steve Holcombe who dominated both days but it was Aussie Will Ruprecht who etched his name in history to win Friday night’s Super Test against the best in the world before backing that up with a pair of podiums in the Junior class.
Steve Holcombe celebrates the win in Germany – Image by Future7Media
Holcombe won the overall EnduroGP class as well as the E3 class and Brad Freeman dominated the E1 class while it was Loïc Larrieu and Eero Remes who shared victories in the E2 class.
Loïc Larrieu – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Steve Holcombe
“It’s difficult to sum up how much of a surprise it is to win both days. My goal was to podium and claim strong points, so as you can imagine a double victory in EnduroGP and Enduro 3 is a huge result to take. I didn’t have a great Super Test on Friday – I never really do – but I wanted to push hard from the beginning on Saturday to see where I was at. That strategy paid off and I won by 70 seconds. I went with that tactic again on Sunday and made things count on the opening two laps. I ran out of steam a little on the final lap but knew that with the effort I’d put in earlier on, barring any major mistakes, I could win. We’ve a couple of weeks now until round two in Portugal, so the plan remains unchanged – keep working with the goal of getting stronger. I know there’s room to improve. Finally, a huge thanks to Beta and all the team – a result like this is very much a team effort.”
Steve Holcombe – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Danny McCanney
“I finish third today, I’m a little disappointed, but overall I’m very happy with my weekend. I can’t wait to continue the season and gain some more good results.”
Danny McCanney – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Brad Freeman
“I’m happy because today (day 2) I was able to increase my pace to catch up with Danny. I’m still a long way from Steve, but I’m happy to be on this 100 per cent British podium.”
Brad Freeman – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Eero Remes
“The first day was very disappointing for me and the team, but I told the team that the season is very long and we are going to catch up. I feel good and this victory in E2 is a first great reward.”
Akrapovic Super Test Award Standings
Wil RUPRECHT 10 points
Benjamin HERRERA 9
Thomas OLDRATI 8
Daniel MCCANNEY 7p
Steve HOLCOMBE 6
Kirian MIRABET 5
Hamish MACDONALD 4
Andrea VERONA 3
Loïc LARRIEU 2
Alex SALVINI 1
EnduroGP Day 1 Top 10
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Christophe NAMBOTIN – France
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Albin ELOWSON – Sweden
Christophe CHARLIER – France
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Steve Holcombe on the podium
EnduroGP Day 2 Top 10
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Eero REMES – Finland
Alex SALVINI – Italy
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Davide GUARNERI – Italy
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Brad Freeman – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
E1 Day 1 Results
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Davide GUARNERI – Italy
Rudy MORONI – Italy
E1 Day 2 Podium – EnduroGP Round 1 Germany, 2019
E1 Day 2 Results
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Davide GUARNERI – Italy
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Rudy MORONI – Italy
Loïc Larrieu – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
E2 Day 1 Results
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Albin ELOWSON – Sweden
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Giacomo REDONDI – Italy
Antoine BASSET – France
E2 Day 2 Podium – EnduroGP Round 1 Germany, 2019
E2 Day 2 Results
Eero REMES – Finland
Alex SALVINI – Italy
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Antoine BASSET – France
E3 Day 1 Results
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Christophe NAMBOTIN – France
David ABGRALL – France
Anthony GESLIN – France
E3 Day 2 Podium – EnduroGP Round 1 Germany, 2019
E3 Day 2 Results
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Anthony GESLIN – France
David ABGRALL – France
Dennis SCHROETER – Germany
EnduroGP Juniors
The Junior classes were as hard fought as the senior division and it was Italian Andrea Verona who came away with victory in both days but Ruprecht kept him honest all weekend in the overall Junior class and the J1 class while Jack Edmondson and Enric Francisco shared victories in the J2 class with Kiwi Hamish Macdonald dominating the J3 class.
Andrea Verona
“This might be the most beautiful victory of my career so far. When I lost so much time this morning after the bike stopped in the Cross Test I knew I had the potential to win. My body hurts because I really attacked all day, but I’m super happy.”
Andrea Verona
Wil Ruprecht
“I don’t know what to say to you, I am so disappointed, I cracked under the pressure, I crashed three times on the last test. Andrea was the better man and he deserves it. I can only try to learn and improve after such a defeat.”
The next round of the Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World Championship will take place in Portugal in the city of Valpaços from May 3rd to 5th.
Junior – Day 1
Andrea VERONA – Italy
Théophile ESPINASSE – France
Wil RUPRECHT – Australia
Jack EDMONDSON – United Kingdom
Matthew VAN OEVELEN – Belgium
Junior – Day 2
Andrea VERONA Italy
Wil RUPRECHT Australia
Théophile ESPINASSE France
Enric FRANCISCO Spain
Jack EDMONDSON United Kingdom
Junior 1 (J1) – Day 1
Andrea VERONA – Italy
Théophile ESPINASSE – France
Wil RUPRECHT – Australia
Matthew VAN OEVELEN – Belgium
Thomas DUBOST – France
Junior 1 (J1) – Day 2
Andrea VERONA – Italy
Wil RUPRECHT – Australia
Théophile ESPINASSE – France
Matthew VAN OEVELEN – Belgium
Thomas DUBOST – France
Junior 2 (J2) – Day 1
Jack EDMONDSON – United Kingdom
Enric FRANCISCO – Spain
Leo LE QUERE – France
Emanuele FACCHETTI – Italy
Till DE CLERCQ – France
Junior 2 (J2) – Day 2
Enric FRANCISCO – Spain
Jack EDMONDSON – United Kingdom
Emanuele FACCHETTI – Italy
Ruy BARBOSA – Chile
Jimmy WICKSELL – Sweden
Youth Cup – Day 1
Hamish MACDONALD – New Zealand
Claudio SPANU – Italy
Matteo PAVONI – Italy
Alejandro NAVARRO HUERTAS – Spain
Hugo SVARD – Finland
Youth Cup – Day 2
Hamish MACDONALD – New Zealand
Matteo PAVONI – Italy
Claudio SPANU – Italy
Hugo SVARD – Finland
Nathan BERERD – France
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HRC’s Ricky Brabec wins the Sonora Rally
The Sonora Rally takes place in the border region between Mexico and the United States near the Gulf of California and after five day Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider Ricky Brabec claimed victory for the second time in the five year history of the event.
Ricky Brabec – Image by Boyd Jaynes
In conditions that varied from high speed arid tracks to 500km of sand dunes, Brabec set the pace of the race from the start, grabbing victories in the first three stages, which opened a significant margin of more than half an hour over rivals before the American masterfully managed the two final days of rallying, before reaching the final finish-line in the Sonora region capital with a 37’15” gap back to his nearest second place rival.
Ricky Brabec
“This rally was the first of the year for me so I was excited to just be able to ride the big bike again with some navigation. This desert to me is like home and very close from my home town so it makes it easy to show up with a small crew to race and as well to train. The terrain is sandy in spots with great dunes and a little more south is rocky hard pack, there’s a little of everything and for this I believe it’s proven training grounds. Looking forward to the rest of the year racing and training; hungry for more and to top it off Dakar 2020 will be in a good way, I believe. We must stay strong in the fight.”
Ricky Brabec – Image by Boyd Jaynes
Ryan brothers shine at Casey Stoner Cup
Kurri Kurri hosted the Casey Stoner Cup last weekend and for the second weekend in a row the Ryan brothers have dominated a major dirt track meeting with Harrison Ryan winning the Junior Cup minutes before older brother Connor led the field home in the eight-lap Senior Cup.
While Harrison scored big winning margins in an unbeaten run over the two days of racing in the 13-16 years age class, Connor was made work much harder.
In the Junior Cup Wade O’Keefe and Jayden Rodgers followed Harrison Ryan home to complete a clean-sweep of placegetters from the host club but in the Senior Cup it was Coffs Harbour rider Bailey Spencer who lead for the opening six laps before one mistake was punished as Connor Ryan and then Boyd Hollis took over the front running.
In other senior classes Connor Ryan also won the Pro 450 final over Hollis and North Queensland rider Harry Maxwell before Taree rider Blake Wilby topped the very competitive Pro 250 class ahead of Brisbane rider Ben Montgomery and Taree’s Kye Andrews, while Anthony Farrell was best in the Over 35s.
All junior classes produced plenty of close battles with Bray Bowden (13-16 years) and Noah Grabham (7-10s) both scoring class victories after winning all five rounds, while Gold Coast rider Viv Muddle amassed nine wins and a second placing to win both of his classes.
There was more success for Taree riders with Cody Wilby and Will Bisley finishing 1-2 in the 80cc class, while Hayden Nelson also scored a class win as did Cameron Dunker and Jayden Holder but perhaps the most stirring win came in the 65cc – 9 to 13 years final when diminutive Forbes rider Beau Bailey led home Jayden Holder and Gold Coast rider Riley Nautam less than hour after Bailey had crashed heavily in an earlier race.
The next major dirt track meeting is the 30th staging of the Trackmasters at the Barleigh Ranch track on the weekend on April 13 / 14.
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Moto News Wrap for February 4, 2019 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Moto News Latest
Great night for Kawasaki at San Diego AMA SX
French riders continue to dominate UK Arenacross
Cairoli and Prado continue top form at Ottobiano
Raga beats Bou at Barcelona X-Trial
Cooper and Harwood storm Taranaki
Nathan Watson claims French Beach Race title at Enduropale du Touquet
Suzuki Australia continues contingency program in 2019
Yamaha bLU cRU backs 2019 A4DE
Toowoomba to host opening round of AORC
Mountain Man just a few week’s away
King of MX receives manufacture’s backing
2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing increases USA contingency program
Jeffrey Herlings injury update
Italy disqualified from 2018 MXoN
Great night for Kawasaki at San Diego AMA SX
Kawasaki riders Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo have won the 450SX and 250SX main events respectively in sloppy conditions at round five of the AMA Supercross Championships which was held in San Diego last weekend.
Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo dominated the San Diego AMA SX round – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Report
San Diego was soaked with unseasonal rain all week as well as on race night so the main event was shortened to just 15 minutes and on a completely water logged circuit Tomac survived the treacherous conditions to not only score his first win of the season, he became the fourth Red Plate holder for the 2019 season.
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin played it safe all race to steadily climb up to second place over Ken Roczen on the very last lap and now sits just tied with Roczen in second place, just four points back from Tomac.
Eli Tomac
“Today was kind of wild with the conditions, we weren’t on the normal dirt but overall it was the direction we wanted to go, qualifying good, getting better starts to put ourselves in the right position but when the rain stopped the mud got thicker so the bike got heavy and each section was sketchy, it had to stop to make sure a track marker didn’t get sucked into my rear wheel and then had to stop to clear my goggles on the last lap so it was the hardest by far.”
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin
“It was a tough day, in the heat race I don’t know what happened but I almost did a 180 off the start but managed to get back to third then in the main I just tried to get a decent start but I didn’t so I was pretty far back, my helmet was heavy, my goggles were full of mud so I almost pulled my goggles off on the first lap but I didn’t which is awesome because it saved me and the roll-off worked out so towards the end, I had no idea where I was (placing wise) so I just kept on passing but you couldn’t attack or you could make a mistake, I got by Bogle, then I saw Kenny and got around him then when we crossed the line I looked at the board and I was in second.”
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen
“I thought I was in third, then I got passed my Marvin with one turn to go which wasn’t that happy about, I made some changes this week and we made some improvements on the starts which really paid off because today the tarts were really important, I got a super-good holeshot (in the main) but sure enough, I threw it away and went back to fourth of fifth then ended up third, for the championship we are only four points behind and it’s super tight so for my mind the season doesn’t really start until around round 10 and to somewhere near the front is good and I am just picking my battles right now, I just want to get out of the West Coast because it has been a long time since I accomplished that.”
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
It was mayhem all race causing Justin Barcia’s Yamaha to fail while Justin Bogle was unlucky not to land on the podium but the fill-in KTM rider managed fourth place ahead of Chad Reed, Aaron Plessinger, Joey Savatgy, and Cooper Webb who went over the handlebars while taking evasive action when Musquin momentarily stalled between two muddy jumps.
Chad Reed – AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Webb lost the red plate in San Diego but remains in contention for the championship to sit in 4th, just eight points behind Tomac.
As for Reed, the veteran finally cracked the top five and has moved into ninth in the championship, just 15 points behind fifth placed Blake Baggett.
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
450 Main Event Results
Eli Tomac
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen
Justin Bogle
Chad Reed
Aaron Plessinger
Joey Savatgy
Cooper Webb
Blake Baggett
Tyler Bowers
Vince Friese
Dean Wilson
Cole Martinez
Cole Seely
Ben Lamay
Carlen Gardner
Kyle Chisholm
Theodore Pauli
Cade Autenrieth
Alex Ray
Justin Barcia
Heath Harrison
450 Main Event podium – AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Points after Round 5 of 17
Eli Tomac – 106
Marvin Musquin – 102
Ken Roczen – 102
Cooper Webb – 98
Blake Baggett – 80
Dean Wilson – 80
Justin Barcia – 74
Aaron Plessinger – 66
Chad Reed – 65
Cole Seely – 65
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250SX Report
There was only one rider on the track in the 250SX main that looked remotely comfortable in the slippery conditions and it was Cianciarulo who led from go-to-woe to not only convincingly take the win but the Kawasaki rider has moved into the championship lead after his closest rivals faltered.
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Cianciarulo’s teammate Garrett Marchbanks rode well to finish second ahead of Jimmy Decotis while championship contenders Shane McElrath, Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols finished 4th, 7th and 10th respectively.
Cianciarulo now holds an eight point lead in the championship over McElrath while Nichols is 10 points back and Ferrandis 12 as the 250SX West riders head into a three week break.
Adam Cianciarulo
“It is good going into the break with my mind at ease but when you have a stressful day like this with all of the unknowns and things that can happen out of your control it is tough but I felt better than usual so now happy to build on this.”
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Garrett Marchbanks
“It’s been a big learning curve riding with these guys and I have been working on my starts and my speed so to end up here in second is beyond where I thought we would be when the day got started. My dad and I use to flood a little turn track at our place which made me a pretty good mud rider.”
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
James Decotis
“I didn’t know I got third, I thought I got another fourth place, I am over fourth place, then I was told I got third, I was trying to stay up, my little legs I was dabbling and struggling so I just stood up, hit my marks to end up third so I am thankful for it.”
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
In his final race before heading home, Australian privateer Thomas Ravenhorst did not qualify for the night program after an electrical gremlin put an end to his night in San Diego but the good news for us Aussie’s is that Hunter Lawrence will be in action when the AMA Supercross Championship heads to Minneapolis this weekend.
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
250 Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo
Garrett Marchbanks
James Decotis
Shane McElrath
Jess Pettis
Martin Castelo
Dylan Ferrandis
Mathias Jorgensen
Cameron McAdoo
Colt Nichols
Chris Blose
Michael Mosiman
Jacob Hayes
Carson Brown
RJ Hampshire
Scott Champion
RJ Wageman
Devin Harriman
Enzo Lopes
Deegan Vonlossberg
Ludovic Macler
Mitchell Harrison
250 Main Event podium – AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
250 Points after 5 of 10 Rounds
Adam Cianciarulo – 114
Shane McElrath – 106
Colt Nichols – 104
Dylan Ferrandis – 102
RJ Hampshire – 75
James Decotis – 73
Cameron McAdoo – 72
Garrett Marchbanks – 71
Chris Blose – 70
Jess Pettis – 66
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French riders continue to dominate UK Arenacross
The Resorts World Arena, Birmingham hosted the fourth round of the six-round UK Arenacross Tour and it was the French pairing of Cedric Soubeyras and Greg Aranda who continued to dominate the series.
Soubeyras won the Superfinal over Aranda and Valentin Teillet and then the Pro-Lites final ahead of Teillet and Julien Lebeau before Aranda won the Pro 450 final over Charles Le Francois and Adam Chatfield.
Aranda now has a four point lead over Soubeyras in the Pro AX class, Soubeyras already has a healthy 48 point lead in the Pro Lites class and Aranda has a 49 point lead in the Pro 450 class while it is the Team FRO Systems Suzuki who is leading the team points chase.
The next stop of The Arenacross Tour is in two weeks’ time The FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th of February 2019.
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Cairoli and Prado continue top form at Ottobiano
The second round of the Italian Motocross Championship was held on a rain soaked Ottobiano circuit last Sunday and once again KTM riders Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado have not only won their MX1 and MX2 races respectively but they also finished 1-3 three in the MX1/MX2 combined Superfinal.
Tony Cairoli – Image by S. Taglioni
Cairoli won the MX1 moto after a hard fought battle with Yamaha’s Romain Febvre but by moto end the Italian had etched out a three second gap to take with win over Febvre, Tim Gajser, Gautier Paulin and Tanel Leok while in the MX2 class Prado won the moto by over seven seconds from Calvin Vlaanderen, Max Renaux, Michelle Cervellin and Ben Watson.
Jorge Prado – Image by S. Taglioni
The Superfinal lived up to expectations with Cairoli and Gajser battling tooth and nail for much of the race but Cairoli got the nod by a narrow margin over Gajser, Prado, Febvre and Mikkel Haarup.
Tony Cairoli – Image by S. Taglioni
Cairoli lead the MX1 championship by 40 points over Febvre and the Superfinal class by 40 points over Gajser while in the MX2 class Prado holds a 90 point lead with one round remaining at Mantova this weekend.
Jorge Prado – Image by S. Taglioni
Italian MX1 Standings
Cairoli Antonio (Ita) 240
Febvre Romain (Fra) 200
Gajser Tim(Slo) 160
Paulin Gautier (Fra) 130
Leok Tanel (Est) 115
Italian MX2 Standings
Prado Jorge (Spa) 240
Haarup Mikkel (Den) 150
Cervellin Michele (Ita) 125
Watson Ben (Gbr) 125
Renaux Maxime (Fra) 112
Raga beats Bou at Barcelona X-Trial
Adam Raga has taken a rare victory over Toni Bou at the second round of the FIM X-Trail World Championship held in Barcelona, Spain last weekend.
Adam Raga – X-Trial Barcelona
It was an up and down night for all riders on a very technical circuit but when it was all said and done Raga got the win over Bou with Jaime Busto coming home in third place so after two rounds Raga and Bou are tied on 35 points with Busto tied for third place in the championship with Jeroni Fajardo on 21 points.
The third round of the seven round series will be held in Bilboa, Spain on February 16.
Cooper and Harwood storm Taranaki
The Taranaki Motorcycle Club hosted the opening round of the highly anticipated New Zealand Motocross Championship and in perfect racing weather is was Cody Cooper and Hamish Harwood who came away with first blood in the MX1, MX2 and 125cc classes respectively.
MX1 Report
On the slippery Taranaki layout Cooper dropped the opening MX1 moto to defending champion Kirk Gibbs but the veteran was in no mood to give the Aussie any more fanfare to go on and win the final two motos for the overall win and the points lead heading to the second round of the four round series.
After narrowly winning the opening moto, Gibbs led most of the second moto only to lose the lead to Cooper late in the race but in the third race Gibbs was forced to come through the pack and found speed he had missed earlier in the day to finish just behind Cooper at the line.
Kayne Lamont was right in the mix in all three motos but dropped off the pace as the motos wore on to finish with three third place finishes for third overall ahead of Brad Groombridge (4-4-6), Cohen Chase (5-5-5), Hadleigh Knight and Blake Gillard (6-7-9) who was sizzling around Taranaki on a KTM250SX 2-stroke.
Cody Cooper
“Obviously this is not my favourite track but I am slowly getting to like it and riding it better, my bike is working way better too so we can only get better at the tracks that I like with more traction and speed.”
Kirk Gibbs
“I really enjoyed that last moto, obviously it was a shame having to come from behind but I feel like that is the best I rode all day, that first moto I rode just to protect (from Cooper) the best I could so I was lucky to get that win and obviously in that second race I didn’t flow that well which allowed Coops to get away but in the last moto I felt really good, I was hitting all my marks, I love and bike and it is onward and upwards from here.”
Kayne Lamont
“Today I just tried to get some decent seat time and do some long motos at a high intensity so that was good to get that under my belt but we have a two week break now to Rotorua and I get myself around there pretty good so I will go there pretty confident after today so we will see what we can do there.”
MX1 – Total Points Round 1
Cody Cooper 2-1-1 – 72p
Kirk Gibbs 1-2-2 – 69p
Kayne Lamont 3-3-3 – 60p
Brad Groombridge 4-4-6 – 51p
Cohen Chase 5-5-5 – 48p
Hadleigh Knight 12-6-4 – 41p
Blake Gillard 6-7-9 – 41p
Tyler Steiner 7-10-8 – 38p
Mason Wilkie 10-10-7 – 34p
Jacob Steel 11-8-9 – 33p
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MX2 Report
The MX2 class saw three different moto winners with Max Purvis winning the opening moto from Harwood and Brad Groombridge after Aussie Wilson Todd crashed out of the lead but Todd bounced back to win the second moto over Harwood and Joel Meikle but in the final moto it was all Harwood who complete his sixth moto and his third back-to-back race to take the win over Todd and Purvis.
Harwood was forced to race a 4-stroke KTM this year after Motorcycling New Zealand banned the 250cc 2-srokes from the MX2 class but the three-time MX2 champion proved that it wasn’t the power of the 2-stroke that gave him the advantage in previous years.
Hamish Harwood
“The day panned exactly how I wanted it, real happy to win both classes, I am kind of lucky that even when I am tired I can hold a good pace but my main goal is to be healthy, this track can catch you out so now it is on to Rotorua.”
Wilson Todd
“The tracks here are a lot better than what we race on back home and there was plenty of good racing out there today with all of the lines and the way the track forms up but we will fly home tomorrow, do some training and get back for round two.”
MX2 – Total Points Round 1
Hamish Harwood 2-2-1 – 69p
Wilson Todd 8-1-2 – 60p
Maximus Purvis 1-6-3 – 60p
Brad Groombridge 3-6-5 – 51p
Joel Meikle 9-3-7 – 46p
Wyatt Chase 7-7-4 – 46p
Morgan Fogarty 6-4-10 – 43p
Micah McGoldrick 4-15-5 – 38p
Broc Martens 10-9-11 – 30p
Sam Cuthbertson 13-10-8 – 29p
125cc Report
Hamish Harwood works all week as a builder, completes his physical training after work and races on weekends with his father by his side so the three time NZ Champion decided to ride the 125cc class in 2019 and his three wins from three rides proved the decision to be sound.
Brodie Connolly came home with three second places and a name that we will be hearing from in the future is Ben Broad who at the tender age of 15 earned a podium finish in his first senior national outing.
Hamish Harwood
“Obviously the goal is to win but if I am feeling a little fatigued (because of the back-to-back races) I will settle for what I can get but if I am feeling good I am happy to take the win,
Brodie Connolly
“I am just trying to enjoy it (my racing), the track held up well today, the club did a great job, it was technical and hard which is what you want to get the technical riders on top, it was a good day overall.”
Ben Broad
“The track gets really rough compared to the junior days because they don’t groom it as much and there is more competition.”
125cc 2 STROKE – Total Points Round 1
Hamish Harwood 1-1-1 – 75p
Brodie Connolly 2-2-2 – 66p
Benjamin Broad 3-3-3 – 60p
Joshua Bourke-Palmer 4-4-5 – 52p
Tommy Watts 6-7-4 – 47p
Clayton Roeske 7-9-6 – 41p
Jack Dunlop 11-5-8 – 38p
Scott Barr-Smith 12-8-7 – 37p
James Rountree 5-15-10 – 33p
Charlie Richardson 10-11-12 – 33p
MX3 – Total Points Round 1
Steve Craig 1-2-2 – 69p
Lucas Gisler 4-1-1 – 68p
Jonathan Ellison 3-4-3 – 58p
Ivan Boehlen – 6-3-7 – 49p
Patrick Straub 2-13-4 – 48p
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Nathan Watson claims French Beach Race title at Enduropale du Touquet
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has claimed victory at the Enduropale du Touquet beach race, crowning the British rider champion of the Championnat de France des Sables series. Victory at the 44th edition of the iconic beach race also secured KTM’s first French Beach Race Championship title.
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
With the world-renowned Enduropale du Touquet playing host to the sixth and final round of the Championnat de France des Sables, Nathan Watson arrived at the legendary beach race third overall in the points standings. Knowing that a race win would offer him the greatest chance of championship success, the British rider set about doing exactly that.
A slow start to the race saw Watson lose considerable time on the leaders during the opening hour. Taking things too cautiously on the fast and smooth course, he began to find his rhythm as the event moved past the halfway point. With the track deteriorating, the KTM 450 SX-F mounted rider rapidly cut his way through the field, jumping from sixth to second in just two laps.
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Battling hard with race leader and championship rival Milko Potisek, the duo went head-to-head during the closing stages of the race. With the final pitstop complete, Watson attacked hard for the last two laps and managed to break clear. He eventually crossed the finish line as the 2019 French Beach Race champion with a comfortable five-minute margin of victory.
Nathan Watson
“It’s an absolutely amazing feeling to not only win Le Touquet for the first time but also take the championship. We’ve worked incredibly hard this season, so to get a result like this is beyond words. During the first hour of the race I actually thought that I might not be able to do it. A lot of people overtook me early on and I was riding far too cautiously because the course was so fast and smooth. When it grew rougher that’s when I began to come into my own and really find my speed. I was just able to push hard and feel confident in the big sand holes and the slower traffic around me. When I caught Milko we battled for a while and then for the final pitstop we pitted at different times, so I didn’t know where he was after that. All I could do was give it 100 per cent during the final two laps until the finish line. This is the biggest victory of my career – it’s been my dream since I was a child to win this race and now I’ve become the first British rider to do so. I’m also the first KTM rider in over 30 years to win Le Touquet, too. Now, winning the championship as a result is perfect end to a fantastic season. Finally, I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for the support they’ve put into me – it’s amazing to get the result we’ve all worked so hard for.”
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Results – Championnat de France des Sables, Round 6
Nathan Watson (GBR) KTM, 15 laps 3:30:20.951
Daymond Martens (BEL) Yamaha, 3:08:16.441
Richard Fura (FRA) Honda, 3:10:14.311
Adrien Van Beveren (FRA) Yamaha, 3:11:17.183
Stephane Watel (FRA) Honda 3:14:05.210
Final Championship Standings
Nathan Watson (GBR) KTM, 735 points
Milko Potisek (FRA) Yamaha, 625
Jeffrey Dewulf (FRA) KTM, 615
Maxime Sot (FRA) Yamaha, 590
Stephane Watel (FRA) Honda, 566
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Suzuki Australia continues contingency program in 2019
Suzuki Australia has announced the continuation of its Suzuki Support Rider (SSR) Contingency program for the 2019 MX Nationals, Australian Superbike Championship and recognised state motocross and road racing premier class championships.
Riders who compete on current generation Suzuki motorcycles are eligible to register as for the free SSR contingency program but the rider must register with Suzuki while only one rider can register per VIN.
Suzuki Australia continues contingency program in 2019
Suzuki will send each rider an acceptance letter, which includes a SSR Registration Number. One number will be issued per rider, even if the rider competes on more than one machine or in multiple capacity classes. This Registration Number will be used in all claims for contingency or other correspondence with Suzuki.
Only the nominated Motorcycling Australia sanctioned events will be eligible for contingency. Suzuki Support Riders registered for claiming contingency must use the Claim Form attached. Results will be verified by Suzuki against official M.A. results.
Contingency payments will only be made to riders who satisfy the following criteria:
Compete on current generation RM-Z250, RM-Z450, GSX-R600 or GSX-R1000/R.
Registered for SSR and have received acceptance including their Registration Number from Suzuki Australia.
Lodge a claim form within 7 days of the event to Suzuki Australia including their race support number. Suzuki will verify through official race M.A results
For further information on the 2019 SSR Contingency Program, interested customers should visit http://www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au/suzuki-support-rider
Yamaha bLU cRU Backs 2019 A4DE
Motorcycling Australia has announced Yamaha bLU cRU as the official naming rights sponsor of the 2019 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) which will once again showcase the current world class talent residing in Australia.
Ray Howard – Yamaha Motorsports Division Manager
“2018 was a spectacular year for Yamaha bLU cRU and the A4DE and we are pleased to continue our relationship with the historic event in 2019. Last year’s Championship saw impressive developmental growth and strategic initiatives that propelled the event to more prestigious level. We are seeing these strategies and developments continue into the 2019 season, strengthening the reputation of this highly respected and much anticipated event. Yamaha bLU cRU looks forward to continue working closely with MA and the A4DE promoters to further develop the Championship, which has proven time and time again to be a fertile platform on which to produce and launch Australian riders onto a world stage.”
The 41st edition of the A4DE will be held in Moruya, NSW on May 1-4. Entries are available until the 17th April, so be sure to secure your place in the historic event here!
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Toowoomba to host opening round of AORC
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised all competitors and teams entered into the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) racing season that the location of Round 1 and 2 at Gympie, Queensland (QLD) will be relocated to Toowoomba on the 9th and 10th of March.
AORC heads to Toowoomba for 2019 opener
To ensure the least amount of disruption to riders and teams alike, the competition has been amended to continue successfully incorporating the state of QLD into the Championship whilst also making a conscious effort to minimise the necessary distance to travel.
Moving slightly South to Toowoomba, riders will be presented with picturesque backdrops contrasted by the challenges of the Great Dividing Range and its Western slopes. Both days will still feature continuous sprints where riders will race against the clock as they race to come out on top. Further information on the round and accommodation can be found on the competitor information page of the AORC website.
Mountain Man Just a Few Week’s Away
The Toowoomba Motocross Club is excited to serve up a brand new circuit when the KTM and Motorex backed Mountain Man Motocross hit the iconic Echo Valley facility on February 23-24.
This time round the club has settled on a new track designed to increase both the fun and technical quotient, while still facilitating the vintage racers and bikes with experienced track builder and former champion in his own right Sam Kendall designing the track.
Since the 40th anniversary epic in 2015, top MX1 contenders Kade Mosig, Kirk Gibbs and Dean Ferris have all joined the Mountain Man Honour Roll, and Toowoomba Motocross Club President Ojai Maguire is hopeful of a big turnout for this year’s event.
With a date just three weeks out from the start of the MX Nationals, another part of the attraction is the event’s status as a very useful hit-out for the riders, and a shakedown for the machines, on one of the country’s few world-class motocross tracks.
2019 Mountain Man
The other lure is Australia’s biggest prize pool. While the winner will walk away with $1500, the prizemoney pool will pay all the way down to 40th place in the title class.
With the event’s 40+ years of history the club is mindful of its strong heritage appeal and will continue the popular vintage racing during the Saturday program, while other support classes include Women’s, Junior and Sidecar racing.
With the resurgence of interest in two-stroke machines, this year the traditional 125cc Gold Cup has been renamed the Premix class and expanded to include two-stroke powered machines right up to the 500cc monsters which ruled the slopes of Echo Valley in years gone by.
The club has also moved to increase spectator value of Mountain Man, by providing access to the infield for a closer look at the action, offering a $10 weekend pass to access both days racing, and welcoming kids under 13 for free.
Tickets are available at the gate, and for more details please check out the Mountain Man Motocross Facebook page, or contact club President Ojai Maquire on (0428) 159 989.
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King of MX receives manufacture’s backing
Kawasaki, KTM, Honda, Suzuki and Husqvarna have banded together to support what is arguably Australia’s richest motocross race series, the King of MX NSW State Titles.
With six individual qualifying events spread around NSW, the King of MX series gives an unprecedented number of racers the chance to test their skills, meet more like-minded racers and their families, and earn their chance to race for their own NSW State Title.
Dave Cooke
“The King of MX is designed to give riders of all ages and abilities the chance to compete and be rewarded when they excel. We’re excited to see most major manufacturers find common ground in supporting this initiative where we actively promote the sport and reward those racers who rise to the top of their class. I can’t thank our partnering manufacturers enough for seeing the vision we have at Motorcycling NSW to support and grow the sport and keep producing, not only champions of the future, but a healthy sport that we can enjoy at all skill levels.”
With 21 classes representing riders of all age groups and skill levels, the beauty of the King of MX is that you don’t have to sacrifice any other championship to be in with a chance. Just race a qualifier that doesn’t clash with your schedule and race your way to the final, just like the 2018 Queen of MX Meghan Rutledge did.
Event Calendar
Qualifier 1: February 16-17, Appin
Qualifier 2: March 2-3, Moree
Qualifier 3: March 23-24, Condobolin
Qualifier 4: April 6-7, Leeton
Qualifier 5: April 20-21, Canberra
Qualifier 6: May 18-19, Maitland
King of MX Final: June 8-10, Goulburn
Racers need to enter one of the six qualifier events where the top six or seven finishers in each class earn their Golden Ticket to the final. Once a rider has qualified, they can still ride the other qualifier events, but they can’t win another Golden Ticket, giving even more riders a chance to qualify. At the final, State Title Champions will be decided over three motos for each class.
2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing increases USA contingency program
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A have increased its 2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Contingency Program to nearly $5 million for Yamaha bLU cRU riders competing in off-road motorcycle racing.
In addition to coverage of the AMA Professional Supercross and Motocross, National and Regional Amateur MX and Off-Road events, Yamaha has expanded its support of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series, with $467,350 available, almost five times as much as offered in 2018 for Yamaha bLU cRU GNCC racers. The Contingency Program also boasts increases in support to Yamaha bLU cRU riders in the American Flat Track (AFT) series, including those bLU cRU riders who will compete in the all-new AFT Production Twins class.
In addition to the professional championships, Yamaha continues to support the sport’s future stars at various national and regional amateur motocross races across the U.S., as well as the newly created “Supercross Futures” series.
Mike Guerra – Racing Department Manager for Yamaha
“Our bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Contingency Program has proven to be hugely popular, and this year, we’ve increased the program by 15%, with total funds of nearly $5 million available to Yamaha riders who excel in competition. We have made huge increases in all classes of the GNCC series, the largest off-road series in the country, by boosting the contingency for Yamaha bLU cRU riders fivefold for 2019! We also have increased our support of the American Flat Track (AFT) series, including its all-new Production Twins class and have also stepped forward to support the new Supercross Futures” series that focuses on emerging supercross talent.”
Riders who compete in supercross, motocross, flat track, or off-road aboard any qualified Yamaha motorcycles are invited to register for the 2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Contingency Program.
All bLU cRU Contingency money will be paid directly to riders’ reloadable bLU cRU Debit Cards. In addition, each bLU cRU rider will receive a $45 credit on http://www.bLUcRUswag.com, as well as discounts on Yamaha GYT-R parts and accessories.
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Youthsteam sold to Infront
Swiss sports marketing company Infront has announced the acquisition of Youthstream, the owner of the exclusive television, marketing and global promotional rights to the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship until the 2036 season.
Youthsteam sold to Infront – Infront’s President & CEO Phillippe Blatter & Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo
The agreement covers several other events including the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, the FIM Snowcross World Championship, the European Motocross Championship and the Motocross of European Nations while the management of the Monaco-based company will remain unchanged under the direction of President Giuseppe Luongo together with David Luongo as CEO and Daniele Rizzi as COO.
Phillippe Blatter – Infront’s President & CEO
“We are very glad to welcome the Youthstream team to the Infront Group. Under the proven management and expertise, the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship has become the premier event of off-road motorsport. Following the successful ownership and management of the FIM Superbike World Championship from 2007 to 2012, this acquisition provides us once again with a long-term property ownership in international motorsport further strengthening our comprehensive portfolio. We will collaborate very closely to further optimise fan experience, content offering and ultimately grow the global community in motocross.”
Giuseppe Luongo – Youthstream President
“We have been successfully building this company over more than three decades and are now very much looking forward to continue to further develop our ambitious vision for motocross together with Infront as one of the leading players in global sports business. This agreement comes at the right moment for the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship and allows Youthstream to accelerate its international development. I am sure that the synergies we will generate will be of great benefit for all properties we represent.”
Julien Ternisien – Infront Vice President Summer Sports
“The FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship is an exciting property with a clear potential to grow even further. We are looking forward to taking the sport to the next level of commercial success by activating our extensive media and sponsorship network as well as our full suite of innovative sports solutions. This goes hand in hand with improving media sales and accelerating digital marketing activities, including further improving the MXGP-TV OTT platform for fans all over the world.”
Jorge Viegas – FIM President
“The FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship series is one of motorsports’ fastest growing and most promising properties. We are confident that Infront’s strong market position, resources and marketing capabilities combined with the strong track-record and proven expertise of Youthstream will help raise the bar even higher in terms of growth and popularity for the series.”
About Infront
Infront is a leading sports marketing company managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events, including the distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, event operation and digital solutions. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 1,000 staff working from 39 offices across more than 14 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year.
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Jeffrey Herlings injury update
Jeffrey Herlings is obviously hoping for a swift and comprehensive rehabilitation period after surgery to repair a broken right foot but it looks like the defending MXGP World Champion will miss the opening round in Argentina on March 3.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff Kardas
Jeffrey Herlings
“I landed strangely from a jump and was at an angle when I went too close to the track ‘wall’ of dirt at Albaida. I got my foot caught between the bike and the mud. I knew we were in trouble, and we had the operation as soon as possible when we saw the foot was starting to swell. This is obviously not the best way to start 2019 but we’d been riding and preparing well and we have to work now to get back to that level. The good news is that Dr Claes and his team were really happy with how the operation went and I don’t have any more pain or swelling. In six weeks time we’ll know more and it all depends how the bone heals. Thanks for all the messages from the fans. We’ll be back strong!”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff Kardas
Dirk Gruebel – MX2 Team Manager & Technical Co-Ordinator, Red Bull KTM
“This is obviously a disappointing situation for Jeffrey and the team and also for fans of MXGP because we all want to see the guys fit, healthy and ready to go for a new season. It is a shame the way the crash happened and if it hadn’t been for that part of the track then maybe he would have escaped without a problem. Jeffrey had some first class treatment by Dr Claes in Belgium to fix the breaks in what is a tricky part of the body for injury. Everything went well though and there is nothing wrong with his ankle or anything else that could have made the injury more serious. Now he’ll look to recover again and come back to MXGP close to the form we saw in 2018.”
Italy disqualified from 2018 MXoN
Four months after the running of the 2018 Motocross of Nations at RedBud in America, the second placed Italian of Antonio Cairoli, Alessandro Lupino and Michele Cervellin has been disqualified after Cervellin failed the fuel test.
During the event on the 6th and 7th of October, Fuel samples were taken to be tested in accordance with the 2018-1 FIM Technical Rules Motocross (Art.63.04 and 63.05) and it was the ‘fuel tests of No. 20 Michele Crevellin (Italy) attested non conformity with the FIM fuel specifications provided for in Art. 63.01.2 of the 2018-1 FIM Technical Rules Motocross, regarding the properties for unleaded fuel’.
2018 MXoN – Team Italy
On this basis, the FIM Race Direction has decided to impose upon Mr Crevellin’s team (Team Italy) a disqualification from the entire event, in accordance with Art. 63.05.13 of the 2018-1 Technical Rules Motocross.
No appeal against the decision of the FIM Race Direction has been lodged before the International Disciplinary Court (CDI) within the set deadline so the final results of the 2018 Motocross of Nations have been updated accordingly and it now sees the Netherlands, Great Britain, Australia and USA rounding out the top five behind the winning French team.
2018 Motocross of Nations Top 10
France – 32 (Dylan Ferrandis, Gautier Paulin, Jordi Tixier)
The Netherlands – 39 (Glenn Coldenhoff Jeffrey Herlings, Calvin Vlaanderen)
Great Britain – 41 (Ben Watson Max Anstie Tommy Searle)
Australia – 43 (Hunter Lawrence Mitchell Evans Kirk Gibbs)
USA – 43 (Justin Barcia Eli Tomac Aaron Plessinger)
Belgium – 47
Spain – 57
Estonia – 63
Germany – 70
Canada – 90
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Moto News Wrap for January 29, 2019 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Moto News Latest
Cooper and Cianciarulo Win in Oakland AMA SX
Cairoli and Prado Win in Italy
Haaker Wins SuperEnduro in Madrid
Gibbs Second at Woodville GP
Herlings Injured
Anderson Injured
Wil Ruprecht to EnduroGP
2019 Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix Abandoned
2019 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 relocated to Toowoomba
Cooper and Cianciarulo Win in Oakland AMA SX
On a rut infested layout Cooper Webb and Adam Cianciarulo have won 450SX and 250SX classes respectively at the fourth round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship which was held in Oakland last weekend.
AMA Supercross 2019
Round Four – Oakland Coliseum
450SX Report
KTM started the 450 main event 1-2-3 with Webb leading Marvin Musquin and Justin Bogle and after 20 minutes of action packed racing KTM ended the round with 1-2-3 finishes with Webb taking his second win over a fast finishing Musquin and the tireless Blake Baggett.
Cooper Webb
“Oakland was a great day for me. It was a perfect race – I was able to lead from start to finish. I had some pressure from Marvin at the end but I held on and was able to get a win, so I’m stoked. Two-in-a-row and the first time I’ve had the red plate in my career is pretty amazing, so hopefully we can keep it going. We’ve got a long season ahead but it’s been a great two weekends so we’ll get back to work on Monday. Thank you to the Red Bull KTM Team for believing in me and getting me back here. It was awesome to see KTM dominate tonight with 1-2-3 finishes and 1-2 for me and Marv the last two weekends.”
Cooper Webb
With Webb’s win and Roczen back in 5th, Webb jumped to the top of the points standings, with a slender two-point lead over Roczen who now sits on 81 points, followed by Tomac on 80 points and Musquin on 79.
Marvin Musquin
“It was super intense and physically it’s tough out there, I’m definitely getting better. This week I was able to ride all week so I’m getting better and better. That track was definitely difficult for everyone and especially those whoops but I figured it out in the Main and I was able to pass some guys. It’s frustrating, I rode really well, I’m really happy but it could have been mine tonight but it happens, no excuses. I went down but I was the fastest and I was able to pass those guys and be a little more consistent. I’m a little bit bummed, finishing right behind cooper is not fun but it’s good, I’m making progress. Second place is good, it’s a lot of points but I want to win for sure.”
Marvin Musquin
Blake Baggett didn’t get the best start but battled his way around a stack of riders including Roczen and Tomac to earn the final podium spot.
Blake Baggett
“I am wrapped to be on the podium because I was buried off the start, got a really bad start and didn’t think I was even going to get to fifth so I pulled through from that.”
Blake Baggett
Eli Tomac charged into contention after a poor start but the Kawasaki rider struggled to get his rhythm going and had to settle for fourth.
Eli Tomac
“We’re in a good position, not only in the point standings but also for the season. I’m healthy and consistently finishing in the top five. I’ll get back to work with the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki crew and continue to improve each week. It’s all a process and I feel good about this season.”
Eli Tomac
Like Tomac, Roczen was in a prime position to land on the podium but as he admits below that he struggled when the whoops became rutted which forced the Honda start to drop back to 5th and lose the red plate.
Ken Roczen
“Oakland started off pretty good. I felt super good in practice and was super-happy with the bike. I was confident going into the night show and happy to have first gate pick. We had a decent heat race, finishing in second. We had to do some little bike adjustments, just as the track changed. I didn’t have a great start at all but fought my way up to second for a bit. I was struggling in the whoops and started feeling uncomfortable and unfortunately, I went back to fifth. That’s not ideal but we’re leaving healthy. We lost the points lead but only by a couple points; it’s a long season, so if we can take this as our worst race, that’s pretty good. It’s time to regroup and hopefully get back on the podium in San Diego.”
Ken Roczen
Justin Barcia managed a bruised tail bone to bring his Yamaha home in credible seventh place to keep himself in the championship hunt to sit just 11 points behind Webb.
Justin Barcia
“Wow. What a day. I had to be really mentally tough. I rode through a lot of pain, but made the best of it. Coming in I knew it would be difficult, but I was pretty optimistic about what I could handle. It was a crazy race for me. It was a difficult track, pretty rough, and I just had to push through the pain. It could have been a lot worse. After last weekend’s crash, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to race but I salvaged some points tonight. I feel like I just need to keep moving forward. Hopefully this week I can work on my body and keep feeling better. We’ll be back at it next weekend in San Diego.”
Justin Barcia
Aaron Plessinger crashed out of fifth place in the sand pit and Joey Savatgy’s KX450F simply stopped while the rookie was in a podium position and as for Australia’s Chad Reed his ninth place came on the back of the Aussie working his way through the field after yet another poor start and getting tangled in Plessinger’s downed Yamaha.
Chad Reed
“I really liked the Oakland track layout. There were nice whoops and ruts. Unfortunately, I again struggled with one-lap speed, but I felt like I would be okay for the heat race and main event. I had a decent start in the heat race and finished fourth. I was really enjoying the main event and began to find a rhythm. I was going to try and make some moves forward. Then I landed on Plessinger’s bike when he crashed in a blind spot. I fought back to ninth. I’m entering a new week with confidence. I have the pieces, but I need to start out the day better and carry that into the night show. We’re heading to one of my favourite races of the series this weekend. San Diego has always been a solid hunting ground for me.”
Chad Reed & Ken Roczen
Aaron Plessinger
“Oakland Supercross was a pretty tough one. I was kind of struggling all day. I felt good in the last practice even though the times didn’t really show. In the main, I got a good start but then stalled it on the wall jump. I had to jump off, then someone landed on my bike and bent it all up. I had to pull in twice to straighten it out. I’m still happy with the way I rode and the progress we made on my starts, but stuff happens. We’ll move forward. Now that I know I can run with those guys, just need to keep the pace and keep working.”
Oakland 450 Main Events Results
Cooper Webb
Marvin Musquin
Blake Baggett
Eli Tomac
Ken Roczen
Dean Wilson
Justin Barcia
Justin Brayton
Chad Reed
Justin Bogle
Cole Seely
Oakland AMA SX 450 Podium – Webb, Baggett, Musquin
450SX Points after 4 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 83
Ken Roczen – 81
Eli Tomac – 80
Marvin Musquin – 79
Justin Barcia – 72
Dean Wilson – 69
Blake Baggett – 66
Cole Seely – 56
Justin Brayton -52
Aaron Plessinger – 49
Chad Reed – 47
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250SX Report
In the 250 West Class Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo became the first repeat winner of the year after he claimed a start to finish win despite getting plenty of attention championship leader Colt Nichols early in the race and Dylan Ferrandis late in the race.
Oakland AMA SX 250 Start
Adam Cianciarulo
“We got it done tonight and it feels so good. I wasn’t feeling the best throughout the day, but I was able to turn it around for the main and make it a solid night. I’m so grateful and proud of the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and we’re all looking forward to keeping this momentum going.”
Adam Cianciarulo
Ferrandis has proved to be one of the fastest riders on the track but the Frenchman can’t get a decent start in the finals to content for the win BUT he is only five points back from his Yamaha teammate Nichols in the championship.
Dylan Ferrandis
“The YZ250F was awesome as always this season. It was also another demanding track this weekend, but I was feeling really good, really comfortable. My speed was great, but for sure with better starts it will be easier to win. I want more than second place, and that has had me frustrated, but I had some issues this week and didn’t train a lot. So, I’m happy to be on the box here in Oakland.”
Nichols keeps the championship points lead for another week albeit a narrow one with only five points separating the top four riders.
Colt Nichols
“The track was just really rutty and really demanding. The heart rate was really high, so that’s what made it tough to do consistent laps. A solid podium though, can’t ever complain about that, but of course always want more. Once you’ve won that’s all you want to do, but I’ll take a third for tonight, that’s all I had and move on to the next weekend.”
Colt Nichols
Cameron McAdoo continues to impress with the Honda pilot battle throughout the final to end up in fifth position.
Cameron McAdoo
“Last night was a great step in the right direction for me, leading the heat race until the last lap, and starting and running up front in the main is exactly what I need. The track was so tough, you had to be on your toes at all times. I tightened up about lap six of the main, but with some more time up front running that pace I’m confident I can stay there!”
Cameron McAdoo
Australia’s Tomas Ravenhorst finished 10th in his heat race, missing a direct transfer by just one position then in the LCQ the Victorian was once again in contention to qualify through to the main until rear brake problems ended his night.
Oakland 250SX Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo
Dylan Ferrandis
Colt Nichols
Shane McElrath
Jacob Hayes
Cameron Mcadoo
Michael Mosiman
Garrett Marchbanks
Chris Blose
Sean Cantrell
250SX Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki 17 Laps
Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha +02.570
Colt Nichols – Yamaha +04.609
250SX Points after Round 4
Colt Nichols – 91
Adam Cianciarulo – 88
Shane Mcelrath – 87
Dylan Ferrandis – 86
RJ Hampshire – 67
Cameron Mcadoo – 58
Chris Blose – 58
Jacob Hayes – 55
Michael Mosiman – 55
James Decotis – 52
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Cairoli and Prado Win in Italy
Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado have kicked off their 2019 season with moto wins in the MX1 and MX2 motos respectively before finishing first and third in the Superfinal at the opening round of the Italian Motocross Championship held in Sardina last weekend.
Tony Cairoli – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Cairoli won the MX1 moto from Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre, Gautier Paulin and Arminas Jasikonis while Prado earned the MX2 moto win ahead of Mikkel Haarup and Mattia Guadagnin with the Aussie duo of Mitch Evans and Caleb Grothues coming home sixth and seventh.
Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
The Superfinal started with Jasikonis going down in the first corner but Cairoli snuck through taking the lead from Prado, Gajser, Paulin, Ivo Monticelli, Alessandro Lupino and Evans.
Cairoli edged away from the field while Gajser finally caught and passed Prado for second place in the final laps of the moto so it was victory for Cairoli well ahead of Gasjer and Prado who finished third and top 250 rider ahead of Paulin, Febvre, Monticelli and Evans who was the second MX2 rider on track. Gothues ended the moto in 36th.
“It is always good to race in Riola. We spend a lot of time testing around here. I’m really happy with how the bike is working at the moment and my feeling with it. This is just the first race of the year and we have another two to prepare ourselves before we are ready. It also means we have three races in the sand so we cannot test too much on hard-pack but overall I think we have a good bike.”
Tony Cairoli – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Jorge Prado
“A very good first race and I felt great from the timed practice. We made a great bike this winter and it worked really well for me all-day; better than we expected. In the first moto I had a decent start and took seven laps to get to the front as a struggled a bit with my rhythm. Coming into the Superfinal I knew the start was super-important. I didn’t have the best jump but I made a good pass into the first corners and was second behind Tony. He was pushing a lot and I tried to keep his rhythm. With three laps to go I made a mistake through the lappers and Tim came past me. I finished third and I’m very happy. This is all good preparation for the world championship.”
“It feels good to be behind the starting gate again. This weekend in Sardinia I had a good feeling on the bike and I’m happy I showed the speed is there. In the MX1 moto I didn’t manage to get a good start but kept my head down to finish fifth. I struggled a bit with arm pump in the closing part of the race but I tried not to let that slow me down. Going into the Supercampione final I felt ready to show my speed again. Unfortunately, I went down in the first corner and that made it all harder for me. I got up and did a few more laps but I felt some pain in my right leg and had to pull out of the race. I’ll give my body some time to heal and prepare for round two of the series next weekend in Ottobiano.”
Interestingly, in the deep sand of Riola Sardo in Sardinia, Cairoli, Febvre, Gajser and Prado were all using Pirelli Scorpion MX3 Mid Soft front and the Scorpion MX Soft rear tyres and the second round of the championships at Ottobiano next weekend will have very similar conditions.
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Haaker Wins SuperEnduro in Madrid
Colton Haaker has earned the overall victory ahead of Cody Webb and Alfredo Gomez to not only win round three of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Madrid, Spain but he also moved to the top of the series standings.
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media
Haaker dominated the first of three finals to take the win over Taddy Blazusiak and Webb but the reverse order start for the second race caused chaos after Haaker became entangled in a multi-bike collision on the opening lap leaving him in near last place.
Haaker blitzed the technical layout and moved up to second place behind Webb but he becoming stuck on the final rocky corner which resulted in a three-way fight to the finish line where Haaker and Blazusiak tangled as they approached the finish line jump ending with both riders losing control of their machines.
Alfredo Gomez
Haaker was lucky to walk away unscathed in third behind Webb and Pol Tarres while Blazusiak was deemed a non-finisher.
Despite being bruised a battered Haaker refocused for race three and delivered arguably his best performance of the night with a win by 26-seconds over Gomez and David Leonov while a broken chain on lap four forced Webb to stop and make trackside repairs to resolve the issue and despite his best efforts to re-join the race, he wasn’t classified as a finisher but still ended his night as the overall runner-up.
Colton Haaker
“It’s feels great to come away tonight with the overall win and also become the new point’s leader in the championship. I really wanted to push for the victory tonight and race my way back into title contention and I definitely feel like I did that out there, despite what was a very eventful night on the track. We’ve Budapest in two weeks’ time and I’m looking forward to going there with the leader’s red plate.”
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media
For Webb he saw his championship lead vanish on the night but still has not given up by any means and remains in second, only thirteen points off the lead.
Cody Webb
“It was a tough night for me tonight, but I’m happy to take second overall. The first race went well, I struggled to get into a good rhythm but I was pleased with third and knew what I had to do to improve for race two. I got away well in the second race and was able to control the pace from the front and take a clean win. I was probably riding my best of the whole evening in race three. Colton was in front but I was confident I could match his speed and fight for the win. Unfortunately, after a reasonably hard landing, I damaged the bike. I tried my best to fix it in time but it wasn’t quite enough. It’s upsetting but this is SuperEnduro and anything can happen. I’m looking forward to the next race and will try to win back the overall lead.”
Cooper Webb
Deciding to return to racing following an elbow injury last time out in Germany, Gomez hoped for a top-five result but thanks to feeling better than expected, the Spaniard raced his way into podium contention as the evening progressed.
Alfredo Gomez
“I can’t honestly believe that I’ve managed to finish third overall tonight, two days ago I wasn’t sure if I would ride because I’m still recovering from an elbow injury that I sustained last time out in Germany. I did some training laps and decided I should try to race. I was aiming for top five at best. But this is my home race and I guess that just makes you want to deliver the best result you can. I rode safe in race one for ninth and then did better in race two for fifth. I got into a good position in race three and with other riders having problems, suddenly I was in second. After that I tried to remain calm and focused and control the position to the finish. Third overall is an amazing result and I have to thank everyone who’s helped me during these last few weeks to get to this position – behind the scenes it’s been a real team effort.”
Alfredo Gomez – Image by Future7Media
For Taddy Blazusiak, the third stop of the SuperEnduro series was challenging due to a series of crashes that ended with an injury to his knee.
Taddy Blazusiak
“I collided with Colton Haaker and went down hard, I was banged and bruised pretty good, but lucky to walk away from it relatively unscathed and able to focus on the final moto. In race three I got a great start but then stalled in the rocks and accidentally put my left foot down into a hole. As I fell over, with the bike on top of me, my foot became trapped in the hole and twisted my knee. As yet I don’t know how serious things are until I see my doctor to get it checked out but I will do my best to be ready for round four in Budapest.”
Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media
The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round four in Budapest, Hungary on February 9.
Results: Madris – Round 3
Heat 1
Colton HAAKER
Taddy BLAZUSIAK
Cody WEBB
Diogo VIEIRA
Blake GUTZEIT
Xavi LEON SOLE
Pol TARRES
Kevin GALLAS
Alfredo GOMEZ
Cristobal GUERRERO
Heat 2
Cody WEBB
Pol TARRES
Colton HAAKER
Diogo VIEIRA
Alfredo GOMEZ
Blake GUTZEIT
Xavi LEON SOLE
Cristobal GUERRERO
Kevin GALLAS
Jose Maria JUAN BERNABEU
Colton Haaker celebrates – Image by Future7Media
Heat 3
Colton HAAKER
Alfredo GOMEZ
David LEONOV
Blake GUTZEIT
Xavi LEON SOLE
Pol TARRES
Cristobal GUERRERO
Diogo VIEIRA
Jose Maria JUAN BERNABEU
Kevin GALLAS
Prestige Class — Overall
Colton Haaker (USA) Husqvarna – 58
Cody Webb (USA) KTM – 37
Alfredo Gomez (ESP) Husqvarna – 34
Pol Tarres (ESP) Husqvarna – 34
Blake Gutzeit (RSA) Husqvarna – 33
Provisional Standings
Colton HAAKER 159pts
Cody WEBB 146pts
Taddy BLAZUSIAK 128pts
Pol TARRES 90pts
Alfredo GOMEZ 80pts
Diogo VIEIRA 76pts
Kevin GALLAS 76pts
Blake GUTZEIT 74pts
Xavi LEON SOLE 59pts
Cristobal GUERRERO 55pts
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Gibbs Second at Woodville GP
The Manawatu-Orion Motorcycle Club Inc. (MOMCC) hosted the 58th annual Woodville GP which was once again recognised as an FIM Oceania event and saw 600 riders converge on the popular North Island venue.
Kirk Gibbs – Woodville GP 2019
The 2015 Australian MX1 motocross champion Kirk Gibbs, who joins the Altherm JCR Yamaha team for this prestigious race weekend and also to defend his title in the four-round 2019 New Zealand Motocross Championship, described it as “a very crazy day weather-wise and the worst wind I have ever ridden in.”
Kayne Lamont – Woodville GP 2019
Despite the conditions Gibbs managed to score two second place finishes behind Kiwi veteran and multi Woodville winner Cody Cooper. Gibbs says he got a great start in the first race, “which put me second around the first turn and right behind Cody Cooper. I kept him honest most of the race and got a little arm pump just from the lack of racing for me lately.”
He describes the second moto as a full mud race and although he got a great start, the conditions forced him to take it easy.
Maximus Purvis – Woodville GP 2019
Kirk Gibbs
“I leaned back off down the straight because it was slippery and I wheeled and got sideways, so I had to back it down. I got into second behind Cody Cooper early and it was just trail riding because the track was really deep, one-lined and skatey. Sometimes in those conditions it’s better to play it smart. The aim is to win. Cody Cooper is such a great rider and knows how to win but I think I am in a good spot to do battle with him. It will be a battle every round because I know he wants that number 1 plate back over here and I don’t want to let it go. Also I know Kayne Lamont will be keen to get in the mix.”
The New Zealand Motocross Championship kicks off in Taranaki this weekend and Gibbs believes he is ready to take on Cooper and defend his 2018 crown.
2019 MNZ MX National Championship
Round 1 – Sunday 3rd February – Taranaki
Round 2 – Sunday 17th February – Rotorua
Round 3 – Sunday 24th February – Pukekohe
Round 4 – Sunday 10th March – Taupo
Herlings Injured
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings has broken his foot while testing in Spain and according to the team he immediately underwent surgery in an effort to get the injury in shape for the opening round of the 2019 World Motocross Championship in Argentina in 5 weeks’ time.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff Kardas
Below is KTM’s brief official announcement
“Waiting time now for the #mxgp champion. Jeffrey Herlings suffered a crash yesterday (Friday) while training and underwent an operation on his right foot the same evening. Apparently there is no major damage to his ankle but more details and the expected recovery time for the injury will be known in the next 1-2 days. Get well soon #84.”
Anderson Injured
During a routine practice day leading up to the fourth round of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Oakland, Jason Anderson has broken his arm in two places, as well as a fractured rib after crashing his Husqvarna.
The injury required surgery and has an expected recovery time of at least eight weeks and at the time of writing his return to racing is yet to be determined.
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
“I am really bummed to have to say that I am out for an injury, I was struggling to find my groove but had high hopes of pushing forward to the podium in all of the upcoming rounds. I will be back stronger. Thank you for the support.”
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Wil Ruprecht to EnduroGP
Australian Wil Ruprecht will join reigning World E2 Champion Eero Remes in the new look Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team that will contest the 2019 World Enduro Championship (EnduroGP).
With Yamaha Racing officially abandoning their Outsiders Yamaha Team, which had represented the company in World Enduro, the Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team will be Yamaha’s unofficial representative for the 2019 season.
Wil Ruprecht
The multi-national team will be headlined by Finlands Eero Remes along with Aussie Ruprecht, Brit Alex Walton and Estonian Priit Biene in the Junior category while Swede Marcus Adielsson and Finn Hugo Svärd will make up the Youth team and Swede Patrik Andersson will be the teams World Cup Senior rider.
Joakim Johansson
“We are very happy and incredibly proud to be able to present Finnish triple and reigning world champion Eero Remes as a rider in the GP-class. We have not decided class yet, the tests of the various Yamaha models are on right now. By his side he will have Australian junior rider Wil Ruprecht who is a strong candidate in the junior-class. Wil was with us already at the last race in Germany in 2018, where he took a victory on his first day.”
The 2019 Enduro World Championship begins on 22-24 March in Germany.
2019 Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix Abandoned
BSI Speedway has announced that the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) will not be taking place in 2019 after ‘unforeseen circumstances’ forced PSE (Paul Sergeant Events) to pull out of staging the event.
The date and venue for the Australian event, which had been provisionally scheduled as the final round of the 2019 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series, was yet to be confirmed so the 2019 season will now culminate at the Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland on October 5.
BSI Speedway remains committed to bringing the event back to Australia, and is actively seeking a new local promoter to help stage the event in future years.
Torben Olsen – BSI Speedway Managing Director
“While we were eager to run an Australian SGP in 2019, we decided that we should only do so when we are confident we can deliver the quality experience expected by our SGP riders, fans and community. We were in dialogue with multiple venues for the 2019 event, and look to continue further discussions with Ipswich in particular with a view to hopefully bringing a fantastic SGP event back to Australia as soon as possible.”
2019 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 relocated to Toowoomba
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised all competitors and teams entered into the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) racing season that the location of Round 1 and 2 at Gympie, Queensland (QLD) will be relocated.
Due to unforeseen circumstances the opening rounds of the 2019 Championship have been relocated to Toowoomba, QLD and will be held March 9-10. To ensure the least amount of disruption to riders and teams alike, the competition has been amended to continue successfully incorporating the state of QLD into the Championship whilst also making a conscious effort to minimise the necessary distance to travel.
AORC Dungog
Moving slightly South to Toowoomba, riders will be presented with picturesque backdrops contrasted by the challenges of the Great Dividing Range and its Western slopes. Both days will still feature continuous sprints where riders will race against the clock as they race to come out on top. Further information on the round and accommodation can be found on the competitor information page of the AORC website.
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