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Moto News | GNCC Round 3 | AORC | NZ MX | Event Updates

Moto News Weekly for March 17, 2020

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What happened this week

  • Kailub Russell wins GNCC Round 3 – The Specialized General
  • Daniel Milner wins shortened Dungog AORC
  • Gibbs and Purvis top New Zealand Motocross Championship
  • Jackson Richardson wins 2020 Jimboomba Triple Crown
  • Jack Bell wins Champions Flat Track School Pro championship
  • 2020 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations scoring changes
  • Andrew Short & Ross Branch to Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team
  • Connor Tierney & Brodie Ellis join SB Motorsports ECSTAR Suzuki
  • Luciano Benavides joins Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
  • Motorcycling Australia update on motorcycle events
  • 2020 X Trial Australian Championship cancelled
  • Steele Creek GNCC postponed as facility closes
  • AFT postpones Atlanta Short Track & Charlotte Half-Mile
  • 2020 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge postponed
  • 2020 Manjimup 15,000 Motocross postponed
  • 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held in SA
  • 2020 Championship Calendars
    • 2020 AMA Motocross
    • 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
    • 2020 MXGP
    • 2020 American Flat Track
    • 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
    • 2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
    • 2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
    • 2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
    • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
    • 2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
    • 2020 King of MX
    • 2020 Australian Motocross National Championship
    • 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

Kailub Russell wins GNCC Round 3 – The Specialized General

Round three of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series – The Specialized General – concluded over the weekend in Washington, Georgia, with Kailub Russell coming through the claim the win.

GNCC Rnd The Specialized General Kailub Russell KH

GNCC Rnd The Specialized General Kailub Russell KH

Kailub Russell – Image by Ken Hill

Russell had his work cut out for him after a mid-pack start, and coming through timing and scoring fourth on the first lap. He made his way into the lead as they came around on lap four, but Steward Baylor Jr. would remain close.

Baylor Jr. battled back-and-forth with K. Russell the entire last lap, swapping the lead position multiple times. As the duo made their way to the motocross track portion of the track, K. Russell found an inside line and make the pass stick.

Baylor Jr. held onto second overall, coming in just 1.8 seconds behind K. Russell and earning Sherco’s first GNCC podium finish at the premier level.

Josh Strang came through the pack to earn third overall on the day. Strang was sixth on the opening lap, but would put his head down and push throughout the entire three-hour race. Strang currently sits second in the National Championship points standings after three rounds of racing.

GNCC Rnd The Specialized General Steward Baylor Kailub Russell Josh Strang podium KH

GNCC Rnd The Specialized General Steward Baylor Kailub Russell Josh Strang podium KH

Steward Baylor, Kailub Russell, Josh Strang on the podium at The Generalized Special – Image by Ken Hill

Coming through to take the fourth place position in XC1 Open Pro and sixth overall was Grant Baylor. As the riders made their way through the course, Baylor found himself starting out eighth. However, as time wore on Baylor moved through the pack to get towards the front and battle with the top riders.

After grabbing the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award Ricky Russell finished fifth in XC1 and eighth overall on the day. Jordan Ashburn would come through leading the way on lap one, but fell back to sixth in XC1 and ninth overall.

Sitting seventh for majority of the day was Andrew DeLong. Layne Michael came eighth in his class and 15th overall, while rounding out the top 10 in XC1 Open Pro were Levi Keller and Evan Earl.

GNCC Rnd The Specialized General Steward Baylor KH

GNCC Rnd The Specialized General Steward Baylor KH

Steward Baylor – Image by Ken Hill

Round three saw another new winner in the XC2 250 Pro class, with Craig DeLong coming through to earn his first XC2 win of the season, while also placing fourth overall on the day. Jonathan Girroir battled for a second place finish in XC2, and held onto the class points lead. Mike Witkowski rounded out the XC2 podium with a third.

Earning the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class was Jason Raines. Raines led the race from start to finish, putting over a 2 minute gap on the rest of the class. Cole Mattison battled through the pack to earn second in his class, followed by points leader Zack Hayes rounding out the top three.

At the conclusion of the 10 a.m. race it was WXC competitor, Becca Sheets taking the overall win and her third-straight WXC class win. Sheets had her work cut out for her, fighting from fourth on the opening lap. Sheets put her head down and pushed as she made her way into the lead on lap three, finishing with a 21 second gap back to second place.

Grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters Holeshot Award was Mackenzie Tricker. Tricker battled for the lead, but would remain in the second place position as the checkered flag flew. Third was Tayla Jones claiming the final place on the podium.

At the conclusion of the 8 a.m. youth race it was Jack Joy taking his first overall win. Joy battled with fellow Team Green Kawasaki’s Grant Davis through the entire race, swapping the lead multiple times. Davis held on for second overall in the youth, with KTM’s Caleb Lane rounding out the overall podium and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class top three.

Georgia’s David Parsons was nominated by his wife for GNCC’s Moto Hero Award, and on Sunday during the 10 a.m. start he was awarded with the Moto Hero plaque and a set of Greenball’s premium light truck Kanati brand tires valued over $1,000 courtesy of GBC Tires. Parsons retired from the military in 2007, but still helps train different active and reserved military branches. During his time in the military Parsons was deployed to Desert Storm, and many other countries. The GNCC thanked David for his service, and being part of the GNCC Racing family.

XC1 Pro Event Results

  1. Kailub Russell (KTM)
  2. Steward Baylor Jr. (SHR)
  3. Josh Strang (KAW)
  4. Grant Baylor (SHR)
  5. Ricky Russell (HQV)
  6. Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
  7. Andrew DeLong (HON)
  8. Layne Michael (YAM)
  9. Levi Keller (HON)
  10. Evan Earl (KAW)

Overall National Championship Standings

  1. Kailub Russell (90)
  2. Josh Strang (67)
  3. Ricky Russell (59)
  4. Michael Witkowski (45)
  5. Jordan Ashburn (45)
  6. Jonathan Girroir (44)
  7. Steward Baylor Jr. (43)
  8. Craig DeLong (43)
  9. Cody Barnes (31)
  10. Grant Baylor (30)

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

  1. Craig DeLong (HQV)
  2. Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
  3. Michael Witkowski (YAM)
  4. Cody Barnes (BET)
  5. Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
  6. Liam Draper (KTM)
  7. Evan Smith (HQV)
  8. Tegan Temple (KTM)
  9. Jesse Ansley (KTM)
  10. Thorn Devlin (BET)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

  1. Jonathan Girroir (80)
  2. Mike Witkowski (76)
  3. Craig DeLong (72)
  4. Cody Barnes (51)
  5. Liam Draper (42)
  6. Evan Smith (39)
  7. Jesse Ansley (37)
  8. Thorn Devlin (35)
  9. Simon Johnson (32)
  10. Lyndon Snodgrass (32)

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Daniel Milner wins shortened Dungog AORC

See the class report here:
Daniel Milner wins rain shortened Dungog AORC (link)

Daniel Milner has won a shortened AORC Round 3 at Dungog, taking the overall win by over a minute from Daniel Sanders, with Luke Styke completing the top three.

AORC Rnd Dungog Daniel Milner

AORC Rnd Dungog Daniel Milner

Daniel Milner

Michael Driscoll came home in fourth overall, ahead of Josh Green in fifth, while Jonte Reynders, Mason Semmens, Fraser Higlett, Broc Grabham and Jeremy Carpentier completed the top 10. Todd Waters was just outside the top 10 in 11th.

The results left Milner topping the E2 class, Sanders the E3 victor, and Styke the E1 leader at Dungog, before Sunday’s action was cancelled due to heavy rainfall overnight.

Milner was perfect in mixed conditions on Saturday, powering through the tests aboard his KTM 450 EXC-F to extend his advantage in the standings. Sunday’s action was cancelled following a large amount of rainfall in the region overnight.

Daniel Milner – P1

“I always seem to gel with the enduro format and am able to get the best out of them in the tests. It’s definitely something that I enjoy doing and my results were pretty much perfect, so it was a flawless day. I made sure we stayed consistent, got through cleanly and it was a really good result for us. I understand why we couldn’t race today, but for me it was definitely a shame because I’ve been feeling really good on the bike – the 2020 KTM 450 EXC-F is unbelievable. It’s the best package that I’ve had so far and we’re enjoying going racing a lot, which shows in the results.”

AORC Rnd Dungog Daniel Milner

AORC Rnd Dungog Daniel Milner

Daniel Milner

Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team rider Daniel Sanders picked up another commanding class win in E3 at Dungog on Saturday.

Daniel Sanders – P2

“It’s always a good enduro at Dungog and it was positive to win the E3 class on Saturday. We made some changes with the bike going into the weekend, we’re still moving forward and I’m getting fitter as well, so it was a good weekend. There is a lot of room for improvement overall, so we will get back to work and look forward to the next round. Sunday didn’t go ahead, which was unfortunate after it rained all night, so that was their decision and it was fair enough.”

AORC Rnd Dungog Sanders FM AORC RDS Dungog

AORC Rnd Dungog Sanders FM AORC RDS Dungog

Daniel Sanders

The round saw a return to a traditional enduro format favouring Styke, who was back to his best, positioning his 250cc machine inside the top three in outright times as he thundered around the bush surrounding Dungog. He won every special test in class, but more importantly, regained confidence after a frustrating run of injuries. The result also propelled Styke into his class lead.

Luke Styke – P3

“It was good to come into the weekend feeling healthy and ready to race, the opening weekend was tough as I was carrying an injury and then sustained a pretty good head knock during the event, so it was good to be fresh and ready to go here at Dungog. I was able to have a good run and win on Saturday. It was disappointing that we couldn’t race Sunday but the amount of rain we had meant completing the course and getting medical to all areas would be difficult, so the decision was made to call it off and I completely understand it. The tests on the weekend were good and we were fortunate to get the majority of them done before the rain came. I have got the points lead back now and the plan is to not let it go until the championship is done.”

AORC Rnd Dungog Luke Styke

AORC Rnd Dungog Luke Styke

Luke Styke

Josh Green continued to rack up podiums and again took third place in the E2 division, alongside fifth overall, despite some ups and downs along the way. Green started the day strongly, but fell heavily in one of the morning tests which really set him back on the time sheets. He was able to rebound well from the fall and post some fast test times again as the day went on, but the damage was done on the time sheet and Green was forced to settle with a third place finish for the round.

Josh Green – P5

“It was a bit of an up and down weekend for me with some good test times but also a couple of ordinary ones that hurt me at the end of the day. I think there were a few top three times in tests but there was also some way down in the top 10 when I fell off. No rider can afford to be inconsistent in a championship as competitive as this. Still, despite the mistakes, its still good to be on the podium and leave here healthy. I’m second in the championship but only two points separates three riders and we still have a lot of racing to go.”

AORC Rnd Dungog Josh Green

AORC Rnd Dungog Josh Green

Josh Green

Milner’s rookie teammate Mason Semmens contested his first-ever enduro round to finish second in the E1 division riding the KTM 250 SX-F, quickly adapting to the format and now just one point outside of the championship lead.

Mason Semmens – P7

“The enduro format was new to me, so I learned a lot on the trail and with the tests in between, which was good. My day wasn’t too bad, finishing second in class, even though we always want to win. I look forward to doing some more enduro and really picking it up further, plus Dungog was a good location to gain further experience. It would have been nice to race on the Sunday, but it is what it is and we’ll move onto the next one now.”

AORC Rnd Dungog Mason Semmens

AORC Rnd Dungog Mason Semmens

Mason Semmens

Next on the 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) calendar will be Nowra, New South Wales, scheduled for 18-19 April, but currently under review as to how the rounds will be run under coronavirus restrictions.

Overall Results – AORC Round 3, 2020

Pos. Rider Time
1 Daniel MILNER 39:31.6
2 Daniel SANDERS 40:46.0
3 Luke STYKE 41:09.5
4 Michael DRISCOLL 41:20.8
5 Josh GREEN 41:29.7
6 Jonte REYNDERS 41:36.8
7 Mason SEMMENS 41:52.2
8 Fraser HIGLETT 42:19.7
9 Broc GRABHAM 42:23.9
10 Jeremy CARPENTIER 42:41.8
11 Todd WATERS 42:46.8
12 Andrew WILKSCH 42:49.4
13 Beau RALSTON 42:51.8
4 Stefan GRANQUIST 42:53.7
5 Geoff BRAICO 42:54.7
16 Hayden KEELEY 43:04.1
17 Cooper SHEIDOW 43:10.4
18 Kyron BACON 43:28.7
19 Ben KEARNS 43:29.4
20 Corey HAMMOND 44:16.8
21 Matt MURRY 44:38.2
22 Dalton JOHNSON 44:50.1
23 Brad HARDAKER 44:53.3
24 Lee STEPHENS 44:53.3
25 Brock NICHOLS 45:06.0
26 Richard CHIBNALL 45:17.1
27 William PRICE 45:20.6
28 Harrison TEED 45:28.6
29 Wesley KEELEY 45:35.7
30 Joshua KILVINGTON 46:07.1

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Gibbs and Purvis top New Zealand Motocross Championship

Hard work and a strong team behind the scenes has seen Altherm JCR Yamaha do the double, with Kirk Gibbs crowned the Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship’s MX1 winner and Maximus Purvis taking out the MX2 title.

The double title winning Altherm JCR Yamaha team celebrate victory in the MX and MX Fox New Zealand Motocross Championships.

The double title winning Altherm JCR Yamaha team celebrate victory in the MX and MX Fox New Zealand Motocross Championships.

Altherm JCR Yamaha celebrate the double win with Gibbs and Purvis – Image by CLMINTIEPIX

Well-deserved celebrations ensued last night after the final round of four wrapped up, with two of the team’s riders on top of their podiums at Taupo’s Digger McEwen Motocross Park.

Sunshine Coast-based Gibbs knows how the rollercoaster of motocross racing goes. He won the New Zealand MX1 championship in 2018, then just missed the title last year by a meagre five-points. This year, he bested defending champion Cody Copper by four-points to take the win.

Kirk Gibbs

“It’s so awesome to win the championship again. To come so close last year and just miss out was disappointing. Everything just went really well for me this season and things started clicking for me. I was riding well and the Yamaha YZ450 was great. Working hard with Josh during the weeks between the four rounds and with my Australian team helped me to feel really comfortable and strong, which was what I believe led to the championship win. I’m stoked to get another championship over here and I’m really stoked for Josh and Amy [Coppins] and the team. I know how much hard work that everyone that’s involved puts in. I couldn’t be any more thankful for them and my team back home for being part of it.”

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs wins the Fox New Zealand Motocross Championships MX title

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs wins the Fox New Zealand Motocross Championships MX title

Kirk Gibbs – Image by CLMINTIEPIX

Thirty-one-year-old Gibbs used his experience to manage the final round well. He won the first race and from there had a 10-point lead. Gibbs settled for second in the final two motos, knowing that he’d have the points on board to take the MX1 trophy back across The Ditch with him.

Cody Cooper took the round overall win from Gibbs, by a single point, with Hamish Harwood completing the top three, and Kayne Lamont and Ethan Martens fourth and fifth.

The standings saw Cody Cooper take runner-up, with Hamish Harwood a more distant third overall. Mirroring the round results, Kayne Lamont and Ethan Martens were fourth and fifth overall in the MX1 standings.

MX1 Round Results

  1. Cody Cooper – 70
  2. Kirk Gibbs (YZ450) – 69
  3. Hamish Harwood – 62
  4. Kayne Lamont (YZ450) – 54
  5. Ethan Martens – 46

MX1 Championship Results

  1. Kirk Gibbs (YZ450) – 280
  2. Cody Cooper – 276
  3. Hamish Harwood – 244
  4. Kayne Lamont (YZ450) – 203
  5. Ethan Martens – 176

Mangakino’s 19-year-old Maximus Purvis had a slightly more nail-biting road to victory on-board his Yamaha YZ250F. Coming into the final round he had a narrow four-point lead over main rival Josiah Natzke.

A second in the opening moto meant he was on track for the title but a wrong tyre choice for the second race dropped him back down the pack and piled on the pressure for the final moto. A swap back to the original tyre saw race three success, sealing the championship. Purvis described the championship-winning feeling as “unreal” as he snatched the title from Natzke.

Maximus Purvis

“I’ve been working so hard and fighting all season and it feels so good to take the win. It definitely came down to the wire in the last race, but I wanted that win badly. I fought through a couple riders then just put my foot down, went for it, and pulled the win off.”

Altherm JCR Yamahas Maximus Purvis holds his Fox New Zealand Motocross Championships MX trophy aloft.

Altherm JCR Yamahas Maximus Purvis holds his Fox New Zealand Motocross Championships MX trophy aloft.

Maximus Purvis on the top step of the MX2 podium – Image by CLMINTIEPIX

Maximus Purvis took the round win by two points from Josiah Natzke, with Dylan Walsh third and final podium place-getter, while James Scott and Morgan Fogarty completed the round top-five.

The MX2 championship standings saw Purvis grasp the title with 252-points to Natzke’s 246, while James Scott was third with 228-points. Dylan Walsh and Caleb Ward completed the MX2 championship top five.

MX2 Round Results

  1. Maximus Purvis (YZ250F) – 69
  2. Josiah Natzke – 67
  3. Dylan Walsh (YZ250F) – 63
  4. James Scott – 56
  5. Morgan Fogarty – 47

MX2 Championship Results

  1. Maximus Purvis (YZ250F) – 252
  2. Josiah Natzke – 246
  3. James Scott – 228
  4. Dylan Walsh (YZ250F) – 224
  5. Caleb Ward – 188

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Jackson Richardson wins 2020 Jimboomba Triple Crown

The 2020 Jimboomba Triple Crown ran over the weekend with 5000 spectators turning up to watch Jackson Richardson claim the overall win from Kaleb Barham and Noah Ferguson in the All Stars Final combined results. Jackson Richardson was undefeated across all three races.

In the Junior 85-150 Final results it was Liam Owens taking the win from Jyle Campbell, with Wiremu third overall, while Jake Cannon after taking two race wins ended up fourth, after a disappointing Race 3 result.

The Junior Lites saw Jack Mather clean sweep all three races, ahead of an equally consistent Cameron Steel and Kode Drew.

All Stars Final Merged Top 10 Results

Pos Rider R1 R2 R3 Total
1 Jackson Richardson 1 1 1 3
2 Kaleb Barham 2 4 2 8
3 Noah Ferguson 3 5 3 11
4 jai walker 5 3 4 12
5 Jesse Madden 4 8 7 19
6 Lochie Latimer 6 6 11 23
7 Connor Tierney 16 2 6 24
8 Luke Zielinski 9 11 8 28
9 Blake Cobbin 10 10 9 29
10 Ricky Latimer 7 7 16 30

Junior 85 – 150 Final Merged Top 5 Results

Pos Rider R1 R2 R3 Total
1 Liam Owens 2 2 2 6
2 Jyle Campbell 3 5 1 9
3 MR Wiremu 4 3 3 10
4 Jake Cannon 1 1 9 11
5 Jayden Binger 5 4 4 13

Junior Lites Final Merged Top 5 Results

Pos Rider R1 R2 R3 Total
1 Jack Mather 1 1 1 3
2 Cameron Steel 2 2 2 6
3 Kode Drew 3 3 3 9
4 Cody Kilpatrick 4 5 4 13
5 Kees Mortimer 7 4 5 16

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Jack Bell wins Champions Flat Track School Pro championship

Cranwell racer Jack Bell has won the Champions Flat Track School Pro championship with a 16-point advantage over Franco Bourne. National Superstock rider Tom Neave took the overall win on the day with an impressive performance taking four wins from the six races in the penultimate round of the championship at Glentham near Market Rasen.

Jack Bell rode well to take a couple of wins and finish the day in second place. There was a good entry with many British Superbike riders taking part, including the two Honda Racing riders Glenn and Andrew Irwin.

Tom Laycock Tom Neave Jack Bell on podium

Tom Laycock Tom Neave Jack Bell on podium

Tom Laycock, Tom Neave and Jack Bell on the podium

The next and final round of the championship is on March 28.

Overall Results

  1. Tom Neave
  2. Jack Bell
  3. Tom Laycock
  4. Andy Irwin
  5. Taylor Mackenzie
  6. Steve Gurnhill
  7. Glenn Irwin
  8. Mikey Taylor

Championship Points

  1. Jack Bell 77
  2. Franco Bourne 61
  3. Steve Gurnhill 53
  4. Tom Neave 40
  5. Kier Armstrong 33
  6. Tom Laycock 32

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2020 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations scoring changes

There will be no more drawn heats in the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations after changes to the World Championship pairs competition were confirmed for 2020 onwards. Riders will now be awarded four points for winning a heat, with three points for second place, two for third and no points for last place, being disqualified or failing to complete the race.

As a result, if a team finishes second and third in a race, they will win the heat 5-4, rewarding the countries that produce the best team performance and avoids last places.

The changes mean that if a country claims second and third spot in the Grand Final, they will be crowned world champions, even if one of their rivals won the heat – ensuring there will be no need for a title-deciding run-off.

Steven Gould, vice president and managing director of BSI Speedway at IMG Events, hopes the changes will offer greater clarity for everyone following the action.

Steven Gould

“The Monster Energy SON is a competition where team riding is vital and to reward this, we have changed the scoring system to ensure the countries that perform best as a pair come out on top. With no drawn heats, it will be much easier for fans to work out which country wins a race, finishes highest on countback in the event of a tie on overall points and ultimately claims the world title. We’re looking forward to some fantastic racing as the Monster Energy SON gets started with the Semi-Finals in Landshut on April 25 and Daugavpils on May 2, before the competition culminates with a thrilling final at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium on May 8 and 9.”

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations scoring changes

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations scoring changes

2020 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations scoring changes announced

The top two countries in each Semi-Final – formerly known as Race Offs – will still automatically reach the Final. But there will only be one Final Qualifier heat at the end of the initial 21 heats, with the teams in third and fourth place on the overall scorechart battling it out for the last spot available in the Final.

After 42 heats have been completed in the Final, there will still be a Grand Final Qualifier between the sides ranked second and third on the score-chart.

The winning team in this race meets the nation ranked first on the scorechart in the Grand Final, with the team scoring the most points in that race crowned world champions.

Countries will be required to declare a squad of up to three senior riders and two under-21s three weeks before the opening round in Landshut, with countries nominating their starting line-up of two seniors and one under-21 six days before their respective meetings.

FIM president Jorge Viegas has welcomed these changes.

Jorge Viegas

“These improvements to the scoring system will make the competition even more intense and encourage team riding which this format is designed to provide. Spectators at the tracks as well as television viewers should see more tactical riding and will be able to follow the progress of teams more easily as the championship progresses. The FIM sees this as a positive move as the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations continues to be a major event in the track racing calendar.”

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Andrew Short & Ross Branch to Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

The Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team have announce a strengthened rider line-up for the 2020 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, as Andrew Short and Ross Branch join the squad. Both racers showed impressive pace at this year’s Dakar Rally and look set to become key members of the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team.

Andrew Short Ross Branch Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

Andrew Short Ross Branch Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

Andrew Short & Ross Branch join Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team for 2020

Andrew Short is one of the world’s most versatile and successful off-road motorcycle racers. A hugely experienced US supercross and motocross competitor, with close to 40 career podium results to his credit, he was also a winning member of the USA’s 2010 Motocross of Nations team.

Calling time on his 16-year supercross and motocross career, the Texas native switched to cross-country rally racing at the end of 2017. Competing in his first Dakar Rally in 2018, Andrew has since completed three Dakars, placed as runner-up in the 2019 Silk Way Rally and won the 2019 Rally du Maroc.

Andrew Short

“I am really excited to be joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team ahead of the 2020 FIM Rally World Championship. I’m looking forward to working with a new group of people and a brand that has enjoyed a lot of success in rally in the past. I know everyone in the team will be pushing me to improve and get better results. My main goal is Dakar 2021, but between now and then we hope to get a lot of racing and preparation work done, and I can’t wait to get it all started.”

Ross Branch was one of the stand-out performers at the 2020 Dakar Rally. Quickly adjusting to the unpredictable Saudi Arabian terrain, the 33-year-old from Botswana won the event’s second stage, going on to challenge for further wins and take four more top-10 stage results, despite carrying an injury throughout the event.

Competing in his first Dakar Rally in 2019, Ross completed the South American event in 13th overall in the motorcycle class and as the event’s highest-finishing Rookie competitor. He also finished as runner-up in the Merzouga Rally and eighth in the Rally du Maroc in 2019.

Ross Branch

“Joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team is a dream come true for me. To become a part of an official factory rally team is what I have been working hard to achieve over the last few years. The opportunity to work with a team that is focused on both Dakar and the rally world championship is amazing for me. I want to improve as a racer and believe that I have the speed to get improved results. Winning a stage at Dakar this year was a huge boost for my confidence, now I have the support of Monster Energy Yamaha I’m excited to see what I can achieve.”

Short and Branch were set to make their competitive debut for the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. However, with the opening event of the 2020 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship postponed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, the new target is Rally Kazakhstan, which runs from 24-29 May.

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Connor Tierney & Brodie Ellis join SB Motorsports ECSTAR Suzuki

SB Motorsports ECSTAR Suzuki team returns for the 2020 Australian motocross and supercross series’ with a new rider line-up. Connor Tierney and Brodie Ellis will contest the MX1 and MX2 championships respectively on board Suzuki RM-Z machinery with the support of Byrners Suzuki in Victoria and Cycleworld in Tasmania.

Brodie Ellis And Connor Tierney SB Motorsports Suzuki Team Photoshoot Marc Jones Photography

Brodie Ellis And Connor Tierney SB Motorsports Suzuki Team Photoshoot Marc Jones Photography

Brodie Ellis, and Connor Tierney – Image by Marc Jones Photography

Originally from Western Australia, 21-year-old Connor Tierney will transition to the RM-Z450 and will be looking to establish himself as a premier class title contender after a series of strong top-10 finishes and a supercross race win last year.

Connor Tierney

“It’s great to be a part of the SB Motorsports ECSTAR Suzuki team. It’s been a really smooth transition to the RM-Z450, I feel like the bike’s handling really compliments my riding style well. We’ve been working hard with the team and Steve from SPMX to get everything dialled in for me. I’m healthy, feeling fit and can’t wait to head to Horsham.”

Connor Tierney Sb Suzuki Team Photoshoot Marc Jones Photography

Connor Tierney Sb Suzuki Team Photoshoot Marc Jones Photography

Connor Tierney – Image by Marc Jones Photography

19-year-old Tasmanian Brodie Ellis will make his senior debut graduating from MXD to MX2 competing on board the Suzuki RM-Z250.

Brodie Ellis

“I’m excited to step up to MX2 this year with the support from SB Motorsports ECSTAR Suzuki team and Cycleworld Suzuki. The bike and team have both been awesome so far, I’m really looking forward to round 1 and getting the season started.”

Brodie Ellis Sb Suzuki Team Photoshoot Marc Jones Photography

Brodie Ellis Sb Suzuki Team Photoshoot Marc Jones Photography

Brodie Ellis – Image by Marc Jones Photography

SB Motorsports ECSTAR Suzuki will make their 2020 racing debut at Horsham, Victoria in April 4th and 5th for the first two rounds of the MX Nationals championship.


Luciano Benavides joins Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Husqvarna Motorcycles have announced the signing of 24-year-old Argentinian Luciano Benavides, who will compete for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing starting with the upcoming Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the opening round of the 2020 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.

Over recent seasons Luciano has established himself as one of the most promising young rally racers, claiming the 2019 FIM Junior Cross-Country Rallies World Championship title. A rider that is still very much learning and improving, Luciano already has two top-10 Dakar Rally finishes to his credit. In 2019 he placed eighth before then finishing in an impressive sixth position in 2020, as the event moved to Saudi Arabia for the first time ever.

LUCIANO BENAVIDES JOINS ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING TEAM

LUCIANO BENAVIDES JOINS ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING TEAM

Luciano Benavides

Joining Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory team in time for round one of the 2020 World Championship, Luciano will partner long-standing team member and former World Champion Pablo Quintanilla. Under contract with the team until the end of 2022, Benavides will contest the 2020, 2021 and 2022 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship as well as the Dakar Rally through to and including the 2022 event.

Pela Renet – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Rally Team Manager

“We are very pleased to have Luciano joining our team. Over the last two seasons he has improved considerably and as well as being the reigning FIM Junior Cross-Country Rallies World Champion he is also now among the very best rally racers. Luciano has a wise and friendly head on his shoulders and is extremely motivated. Over the last two years he has improved at the Dakar, and we hope that together with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Rally team he will continue to learn and grow as an athlete.”

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2020 X-Trial Australia Championship cancelled

The organisers of the X Trial Australian Championship have confirmed the 2020 event will not go ahead. The decision was made in response to ongoing concerns relating to the global COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic and in order to protect the health and safety of spectators, riders and officials.

Australian X Trial Championship Wollongong

Australian X Trial Championship Wollongong

2019 Australian X-Trial Championship – Wollongong

Event manager Simon Price confirmed all proposed rounds, in Wollongong, Melbourne and Perth, had been cancelled this year, however preparations had already begun on planning the event’s return in 2021. He said the decision was a hard one to make, but the right one.

Simon Price – Event Manager

“We have taken advice from Government, Motorcycling Australia, and industry, and considered many factors in making this decision, including the effect on our riders’ sporting careers, as well as the important health concerns. But ultimately it is our responsibility to protect our riders, officials and our fans and the many people involved with putting on our spectacular event. Now it is more important than ever to support your local clubs, competitions and their sponsors by engaging with them on social media and purchasing merchandise online. X-Trial may not be happening in the flesh this year, but we will be more active than ever on our social media channels sharing awesome videos, tips and all sorts of great content to keep you pumped for a huge return to the arena next year.”

Mr Price urged fans to continue to support Trials and other sports even if they cannot physically attend competitions.


Motorcycling Australia update on motorcycle events

In response to the ongoing developments and global health concerns in relation to COVID-19 (commonly known as Coronavirus) including governmental imposed restrictions recently on travel and mass gatherings, Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised its members, State Controlling Bodies (SCB) and Key stakeholders on the status of MA permitted events initially scheduled between 16th March and 1st June.

MA is moving to implement the guidelines, requirements and regulations as defined by the various National and State Governments. Some MA permitted events may be able to continue without spectators or where they involve fewer than the recommendation number of people for mass gatherings, while with other events this will not be possible without a significant financial impact on the clubs or promoters. In this case MA has stated it supports postponement and/or cancellation as needed.

MA also advised that it is in continual contact with FIM and FIM Oceania with respect to the status of FIM sanctioned International events. The postponement of FIM championships may result in further impact with upcoming FIM events and riders are advised to follow these developments of www.fim-live.com

MA has reminded its members and licence holders that for updates and further information in regard to State Championship and Club events, please contact the local State Controlling Bodies (SCB) in that area.

The table below indicates the status of MA permitted events as of 16th March 2020.

Motorcycling Australia Event Status

Motorcycling Australia Event Status

2020 Motorcycling Australia Events status as of March 16


Steele Creek GNCC postponed as facility closes

Due to COVID-19 concerns, Steele Creek Park in Morganton, NC, has notified GNCC Officials that is has closed the facility to large gatherings. Accordingly, the Steele Creek GNCC previously scheduled for April 4/5 in Morganton, NC, has been postponed. Riders pre-entered for the event will have their entries transferred to the next GNCC, unless they request a refund by emailing [email protected]. Rescheduling details will be announced in the near future.

GNCC Racing has continued to urge the sick and the vulnerable (the elderly and those with underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems) to avoid large events and public gatherings, including GNCC events. GNCC Racing will comply with restrictions imposed by federal, state and local authorities, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC) and the World Health Organization (“WHO”) regarding this matter.

GNCC Racing has further affirmed that the health, safety and welfare of their riders, teams and fans remains paramount, and will keep the race community apprised of all further developments.

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AFT postpones Atlanta Short Track & Charlotte Half-Mile

Due to the ongoing unprecedented situation regarding COVID-19 and expanding restrictions on domestic and international travel, and in accordance with national, state and local governments prohibiting large group gatherings, American Flat Track has postponed the March 28 Atlanta Short Track and April 4 Charlotte Half-Mile events until further notice.AFT Twins Springfield Mile II Start FA

AFT Twins Springfield Mile II Start FA

The health and safety of those involved was stated as the top priority, and the reason that the AFT will continue to assess the situation ahead of the remaining events within the CDC’s recommended eight-week window of caution.

Ticket sales for the May 2 Texas Half-Mile and May 9 So-Cal Half-Mile have been postponed until further notice. As more information is available within the coming weeks, specific announcements regarding those two events will follow.

Advance ticket holders are offered equivalent admission for any other AFT Events race occurring within the next 18 calendar months. Contact [email protected] for inquiries and requests.


2020 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge postponed

As a result of global developments regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the United Arab Emirates Motorcycle Club (UAEMC) and the Rally organizers have taken the decision to postpone the 2020 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge originally scheduled to take place on 20-26 March.

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge postponed

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge postponed

2020 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge postponed

Emirates Motorsports Organization and rally organizers have been in permanent contact with the government authorities in the UAE and were following all precautionary measures to protect the motor sport community and the wider public.

All parties are currently evaluating if it will be possible to re-schedule the events later this season. Further updates will be issued in due course.

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2020 Manjimup 15,000 Motocross postponed

The Manjimup 15,000 Motocross has released the following statement, with the event postponed at this point in time, with further information to be announced as available.

“We do not wish to cancel this event so we will call it postponed at this point in time. Legislation has just been passed that events with the likelihood of over 500 involved will be considered illegal and those running them risk $25,000 fines and legal ramifications if someone infected decides to sue, therefore the Manjimup 15,000 is postponed until further notice. We will keep you updated when we have more information.”


2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held in SA

FIM Oceania has announced that  for the second year in a row, Oceania region speedway riders will battle it out in the 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship on January 30, 2021, at Gillman Speedway, South Australia.

Australian speedway superstar Jack Holder won the inaugural FIM Oceania Speedway Championship in 2019, and FIM Oceania hopes to build on the success of this event.

FIM Oceania are working closely with the FIM to forge a pathway for this region’s best speedway riders to compete in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix.

FIM Oceania will open nominations later this year for the 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held at the Gillman Speedway, South Australia, on January 30, 2021.

FIM Oceania Vice President, Peter Doyle, said this was another significant boost for the region.

Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania Vice President

“We are working closely with the FIM to ensure that we develop speedway further in the region as we have had a rich history of World Champion riders and want to ensure we can provide them with greater opportunities, as displayed with the recently held FIM Speedway Training Camp Down Under, in South Australia.”

FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held in SA

FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held in SA

2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held in South Australia

The highest placed Australian in the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship will gain automatic entry into the 2022 Australian Speedway Solo Championship.

Sam Redfern – Motorcycling Australia Track Events Manager

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Australia’s world class riders to gain a guaranteed, highly sort after spot, in the Australian Speedway Championships which has produced sensational racing in recent years as well as multiple World Champions.”


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2020 Championship Calendars

2020 AMA Motocross race schedule

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

2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar

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

2020 MXGP Calendar

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

2020 American Flat Track

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

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

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

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

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

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

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

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

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

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

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

2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

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

2020 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Calendar

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

2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West Calendar

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

2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship Calendar

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

2020 King of MX Calendar

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

2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

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

2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

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

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)

2021 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship

  • TBA – Qualifying Round – TBA, TBA
  • 3rd January – Round 1 – Gillman Speedway SA
  • 5th January – Round 2 – Olympic Park, Mildura VIC
  • 7th January – Round 3 – Diamond Park, Albury Wodonga VIC
  • 9th January – Round 4 – Loxford Park, Kurri Kurri NSW
  • 13th January – Round 5 – Mick Doohan Raceway, North Brisbane QLD

2021 Australian Speedway U21’s & U16’s Championship

  • 14th January – Practice / Qualifying 125cc Sidewinders SA
  • 15th January – Under 16’s – 125cc Individual Championship Sidewinders SA
  • 16th January – Under 21’s Championship Gillman Speedway SA
  • 16th January – Under 16’s 250cc Championship Gillman Speedway SA
  • 17th January – Under 16’s 125cc Teams Championship Sidewinders SA

2021 Australian Speedway Sidecar Championships

  • April 3rd – Practice and Qualifying Pinjar Park WA
  • April 4th – Junior & Senior Sidecar Championships Pinjar Park WA

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | AMA SX | MXN | UK MX | X-Trial | Trackmasters

Moto News Wrap for April 16, 2019 by Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
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The LATEST News

  • Another Kawasaki sweep at Denver AMA SX
  • Gibbs, Todd and Duffy win at Broadford MX Nationals
  • Jasikonis and Jacobi win in Holland
  • Searle and Mewse win in UK
  • Spain wins X-Trial of Nations
  • Barcia OUT!
  • 2019 A4DE cancelled
  • Team Australia sorted for 2019 WJMX
  • Brook and Koppe Shine at Trackmasters
  • Ultimate Motocross Coaching wins Australian Small Business Award
  • Entries open for 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship

Another Kawasaki sweep at Denver AMA SX

Denver was the 15th straight weekend of the AMA Supercross Championship and it was Eli Tomac who kept his slim 450SX championship hopes alive with a win over Cooper Webb. Meanwhile Adam Cianciarulo extended his narrow championship lead in the penultimate 250 West Coast main with a win over his closest rival Dylan Ferrandis.

AMA SX Rnd Denver Tomac Savatgy Webb Multiple JK SX Denver
Tomac, Savatgy, Webb – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

There were several extra challenges for the riders at Denver, the first being the freezing cold, in fact, the first practice session was cancelled because of the snow all over the circuit. Horse-power sucking altitude also caused issues as the riders stretched their way over some of the trickier jump combinations, and finally the cold soil became hard and slippery leaving the riders fighting for traction on what ended up being a relatively one-lined layout.

450SX Report

Marvin Musquin grabbed the holeshot over Joey Savatgy, Ryan Breece, Justin Bogle, Webb, Tomac and Zach Osborne and as Breece dropped outside the top ten, Tomac was storming forward to pass Webb, Bogle, Savatgy and finally Musquin to take the lead by the end of lap four.

AMA SX Rnd Denver Bogle Starts JK SX Denver Cover
Justin Bogle – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

All eyes were on Webb who looked patient in fifth but steadily, and I mean steadily, the championship leader moved by Bogle and Savatgy to take the final podium position but Cooper was not done and methodically closed in to pass teammate Musquin for second and that is where they all stayed to the line with Tomac taking the win from Webb, Musquin, Bogle and Savatgy.

AMA SX Rnd Denver Savatgy Webb Tomac Multiple JK SX Denver
Joey Savatgy – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

Behind the front runners we saw Blake Baggett, Ken Roczen, Osborne, Josh Grant and Justin Hill rounding out the top ten while Cole Seely and Dean Wilson were both involved in separate crashes that ended with neither rider crossing the finish line.

AMA SX Rnd Denver Roczen Osborne Multiple JK SX Denver
Ken Roczen, Zach Osborne – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

With just the East Rutherford and Las Vegas rounds remaining, Webb holds an 18-point lead over Tomac while Musquin sits a further 5 points back.

Eli Tomac

“That was the loudest race I have ever been in with the crowd noise, it was so much fun, gosh, it wouldn’t be Denver without some snow, we even rode in hail on Wednesday, but what a cool day for us, luckily the track stayed good so overall a pretty good weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Denver Tomac JK SX Denver
Eli Tomac – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb

“We were hitting first gear in a couple of places (because of the horsepower loss) and then when it started snowing you almost had to laugh it off, in the end the track was dry and slick, you had to have good throttle control but overall the crowd was really into it which was cool and there was some good racing so it was a good weekend for me.”

AMA SX Rnd Denver Webb JK SX Denver
Cooper Webb – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin

“Coming into this weekend we knew it was going to be tough on the bikes (horsepower wise), the track was super slick but I did my best, I am glad I got a good start and had a better feeling in the main to land on the podium.”

AMA SX Rnd Denver Musquin Savatgy Multiple JK SX Denver
Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Main Event Results

  1. Eli Tomac
  2. Cooper Webb
  3. Marvin Musquin
  4. Justin Bogle
  5. Joey Savatgy
  6. Blake Baggett
  7. Ken Roczen
  8. Zach Osborne
  9. Joshua Grant
  10. Justin Hill
    …19. Cole Seely
    …20. Dean Wilson
AMA SX Rnd Denver Tomac Webb Musquin Podium JK SX Denver
450SX Podium – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

 450SX Points after 15 of 17 Rounds

  1. Cooper Webb – 332
  2. Eli Tomac – 314
  3. Marvin Musquin – 309
  4. Ken Roczen – 283
  5. Blake Baggett – 255
  6. Dean Wilson – 223
  7. Joey Savatgy – 192
  8. Cole Seely – 180
  9. Justin Bogle – 157
  10. Justin Barcia – 154
  11. Chad Reed – 151

250 West Coast Report

Rookie Michael Mosiman earned the holeshot from Cianciarulo, Gareth Marchbanks, Jimmy Decotis, RJ Hampshire and Dylan Ferrandis so the expectation was that Cianciarulo would move to the lead and check out. But Mosiman was enjoying his time at the front to keep the championship leader at bay for a full six laps.

AMA SX Rnd Denver Decotis McAdoo Starts JK SX Denver
AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Start – Image by Hoppenworld

Just as Cianciarulo moved into the lead, Ferrandis slotted into third with a move on Decotis and it wasn’t long before both Ferrandis and is teammate Colt Nichols sliced by Mosiman for second and third.

AMA SX Rnd Denver Ferrandis JK SX Denver
Dylan Ferrandis – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

That was where the main players remained to the flag with Cianciarulo taking maximum points over Ferrandis, Nichols, Hampshire, Mosiman and Cameron McAdoo.

AMA SX Rnd Denver Mosiman Starts JK SX Denver
Michael Mosiman – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

Cianciarulo takes an eight-point lead over Ferrandis as they head to Vegas for the East/West Shootout in two weeks’ time so nothing is in stone as far as this championship goes.

Adam Cianciarulo

“I, like most was struggling with the lack of horsepower and the dirt got really hard and slick but luckily I had a good night, I felt pretty good in those conditions, I can’t say enough about the crowd, they were unreal so a shout out to those guys.”

AMA SX Rnd Denver Cianciarulo Mosiman Multiple JK SX Denver
Adam Cianciarulo & Michael Mosiman – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Dylan Ferrandis

“It wasn’t a great weekend, the temperature made it not so much fun to ride for me in particular, I struggled to get warm, I know it is the same for everyone but for me it was difficult so to be second is good.”

AMA SX Rnd Denver Ferrandis Nichols Podium JK SX Denver
Dylan Ferrandis & Colt Nichols – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Colt Nichols

“It was definitely different with the snow during practice but the track was pretty simple but became technical with the way the soil was so you had to be on your toes, overall we are happy, third is good, we needed to start a little better but all good.”

AMA SX Rnd Denver Nichols Starts JK SX Denver
Colt Nichols – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

250 West Coast Main Event Results

  1. Adam Cianciarulo
  2. Dylan Ferrandis
  3. Colt Nichols
  4. RJ Hampshire
  5. Michael Mosiman
  6. Cameron McAdoo
  7. James Decotis
  8. Justin Starling
  9. Dylan Merriam
  10. Enzo Lopes
AMA SX Rnd Denver Cianciarulo Ferrandis Nichols Podium JK SX Denver
250SX West Podium – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld

250 West Coast Points after 9 of 10 Rounds

  1. Adam Cianciarulo – 208
  2. Dylan Ferrandis – 200
  3. Colt Nichols – 163
  4. RJ Hampshire – 145
  5. James Decotis – 128
  6. Michael Mosiman – 128
  7. Cameron McAdoo – 128
  8. Shane McElrath – 123
  9. Chris Blose – 119
  10. Garrett Marchbanks – 100

250 East Coast Points after 7 of 9 Rounds

  1. Austin Forkner – 151
  2. Chase Sexton – 148
  3. Justin Cooper – 144
  4. Martin Davalos – 115
  5. Mitchell Oldenburg – 105
  6. Alex Martin – 105
  7. Brandon Hartranft – 100
  8. Kyle Peters – 98
  9. Kyle Cunningham – 97
  10. Jordon Bailey – 76
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Gibbs, Todd and Duffy Win at Broadford MX Nationals

Victoria’s Broadford circuit hosted the third round of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals and after a hard days racing on a technically demanding layout Kirk Gibbs, Wilson Todd and Regan Duffy came away with the overall victories in the MX1, MX2 and MXD classes respectively.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Todd Waters
Todd Waters – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

The Broadford motocross track always has been and always will be a hard packed, rock infested layout which demands huge amounts of watering to keep the dust down.

This translates into everything from deep boggy ruts in patches of the track coupled with slippery blue groove, square edged acceleration and braking bumps as well as loose powdery berms on the outside of some corners but all up it is a test of man and machine which is what motocross is all about.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Rowe
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

THOR MX1 Report

The MX1 class riders were faced with two back-to-back 8 lap motos which when the points were tallied accounted for one moto result with the third 17 lap moto being the second points paying moto.

R Broadford MX Nationals MX
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Todd Waters led all eight laps of the first moto with fellow Husqvarna rider Daniel Sanders of enduro racing fame convincingly holding down second place for the first four laps before Gibbs got past to claim second.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Kirk Gibbs
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Sanders finished a solid third ahead of Hayden Mellross, Luke Clout and Jesse Dobson who was once again fastest privateer with sixth. Interestingly, another enduro ace in Daniel Milner earned ninth place ahead of Brett Metcalfe.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Daniel Sanders
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Moto two saw Mellross take the holeshot with Sanders in second once again, this time ahead of Waters, Lawson Bopping, Gibbs and Clout but it wasn’t long before Water got around Sanders and Mellross for first.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Hayden Mellross
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Clout and Sanders then went toe to toe before Sanders got crossed up on the face of the triple at the top of the hill and came off second best with a huge crash.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Luke Clout
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

This left Clout and Gibbs to battle over the final podium spot but Gibbs sliced by his CDR teammate before mowing down Mellross for second place with a lap to go. Waters took the win from Gibbs, Mellross, Clout and Dobson while Milner ended the race in seventh. On a very bent bike Sanders was forced to retire from the race.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Jesse Dobson
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

MX1 – Raceline Superpole

  1. Todd Waters – 1:30.125
  2. Hayden Mellross – 1:30.630
  3. Kirk Gibbs – 1:31.643
  4. Jesse Dobson – 1:31.686
  5. Justin Rodbell – 1:32.106

MX1 – Moto 1 – Race Time: 14:35.210

  1. Todd Waters
  2. Kirk Gibbs
  3. Daniel Sanders
  4. Hayden Mellross
  5. Luke Clout
  6. Jesse Dobson
  7. Justin Rodbell
  8. Erki Kahro
  9. Daniel Milner
  10. Brett Metcalfe

MX1 – Moto 2 – Race Time: 14:40.220

  1. Todd Waters
  2. Kirk Gibbs
  3. Hayden Mellross
  4. Luke Clout
  5. Jesse Dobson
  6. Justin Rodbell
  7. Daniel Milner
  8. Richie Evans
  9. Ryan Shadbolt
  10. Erki Kahro

MX1 – Moto 1 and 2 Combined

  1. Todd Waters
  2. Kirk Gibbs
  3. Hayden Mellross
  4. Luke Clout
  5. Jesse Dobson
  6. Justin Rodbell
  7. Daniel Milner
  8. Erki Kahro
  9. Richie Evans
  10. Jayden Rykers

In the third moto Richie Evans led the first of the 17 laps with a solid holeshot over Sanders, Mellross, Waters, Gibbs and Clout.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Richie Evans
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

After the dust settled (literally) it was Mellross over Bopping, Waters, Gibbs and Clout while the gutsy Sanders, feeling the effects of the earlier crash as well as racing Enduro-X during the lunch break dropped back to sixth.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Bopping
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Bopping soon dropped out of the front running leaving a fast freight train of Mellross, Gibbs, Waters and Clout trading fastest lap times. With three laps to go Gibbs needed to pass Mellross for the round win and just when it looked like Mellross had everything in hand the KTM rider crashed on one of the downhill sections with a lap to go.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Hayden Mellross
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

This allowed Gibbs into the lead and he went on to take the race win over Waters, Clout, Mellross, Dobson and Sanders while Milner bounced back from a poor start to finish 12th.

Gibbs took his first round win for the year over Waters and Clout while Mellross keeps the red plate for another round as he leads the championship by five-points over Gibbs, seven-points over Clout and nine-points over Waters.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Todd Waters
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Kirk Gibbs

“The weekend was much better for me and it’s nice to finally get a win under my belt for the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team. It was also good to have a dry round and actually get a gauge of how things are progressing and what our strengths and weaknesses are as the first two rounds were extremely wet and difficult to get a handle on the opposition as well as our own riding. But, really pleased to get the win and get my season back on track. The team did a great job again today and my bike was working well on a pretty technical race track. We now have a couple of weeks off before Murray Bridge so lots of riding and training still to be done and lots of laps still left in this championship.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Kirk Gibbs
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Luke Clout

“I felt pretty good all day and the track was good to ride but I was probably just a bit off in my starts. With the track watered heavily and multiple ruts around every corner, it was difficult to move forward at times so getting a good start and being up the front early was the key here. Everything else was good and its always nice to be on the podium and be right in contention for the championship. It’s a long haul, especially with these back to back races so it’s important to keep logging good results in every race and be there at the end of round 10.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Luke Clout
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Australia’s two best enduro riders were far from outclassed by our best motocross riders with Milner ending the day in ninth overall. That was one place ahead of the hard charging Sanders despite not finishing the second moto and let’s not forget, both of these riders did three 10-minute EnduroX races during the lunch break while the rest of the MX1 riders were resting in the pits.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Daniel Milner
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

MX1 – Moto 3 – Race Time: 27:33.009

  1. Kirk Gibbs
  2. Todd Waters
  3. Luke Clout
  4. Hayden Mellross
  5. Jesse Dobson
  6. Daniel Sanders
  7. Erki Kahro
  8. Jayden Rykers
  9. Justin Rodbell
  10. Brett Metcalfe
  11. Daniel Milner

MX1 – Round 3 Overall

  1. Kirk Gibbs – 67
  2. Todd Waters – 67
  3. Luke Clout – 58
  4. Hayden Mellross – 58
  5. Jesse Dobson – 52
  6. Erki Kahro – 47
  7. Justin Rodbell – 47
  8. Jayden Rykers – 44
  9. Daniel Milner – 43
  10. Daniel Sanders – 40

MX1 – Championship Standings After Round 3

  1. Hayden Mellross – 152
  2. Luke Clout – 147
  3. Kirk Gibbs – 145
  4. Todd Waters – 143
  5. Jesse Dobson – 121
  6. Justin Rodbell – 110
  7. Erki Kahro – 107
  8. Jayden Rykers – 102
  9. Brett Metcalfe – 97
  10. Charlie Creech – 94
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Pirelli MX2 Report

Wilson Todd scored the opening moto holeshot and the eventual win but it was only by a few meters after a late moto charge by Kyle Webster with Nathan in tow throughout the last couple of laps making for the by far most exciting MX2 race this season.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Wilson Todd
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Moto two was less exciting with Todd blitzing his way through the first corner to earn another holeshot. This time the DPH Husqvarna pilot cleared out from the fast-starting duo of Isaac Ferguson and Cooper Pozniak while Crawford was way down in 18th place.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Kyle Webster
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Webster was once again in good flow around the rough and technical layout and soon broke free from Ferguson, Riley Dukes, Aaron Tanti and Jay Wilson. As the race wore on Wilson also found some lines to make his way to third place before make a late charge at second placed Webster.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Aaron Tanti
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

As Todd was cruising his way to another win, Jay Wilson had worked his way up to the back of Webster and was looking to take second place but ultimately fell a few seconds short and had to settle for third, ahead of Tanti, Dukes, Dylan Wills and Crawford.

Todd once again scored maximum points for the round to extend his lead in the championship to 28 over Wilson with Tanti, Webster and Crawford rounding out the top five in the championship chase.

Kyle Webster

“I was definitely under the weather on Friday but thankfully that cleared by race day and it turned out to be a solid weekend. The first moto was good, right away I was able to make a bunch of passes and got myself up into second behind Wilson Todd and in the closing stages of the race I made a charge at Wilson, but just couldn’t get him. Then in the second moto I got an okay start but Wilson got away from me a bit, and we just stayed the same gap through the rest of the race and I finished second, with a 2-2 score giving me second overall on the day.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Kyle Webster
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Jay Wilson

“Today was the best I have felt on the bike in motocross so far this year. The first race I was covered in mud and just did what I had to do to get back to fifth as the first four were long gone but in the second moto I really began to gel with the bike and attack the track. I felt awesome and just wished it was the 30 minute race and not the 20. So, happy with today and happy to come out with some good points. It wasn’t looking real good after Wonthaggi but thanks to the RACESAFE team we were able get on track and keep the championship alive.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Jay Wilson Jay Wilson
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Aaron Tanti

“A lot of good to come from today but also a few things I need to improve on to get some round wins. My starts were good, and I had excellent track position in both races but just didn’t keep pace later in the race, so that’s something we will need to look at. But the racing is tight in the MX2 class and I was never further than 10 seconds out of the lead all day but didn’t make the podium. No one can afford to take their foot off the peddle at the moment as there are five guys who ride at a similar pace and the intensity is there all the way to the end. I’m now third in the championship after three rounds which considering a couple of races I have had, isn’t too bad but there is always room for improvement.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Aaron Tanti
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Nathan Crawford

“It feels good to finally be back in the battle again. It’s been a long eight months off the bike and I have worked so hard to get, not just my fitness and speed back, but also my health in general. My one was awesome and just after half way I felt things begin to come easier for me, like a little barrier was broken. I was able to ride my turns better, flow on the track better and ride with some speed. While I didn’t win it, it was a little victory to me as I come back. Race two and I did all I could to salvage the best result I could. First turn crashes are tough as the whole field goes past and it’s a long way back but I fought hard and feel like things are on the right track. The weekend gives me more motivation to keep working hard.”

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Nathan Crawford
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Pirelli MX2 Results

MX2 – Moto 1 – Race Time: 28:11.686

  1. Wilson Todd
  2. Kyle Webster
  3. Nathan Crawford
  4. Aaron Tanti
  5. Jay Wilson
  6. Dylan Wills
  7. Jye Dickson
  8. Bailey Malkiewicz
  9. Ricky Latimer
  10. Joel Evans

MX2 – Moto 2 – Race Time: 18:32.870

  1. Wilson Todd
  2. Kyle Webster
  3. Jay Wilson
  4. Aaron Tanti
  5. Riley Dukes
  6. Dylan Wills
  7. Nathan Crawford
  8. Isaac Ferguson
  9. Cooper Pozniak
  10. Bailey Malkiewicz
R Broadford MX Nationals M Wilson Todd
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

MX2 – Round 3 Overall

  1. Wilson Todd – 70
  2. Kyle Webster – 64
  3. Jay Wilson – 56
  4. Aaron Tanti – 56
  5. Nathan Crawford – 54
  6. Dylan Wills – 50
  7. Bailey Malkiewicz – 44
  8. Jye Dickson – 43
  9. Riley Dukes – 42
  10. Ricky Latimer – 42

MX2 – Championship Standings After Round 3

  1. Wilson Todd – 170
  2. Jay Wilson – 142
  3. Aaron Tanti – 133
  4. Kyle Webster – 126
  5. Nathan Crawford – 122
  6. Cooper Pozniak – 115
  7. Dylan Wills – 113
  8. Jye Dickson – 107
  9. Riley Dukes – 103
  10. Issac Ferguson – 93
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Motul MXD Report

Rhys Budd led the early running in the first moto ahead of Max Purvis, Regan Duffy, Jack Kukis and Mason Semmens. The pace was hot in the early going but after just over 18 minutes of racing it was Kiwi Purvis who got the win from Budd, Semmens and Duffy.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Rhys Budd
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Duffy scored the holeshot in the second moto but he had to contend with the determined duo of Budd and Semmens in the early laps. He eventually broke away while first moto winner Purvis was making his way through the pack after a poor start.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Regan Duffy
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Duffy got the win ahead of Semmens and Budd who rode unchallenged to second and third while Purvis was only able to make it back to sixth by race end. Duffy’s 4-1 moto results was good enough for the round overall while Semmens and Budd tied on points for second and third, with Semmens getting the nod for second on account of his better second moto result.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Mason Semmens
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Duffy now has a five-point lead over Budd who in turn has a 12-point gap back to Purvis.

Rhys Budd

“P1 in Qualifying is always a great start to the day! I then made a good start in the first moto and made my way into the lead on lap one and held the lead until two laps to go and eventually finished second just 4.6 seconds behind Maximus Purvis (Yamaha). I made another great start in race two and made my way into the lead early but unfortunately I didn’t have the pace to hold it, as the track was pretty brutal by the end of the day. So I was happy to eventually finish third behind Regan Duffy and Mason Semmens and take third overall for the round with 2-3 placings.”

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Rhys Budd
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Motul MXD Results

MXD – Moto 1 – Race Time: 18:15.696

  1. Maximus Purvis
  2. Rhys Budd
  3. Mason Semmens
  4. Regan Duffy
  5. Jayce Cosford
  6. Noah Ferguson
  7. Brodie Ellis
  8. Jack Kukas
  9. Liam Walsh
  10. Jai Walker

MXD – Moto 2 – Race Time: 18:39.787

  1. Regan Duffy
  2. Mason Semmens
  3. Rhys Budd
  4. Brodie Ellis
  5. Jack Kukas
  6. Maximus Purvis
  7. Liam Walsh
  8. Korey McMahon
  9. Jai Walker
  10. Mackenzie O’Bree
R Broadford MX Nationals MXD Podiums
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

MXD – Round 3 Overall

  1. Regan Duffy – 63
  2. Mason Semmens – 62
  3. Rhys Budd – 62
  4. Maximus Purvis – 60
  5. Brodie Ellis – 52
  6. Jack Kukas – 49
  7. Liam Walsh – 46
  8. Jayce Cosford – 45
  9. Jai Walker – 43
  10. Noah Ferguson – 42

MXD – Championship Standings After Round 3

  1. Regan Duffy – 157
  2. Rhys Budd – 152
  3. Maximus Purvis – 140
  4. Mason Semmens – 125
  5. Jack Kukas – 113
  6. Noah Ferguson – 111
  7. Brodie Ellis – 110
  8. Jayce Cosford – 99
  9. Mason Rowe – 98
  10. Liam Walsh – 98

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Report

The opening round of the Yamaha Rising Star Rookies was held at Broadford and it was Yamaha’s Levi Rogers who took both wins. Alex Larwood and Brad West rounded out the podium on 56 points but front runners Blake Hollis (2-dnf) and Blake Fox (4-dnf) will look for better results in future rounds.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Levi Rogers
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Overall and Championship Points

  1. Levi Rogers – 70
  2. Alex Larwood – 56
  3. Brad West – 56
  4. Joe O’Donnell – 50
  5. Benny Novak – 49
  6. Jake Kowal – 47
  7. Cameron Torpy – 46
  8. Brock Ninness – 44
  9. Ryan Alexanderson – 43
  10. Kipp Adams – 43
R Broadford MX Nationals RSR Podiums
Rising Star Rookies Podium – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

The championship now moves to Murray Bridge in South Australia for the first of the double round weekends in two weeks’ time.

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Jasikonis and Jacobi win in Holland

Despite each class being riddled with GP regulars Arminas Jasikonis and Henry Jacobi have won the MXGP and MX2 class respectively at the opening round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross which was held at Oss in Holland last weekend.

Jasikonis rode hard to score two wins to better Gautier Paulin and Max Anstie while Jacobi got the nod over Jago Geerts and Adam Sterry while Jed Beaton went 10-5 for sixth overall.

MXGP Moto 1

  1. Arminas Jasikonis
  2. Gautier Paulin
  3. Glenn Coldenhoff
  4. Max Anstie
  5. Pauls Jonass
  6. Brian Bogers
  7. Benoit Paturel
  8. Petar Petrov
  9. Lars Van Berkel
  10. Yentel Martens

MXGP Moto 2

  1. Arminas Jasikonis
  2. Gautier Paulin
  3. Max Anstie
  4. Brian Bogers
  5. Pauls Jonass
  6. Petar Petrov
  7. Lars van Berkel
  8. Yentel Martens
  9. Benoit Paturel
  10. Alfie Albers

MX2 Moto 1

  1. Henry Jacobi
  2. Ben Watson
  3. Tom Vialle
  4. Jago Geerts
  5. Adam Sterry
  6. Mike Kras
  7. Eric Leijtens
  8. Davey Pootjes
  9. Kade Walker
  10. Jed Beaton

MX2 Moto 2

  1. Henry Jacobi
  2. Jago Geerts
  3. Rohen vd Moosdijk
  4. Horgmo
  5. Jed Beaton
  6. Adam Sterry
  7. Kade Walker
  8. Dankers
  9. Freek vd Vlist
  10. Eric Conijn
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Searle and Mewse win in UK

The old-school sand circuit at Cadders Hill in Norfolk hosted the second round of the British Motocross Championship last weekend and it was Tommy Searle who came away with the MXGP class overall. Searle swapped moto wins with arch rival Shaun Simpson while Conrad Mewse won both of the MX2 motos.

Maxxis British Motocross Championship Rnd Norfolt Tommy Searle
Tommy Searle – Image www.mxgb.co.uk

Searle went 2-1 on the day to earn the overall ahead of Simpson’s 1-2 moto results with Harri Kullas scoring third with 5-3 finishes so in the championship chase Simpson has 94 points and Searle 92 points.

MXGP Overall

  1. Tommy Searle – 47
  2. Shaun Simpson – 47
  3. Harri Kullas – 36
  4. Lewis Tombs – 36
  5. Mel Pocock – 34
  6. Gert Krestinov – 29
  7. Ryan Houghton – 28
  8. Jake Millward – 28
  9. Brad Todd – 21
  10. Brad Anderson – 21

MXGP Championship Points

  1. Shaun Simpson – 94
  2. Tommy Searle – 92
  3. Lewis Tombs – 70
  4. Harri Kullas – 58
  5. Jake Millward – 57
  6. Ryan Houghton – 55
  7. Gert Krestinov – 53
  8. Mel Pocock – 52
  9. Brad Todd – 48
  10. Brad Anderson – 43

Conrad Mewse won the opening moto by 18 seconds over Josh Gilbert, Alvin Ostlund, Bas Vaessen and Martin Barr. The second moto saw Kiwi Dylan Walsh come home second ahead of Vaessen, Gilbert, Ostlund and Barr.

Mewse now has a 12-point lead over Vaessen who in turn has a nine-point lead over Ostlund.

MX2 Overall

  1. Conrad Mewse – 50
  2. Josh Gilbert – 40
  3. Bas Vaessen – 38
  4. Dylan Walsh – 36
  5. Alvin Ostlund – 36
  6. Martin Barr – 31

MX2 Championship Points

  1. Conrad Mewse – 97
  2. Bas Vaessen – 85
  3. Alvin Ostlund – 76
  4. Josh Gilbert – 70
  5. Dylan Walsh – 70
  6. Martin Barr – 64

Spain Wins X-Trial of Nations

Toni Bou and Jaime Busto set the record for the biggest margin of victory in the history of the FIM X-Trial of Nations as Spain continued its X-Trial of Nations domination at Vendéspace, France last weekend.

X Trial TDN Spain ps
Toni Bou – 2019 X-Trial of Nations

Behind the dominating Spanish duo the French pairing of Benoit Bincaz and Alexandre Ferrer earned second ahead of British youngsters Jack Price and Toby Martyn who performed superbly to take third for the second year in a row.

X Trial TDN Spain ps
Toni Bou – 2019 X-Trial of Nations

The Italian team of Luca Petrella and Matteo Grattarola finished fourth ahead of Norway’s Sondre Haga and Hakon Pedersen who had a pdium in their sights after the first round but struggled badly on their second lap to finish in fifth place.

Toni Bou

“It has been an extraordinary triumph because we had two superb rounds to start and the Final was more demanding. We endured the pressure of competing against France well, largely because we had an important points advantage starting the Final. Jaime rode to a great level and I think we have done a great job as a team.”

X Trial TDN Spain ps
Toni Bou – 2019 X-Trial of Nations
Jaime Busto

“Competing with Toni is always exceptional and it possibly makes you feel less pressure. I think we have ridden to a high standard right from the start and have not left anything to chance. The atmosphere and the spectators have been extraordinary and they really recognised our great performance.”

X Trial TDN Spain ps
Toni Bou and Jaime Busto – 2019 X-Trial of Nations

The FIM X-Trial World Championship season comes to an end at X-Trial Andorra la Vella on April 27th.

X Trial TDN Podium ps
2019 X-Trial of Nations podium

X-Trial des Nations 2019 Vendée Final Tally

  • Spain – Toni Bou (Montesa); Jaime Busto (Gas Gas) 12
  • France – Benoit Bincaz (Beta); Alex Ferrer (Sherco) 34
  • Great Britain – Jack Price (Gas Gas); Toby Martyn (Beta) 13
  • Italy – Matteo Grattarola (Honda); Luca Petrella (Beta) 16
  • Norway – Hakon Pedersen (Gas Gas); Sondre Haga (TRRS) 41
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Barcia OUT!

Yamaha’s Justin Barcia will sit out the remaining rounds of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship to spend the time needed to return to full fitness in time for the start of the AMA Motocross Championships which kicks off on May 18 at Hangtown.

Justin Barcia

“At this point it seems that the best thing to do is to let my body recover. I’m just going to keep on training, skip the last few Supercross races and let my body heal up. Thinking about that now, I probably should have done that a few weeks ago because I was injured already but I really wanted to be at the Supercross race with my team and fans, and put on a good showing. For right now, I’m going to regroup and be ready for the first Outdoor.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Pits Justin Barcia JK SX Glendale
Justin Barcia

2019 A4DE Cancelled

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised that government red tape has forced the cancellation of the 41st Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) which was set for Moruya, NSW in late April.

The Motorcycling New South Wales (MNSW) Enduro Committee and Far South Coast Motorcycle Club have confirmed that due to government approval delays surrounding the environment in which the event was to be held, the postponement of the event has officially been changed to cancellation.

The top Masters riders about to head off on Day 3
A4DE 2019 cancelled! 2020 event in the making – Image by Jeff Mawston

Ensuring that Moruya, NSW has the opportunity to host a National Enduro event, MA can confirm that 2020 will feature a two-day, two round Enduro format in Moruya for the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC).

This new two-day Enduro event will provide both club and competitor to experience a multi-day Enduro competition in preparation for the 2020 A4DE and FIM International Six Day Enduro (ISDE).

Following the same format as the A4DE and ISDE, this two-day two-round AORC event will feature a parc ferme, overnight lock-up, plus the opportunity for competitors who dropped out on day one to return for day two with a new, scrutineered bike.

Upholding Australia’s undisputed Enduro talent internationally, this new two-day AORC event will support in fostering the growth of Off-Road competitors across the nation.

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Team Australia Sorted for 2019 WJMX

Motorcycling Australia has officially announced the selected competitors chosen for Team Australia in the 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship (WJMX) which will be held in Moscow, Russia in July.

With over 20 nations expected to take part in the internationally renowned event, Team Australia will land in Russia with a large target on their back as the nation to beat this year!

MX Juniors Australian team
Australia’s 2018 WJMX team

2018 was the year of Australian domination in WJMX, with our own Bailey Malkiewicz taking out the WJMX 125cc Championship, Braden Plath taking out the WJMX 65cc World Cup and Australia being awarded the 2019 Team of Nations trophy!

The 2019 WJMX classes Team Australia riders have been selected for include:

FIM Junior 65cc Motocross World Cup – Age Restrictions-minimum 10 years of age and maximum 12 years of age:

  • Kayden Minear
  • Ky Woods

FIM Junior 85cc Motocross World Championship – Age Restrictions-minimum 12 years of age and maximum 14 years of age:

  • Cambell Williams
  • Ryder Kingsford

FIM Junior 125cc Motocross World Championship – Age Restrictions- minimum 13 years of age and maximum 17 years of age:

  • Alex Larwood
  • Blake Fox
Mark Willingham – Team Manager

“I’m looking forward to this year’s trip to Russia! We have a fantastic group of riders this year that brings a variety of experienced and first-timers to the table, as far as overseas trips go. This collection of riders are all products from our successful 2018 event in Horsham, so they understand what it takes to win but also how to work together as a team who represents their nation.”

MA thanked all applicants for their submissions during the application period and said all queries regarding team selection should be forwarded to Willingham, via [email protected]. You can get updated on all news and updates via the MA website, Facebook and Instagram.


Brook and Koppe Shine at Trackmasters

The Barleigh Ranch dirt track facility near Raymond Terrace (NSW) hosted the 30th annual Trackmasters event and despite several of the finals being cancelled due to rain, it was Jarred Brook and Damien Koppe who battled tooth and nail in the premier Pro-Open and Pro 450 classes while James Chapman won the Pro 250 class.

With most of the heats done and dusted a heavy downpour put pay to any chance of the Pro 250, Pro 450 and Pro Open class finals being run so it was the heat scores that the final results were declared on.

Trackmasters img ShereeGriffin
Trackmasters 2019 – Koppe (560) leading Vecchi (329) and Davies (65) – Image by Sheree Griffin

In the Pro 450 class Jarred Brook won all three of his heats so he edged out Damien Koppe who earned two wins and a loss to Brook with Connor Ryan coming home third. In the Pro Open class Brook and Koppe were declared joint winners after both were unbeaten in the heats, obviously not having met, with Jordan Dall taking third.

After a string of impressive performances on the oiled tracks, James Chapman was able to transfer that form to the Barleigh Ranch track to take the honours in the Pro 250 class ahead of Jake Farnsworth and Kye Andrews.

Briony Hendrickson continued her domination of the women’s class while Jim Jobling / Ben Gardner got the better of Kai Frame / Lync Frame in the Dirt Track Sidecars class.

Kevin Griffith took the overall victory in the ATVs before Anthony Farrell (Over 35s) and Jake Farnsworth (Pre 90s) won their respective classes.

Harrison Ryan added two more class wins to his record in the 13 to Under 16s ahead of Forbes rider Tom Drane who also cleaned up in the 2-stroke class, while his brother Sam earned two class victories as did Jayden Holder.

Other class winners were Luke Bush, Thomas Bullen, Anika Loftus, Lachlan Russell and Chayse Trappel.

Despite the rain, Hunter Motor Cycle Club President Keith Davies was well pleased with the weekend. With the track again widely praised by riders it augers well for the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship which will be held at the Barleigh Ranch track on the weekend of October 5-6.

PRO OPEN

  1. Jarred Brook (North Brisbane)
  2. Damien Koppe (Townsville)
  3. Jordan Dall (Gunnedah)

PRO 450

  1. Jarred Brook (North Brisbane)
  2. Damien Koppe (Townsville)
  3. Connor Ryan (Kurri Kurri)

PRO 250

  1. James Chapman (Kempsey)
  2. Jake Farnsworth (Hunter)
  3. Kye Andrews (Taree)

OVER 35s

  1. Anthony Farrell (Central Coast)
  2. Jason Griffin (Hunter)
  3. Peter Knight (Central Coast)

PRE 90s

  1. Jake Farnsworth (Hunter)
  2. Darren Saxon (Hunter)
  3. Angus Maslin (Forbes)

WOMENS PRO OPEN

  1. Briony Hendrickson (North Brisbane)
  2. Laura Saxon (Hunter)
  3. Shannon Fyfe (Tamworth)

DIRT TRACK SIDECAR

  1. Jim Jobling / Ben Gardner (Gunnedah)
  2. Lync Frame / Kai Frame (Cowra)

ATV OPEN

  1. Kevin Griffith (Hunter)
  2. Josh White (Hunter)
  3. Shay Walker (Hunter)

50cc Auto Div.2 7 – U/9

  1. Chayse Trappel (Kempsey)
  2. Bailey Carpenter (Central Coast)
  3. Jaxon Ekert(Maitland)

65cc 7 – U/9

  1. Sam Drane (Forbes)
  2. Brendan Eklund (Central Coast)
  3. Ruby James (Kurri Kurri)

65cc 9 – U/13

  1. Jayden Holder (Kempsey)
  2. Jordy Loftus ((North Brisbane)
  3. Lachlan Russell (Central Coast)

85cc 4-str Modified 7- U/10

  1. Sam Drane (Forbes)
  2. Jordy Loftus ((North Brisbane)
  3. Ruby James (Kurri Kurri)

85cc 4-str Modified 10- U/14

  1. Lachlan Russell (Central Coast)
  2. Varis Fleming (Harley, Vic)
  3. Cody Wilby (Taree)

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 9 – U/12

  1. Jayden Holder (Kempsey)
  2. Cody Wilby (Taree)
  3. Lachlan Russell (Central Coast)

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 12 – /16

  1. Thomas Bullen (Kurri Kurri)
  2. Lincoln Knight (Central Coast)
  3. Caleb Wilkes (Hunter)

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 11 – /16 Girls

  1. Anika Loftus (North Brisbane)
  2. Kirby Maslin (Forbes)

100-150 2-str 13 – U/16

  1. Tom Drane (Forbes)
  2. Luke Bush ((Kurri Kurri)
  3. Jarred Loveday (Kempsey)

200-250 4-str 13 – U/16

  1. Harrison Ryan (Kurri Kurri)
  2. Tom Drane (Forbes)
  3. Jayden Rogers (Kurri Kurri)

2str &  4str. 13 – U/16

  1. Harrison Ryan (Kurri Kurri)
  2. Tom Drane (Forbes)
  3. Jayden Rogers (Kurri Kurri)
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Ultimate Motocross Coaching wins Small Business Award

Ultimate Motocross Coaching from Alexandra Hills, Brisbane has been named ‘Champion Sport and Recreation’ at the Australian Small Business Champion Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony held on Saturday 6th April at The Star – Sydney, with over 1,100 guests in attendance.

Ultimate Motocross Coaching Jodie Herson and wife awards night
Ultimate Motocross Coaching awarded

The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is the only national recognition program for Australian small businesses and the program aims to recognise outstanding Australian small businesses and encourage high standards of excellence in small business practice.

Steve Loe – Managing Director of Precedent Productions

“The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is a way to recognise the efforts of small business people whose efforts contribute to the prosperity and vitality of communities across Australia. As a small business owner myself, I know the vision and dedication to excellence required to succeed. These traits have been displayed in abundance by all of our 2019 Small Business Champions.”

Small businesses from across Australia delivered an impressive array of entries, with winners representing a broad range of industries from all states and territories and Jodie Herson and his wife (pictured), of Ultimate Motocross Coaching received an award statuette, certificate and gained national recognition as an industry leader for their on-going coaching and support of junior dirt bike riders in Brisbane.

Ultimate Motocross coaching has won the Australian Small Business Award
Ultimate Motocross Coaching awarded

The Awards are proudly presented by Precedent Productions, a small business in its own right, and supported by Major Sponsors, NOVA Employment and Castaway Forecasting.


Entries open for 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship

As the countdown begins for the 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship, Motorcycling Australia have announced that entries are now open, ahead of the massive weekend from 8-9 June at Broadford State Motorcycle Complex, Victoria.

2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship heads to town
2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship heads to town

Entries are open until last mail on Friday 10th May. All late entries received between 10-17 May will incur an additional fee of $30.00. Racing will commence after practice on Saturday 8th June, followed on Sunday 9th June at 9AM.

The entry form can be accessed and downloaded here (link). Any queries regarding entries or the upcoming event should be directed to the Race Secretary, Kelly Spargo, via [email protected].

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Gibbs claims Broadford MXN win | Wilson Todd tops MX2

2019 Pirelli MX Nationals

Round 3 – Broadford


The revamped Victorian State Motorcycle Complex Broadford roared into life on Sunday for the third round of the Pirelli MX Nationals. After being plagued by trying weather conditions at previous rounds Broadford turned the sun on for competitors, allowing riders put on a show that didn’t disappoint.

R Broadford MX Nationals MX
MX1 Moto1 Start – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

In the Thor MX1 class it was Kirk Gibbs who took the win from Todd Waters and teammate Luke Clout. Hayden Mellross ranked fourth, retaining his overall lead the overall standings.

The Pirelli MX2 class saw a consistent Wilson Todd claim victory from Kyle Webster and Jay Wilson. In Motul MXD it was Regan Duffy victorious by a single point from Seemens and Budd.

The first round of the Yamaha Rising Star Rookies class saw Levi Rogers take both moto wins, with Alex Larwood and Brad West in second and third respectively, both on 56-points.


Thor MX1

Kirk Gibbs broke through for his first win in CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team colours when he claimed victory at round three of the MX Nationals at Broadford over the weekend, and to make it an even more memorable day for CDR, Luke Clout made it a team 1-3.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Kirk Gibbs
Kirk Gibbs – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Now both riders sit inside the top three in the MX1 division, with strong competition coming from Todd Waters who had to settle for second for the weekend with equal points to Kirk Gibbs, and who now trails Clout and Gibbs in the standings by a handful of points. Hayden Mellross retains the MX1 lead on 152 points, despite finishing the weekend in fourth on equal points to Clout..

R Broadford MX Nationals M Hayden Mellross
Hayden Mellross – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Round three marked the first weekend for the sprint format for the MX1 class where the riders competed in two nine-lap back-to-back races as well as the more traditional thirty-minute moto later in the day, making for a gruelling day at the track.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Todd Waters
Todd Waters – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

With three motos all contributing to the round overall, consistency becomes a major player in the final results and Gibbs did what he does best and put his YZ450F at or near the front in each and every moto.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Todd Waters
Todd Waters – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

He finished the day with 2-2-1 results and tied on 67 points with Todd Waters but gets the round win due to a stronger finish in the final moto.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Hayden Mellross
Hayden Mellross – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

For Gibbs, it was a good recovery from a tough opening two rounds where he dealt with crashes and bad luck but he now has the train back on the tracks and heading into his favourite track of the season, Murray Bridge, Gibbs is well-placed to continue building momentum in the championship.

Kirk Gibbs

“The weekend was much better for me and it’s nice to finally get a win under my belt for the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team. It was also good to have a dry round and actually get a gauge of how things are progressing and what our strengths and weaknesses are as the first two rounds were extremely wet and difficult to get a handle on the opposition as well as our own riding. But, really pleased to get the win and get my season back on track. The team did a great job again today and my bike was working well on a pretty technical race track. We now have a couple of weeks off before Murray Bridge so lots of riding and training still to be done and lots of laps still left in this championship.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Kirk Gibbs
Kirk Gibbs – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Luke Clout backed up his round two victory with a third place overall at Broadford in another fine performance. Clout improved as the day went on taking 5-4-3 results in each of the motos to claim the final spot of the podium and has now moved into second in the championship, just a handful of points away from the series leader.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Luke Clout
Luke Clout – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Clout proved consistent all day but needed better track position early in the race if he was to pick up a moto win.

Luke Clout

“I felt pretty good all day and the track was good to ride but I was probably just a bit off in my starts. With the track watered heavily and multiple ruts around every corner, it was difficult to move forward at times so getting a good start and being up the front early was the key here. Everything else was good and its always nice to be on the podium and be right in contention for the championship. It’s a long haul, especially with these back to back races so it’s important to keep logging good results in every race and be there at the end of round 10.”

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Luke Clout
Luke Clout – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Thor MX1 Moto 1

  1. Todd Waters 14:31.910
  2. Kirk Gibbs +5.666
  3. Daniel Sanders +7.340
  4. Hayden Mellross +10.584
  5. Luke Clout +19.921
  6. Jesse Dobson +25.769
  7. Justin Rodbell +30.303
  8. Erki Kahro +31.448
  9. Daniel Milner +45.774
  10. Brett Metcalfe +46.654
R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Todd Waters
Todd Waters took the Moto 1 win – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Thor MX1 Moto 2

  1. Todd Waters 14:40.220
  2. Kirk Gibbs +2.644
  3. Hayden Mellross +3.339
  4. Luke Clout +13.981
  5. Jesse Dobson +36.630
  6. Justin Rodbell +41.573
  7. Daniel Milner +43.245
  8. Richie Evans +47.210
  9. Ryan Shadbolt +50.310
  10. Erki Kahro +51.035
R Broadford MX Nationals M Wilson Todd
Todd Waters – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Thor MX1 Moto 3

  1. Kirk Gibbs 27:33.009
  2. Todd Waters +23.807
  3. Luke Clout +25.492
  4. Hayden Mellross +29.937
  5. Jesse Dobson +43.532
  6. Daniel Sanders +48.808
  7. Erki Kahro +50.402
  8. Jayden Rykers +1:21.986
  9. Justin Rodbell +1:24.062
  10. Brett Metcalfe +1:32.071
R Broadford MX Nationals M Kirk Gibbs
Kirk Gibbs – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Thor MX1 Round 3 Overall

  1. Kirk Gibbs 67
  2. Todd Waters 67
  3. Luke Clout 58
  4. Hayden Mellross 58
  5. Jesse Dobson 52
  6. Erki Kahro 47
  7. Justin Rodbell 47
  8. Jayden Rykers 44
  9. Daniel Milner 43
  10. Daniel Sanders 40

Thor MX1 Standings

  1. Hayden Mellross 152
  2. Luke Clout 147
  3. Kirk Gibbs 145
  4. Todd Waters 143
  5. Jesse Dobson 121
  6. Justin Rodbell 110
  7. Erki Kahro 107
  8. Jayden Rykers 102
  9. Brett Metcalfe 97
  10. Charlie Creech 94

Pirelli MX2 Round 3

The Pirelli MX2 class was again dominated by the current red plate holder Wilson Todd qualifying first and going on to win both motos, however Kyle Webster wasn’t letting Wilson out of his sights with a battle in the first moto keeping all the cheering fans on the side lines on the edge of their seats until the chequered flag.

R Broadford MX Nationals MX
MX2 Moto 1 Start – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

The second moto saw a similar result, with Todd claiming the win by 4.249 seconds from Webster, while this time Jay Wilson laid claim to the final podium position in a result that clinched him third overall.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Wilson Todd
Wilson Todd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Wilson Todd took home the perfect 70-points, while Kyle Webster settled for 64 and now sits fourth in the standings. Jay Wilson took third overall from Aaron Tanti, both on 56-points, while the duo currently hold second and third placings in the overall standings, with only nine-points between them.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Aaron Tanti
Aaron Tanti – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Jay Wilson entered the round with minimal bike time following finger surgery after round two. While attempting to held load the team truck, Wilson crushed his finger in the stairs of the rig bad enough to require surgery the following day. He was unable to ride until the day of the event and the podium position was a pleasant surprise.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Jay Wilson
Jay Wilson – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Jay Wilson

“Today was the best I have felt on the bike in motocross so far this year. The first race I was covered in mud and just did what I had to do to get back to fifth as the first four were long gone but in the second moto I really began to gel with the bike and attack the track. I felt awesome and just wished it was the 30 minute race and not the 20. So, happy with today and happy to come out with some good points. It wasn’t looking real good after Wonthaggi but thanks to the RACESAFE team we were able get on track and keep the championship alive.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Jay Wilson
Jay Wilson – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

The Serco Yamaha duo of Aaron Tanti and Nathan Crawford will both look at round three as a positive outing and take plenty of encouragement from the day that had both riders battling for race wins. On the undulating and rutted Broadford Circuit, the Serco Yamaha MX2 team finished the day in fourth and fifth place but showed plenty of speed and skill and will build on the results delivered over the weekend.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Nathan Crawford
Nathan Crawford – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Aaron Tanti finished the day in fourth spot, just missing the podium on a count back from Jay Wilson. Tanti racked up an ultra-consistent 4-4 results in the two motos but left Broadford a little frustrated as he feels he let a podium finish slip through his fingers.

Aaron Tanti

“A lot of good to come from today but also a few things I need to improve on to get some round wins. My starts were good, and I had excellent track position in both races but just didn’t keep pace later in the race, so that’s something we will need to look at. But the racing is tight in the MX2 class and I was never further than 10 seconds out of the lead all day but didn’t make the podium. No one can afford to take their foot off the peddle at the moment as there are five guys who ride at a similar pace and the intensity is there all the way to the end. I’m now third in the championship after three rounds which considering a couple of races I have had, isn’t too bad but there is always room for improvement.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Aaron Tanti
Aaron Tanti – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

It was a welcome return to form for Nathan Crawford who showed things are on the up swing after some spirited racing on the weekend. Crawford returned to some good form finishing fifth for the day with 3-7 results but the pleasing thing for him and the team was the return of his sprint speed.

Nathan Crawford

“It feels good to finally be back in the battle again. It’s been a long eight months off the bike and I have worked so hard to get, not just my fitness and speed back, but also my health in general. My one was awesome and just after half way I felt things begin to come easier for me, like a little barrier was broken. I was able to ride my turns better, flow on the track better and ride with some speed. While I didn’t win it, it was a little victory to me as I come back. Race two and I did all I could to salvage the best result I could. First turn crashes are tough as the whole field goes past and it’s a long way back but I fought hard and feel like things are on the right track. The weekend gives me more motivation to keep working hard.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Nathan Crawford
Nathan Crawford – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Pirelli MX2 Moto 1

  1. Wilson Todd 28:11.686
  2. Kyle Webster +0.951
  3. Nathan Crawford +3.293
  4. Aaron Tanti +6.464
  5. Jay Wilson +1:00.043
  6. Dylan Wills +1:06.595
  7. Jye Dickson +1:08.848
  8. Bailey Malkiewicz +1:11.493
  9. Ricky Latimer +1:12.464
  10. Joel Evans +1:18.758
R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Wilson Todd
Wilson Todd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Pirelli MX2 Moto 2

  1. Wilson Todd 18:32.870
  2. Kyle Webster +4.249
  3. Jay Wilson +5.070
  4. Aaron Tanti +9.789
  5. Riley Dukes +21.187
  6. Dylan Wills +34.994
  7. Nathan Crawford +35.501
  8. Isaac Ferguson +36.220
  9. Cooper Pozniak +37.737
  10. Bailey Malkiewicz +39.335

Pirelli MX2 Round 3 Overall

  1. Wilson Todd 70
  2. Kyle Webster 64
  3. Jay Wilson 56
  4. Aaron Tanti 56
  5. Nathan Crawford 54
  6. Dylan Wills 50
  7. Bailey Malkiewicz 44
  8. Jye Dickson 43
  9. Riley Dukes 42
  10. Ricky Latimer 42
R Broadford MX Nationals M Wilson Todd
Wilson Todd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Pirelli MX2 Standings

  1. Wilson Todd 170
  2. Jay Wilson 142
  3. Aaron Tanti 133
  4. Kyle Webster 126
  5. Nathan Crawford 122
  6. Cooper Pozniak 115
  7. Dylan Wills 113
  8. Jye Dickson 107
  9. Riley Dukes 103
  10. Issac Ferguson 93

Motul MXD Round 3

The Motul MXD class put on a show to remember with red plate holder Regan Duffy maintaining the championship points lead and Rhys Budd and Mason Semmens both proving they aren’t to be counted out of the chase yet.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Regan Duffy
Regan Duffy – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Maximus Purvis actually won the first Motul MXD Moto, with a 4.631-second lead over Rhys Budd, with Mason Semmens third and Regan Duffy fourth.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Maximus Purvis
Maximus Purvis – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Consistency proved key however, with Purvis finishing sixth in Moto 2, while Regan Duffy claimed the win from Semmens by 2.366 seconds, with Rhys Budd taking third 13.645 seconds behind the winner.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Mason Semmens
Mason Semmens – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

In fact only a single point separated the top trio comes weekend end – for the round results – while Duffy leads Budd in the MXD standings by five-points. Maximus Purvis sits third in the standings a further 12-points in arrears and missed the podium by two-points over the weekend. Mason Semens meanwhile is a further 15-points behind Purvis in fourth.

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Rhys Budd
Rhys Budd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Motul MXD Moto 1

  1. Maximus Purvis 18:15.696
  2. Rhys Budd +4.631
  3. Mason Semmens +6.242
  4. Regan Duffy +10.400
  5. Jayce Cosford +37.539
  6. Noah Ferguson +45.095
  7. Brodie Ellis +47.672
  8. Jack Kukas +48.448
  9. Liam Walsh +49.764
  10. Jai Walker +50.223
R Broadford MX Nationals M Maximus Purvis
Maximus Purvis – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Motul MXD Moto 2

  1. Regan Duffy 18:39.787
  2. Mason Semmens +2.366
  3. Rhys Budd +13.645
  4. Brodie Ellis +18.390
  5. Jack Kukas +29.729
  6. Maximus Purvis +37.720
  7. Liam Walsh +43.757
  8. Korey McMahon +46.947
  9. Jai Walker +54.633
  10. Mackenzie O”Bree +1:03.609
R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Regan Duffy
Regan Duffy – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Motul MXD Round 3 Overall

  1. Regan Duffy 63
  2. Mason Semmens 62
  3. Rhys Budd 62
  4. Maximus Purvis 60
  5. Brodie Ellis 52
  6. Jack Kukas 49
  7. Liam Walsh 46
  8. Jayce Cosford 45
  9. Jai Walker 43
  10. Noah Ferguson 42
R Broadford MX Nationals MXD Podiums
Motul MXD Overall Podium 1) Regan Duffy, 2) Mason Semmens, 3) Rhys Budd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Motul MXD Standings

  1. Regan Duffy 157
  2. Rhys Budd 152
  3. Maximus Purvis 140
  4. Mason Semmens 125
  5. Jack Kukas 113
  6. Noah Ferguson 111
  7. Brodie Ellis 110
  8. Jayce Cosford 99
  9. Mason Rowe 98
  10. Liam Walsh 98

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies

The Yamaha Rising Star Rookies would round out the day with some amazing young talent showcased, with Levi Rogers taking both Moto wins by a strong margin.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Levi Rogers
Levi Rogers – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

In Moto 1 it was Rogers with a 14.617s lead from Blake Hollis with Brad West completing the top three. Moto 2 saw Rogers once again claim victory, this time from Alex Larwood and Jake Kowal.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Jake Kowal
Jake Kowal – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Levi Rogers left Round 3 of the MX Nationals leading the Yamaha Rising Star Rookies championship, with 70 points to his name. Alex Larwood took second overall from Brad West, both on 56 points.

R Broadford MX Nationals M Alex Larwood
Alex Larwood – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Moto 1

  1. Levi Rogers 12:33.421
  2. Blake Hollis +14.617
  3. Brad West +19.319
  4. Blake Fox +32.189
  5. Benny Novak +33.855
  6. Kipp adams +36.934
  7. Alex Larwood +40.181
  8. Ryan Alexanderson +56.143
  9. Joe O’Donnell +57.066
  10. Cameron Torpy +1:00.733
R Broadford MX Nationals M Levi Rogers
Levi Rogers – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Moto 2

  1. Levi Rogers 12:16.018
  2. Alex Larwood +5.263
  3. Jake Kowal +24.964
  4. Joe O’Donnell +36.858
  5. Brad West +40.395
  6. Cameron Torpy +48.281
  7. Brock Ninness +51.713
  8. Benny Novak +55.272
  9. Dominic Walker +58.654
  10. Ryan Alexanderson +59.349

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Round 3 Overall

  1. Levi Rogers 70
  2. Alex Larwood 56
  3. Brad West 56
  4. Joe O’Donnell 50
  5. Benny Novak 49
  6. Jake Kowal 47
  7. Cameron Torpy 46
  8. Brock Ninness 44
  9. Ryan Alexanderson
  10. Kipp adams 43
R Broadford MX Nationals RSR Podiums
Rising Star Rookies Overall Podium 1) Levi Rogers, 2) Alex Larwood, 3) Brad West – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Standings

  1. Levi Rogers 70
  2. Alex Larwood 56
  3. Brad West 56
  4. Joe O’Donnell 50
  5. Benny Novak 49
  6. Jake Kowal 47
  7. Cameron Torpy 46
  8. Brock Ninness 44
  9. Ryan Alexanderson
  10. Kipp adams 43

Murray Bridge in South Australia will have a huge impact determining the winner of this years’ championship as the double header weekend that will see two points scoring rounds on the Saturday and the Sunday that will shape the series, racing on May 4 and 5.

Images by MX Nationals

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News | SuperEnduro | Beach Racing | 2019 calendars

Moto News Weekly Wrap

December 11, 2018

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax


What Went Down Last Weekend?

  • Brook and Koppe win North Brisbane Cup
  • FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
  • French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
  • Wade Young wins Roof of Africa
  • Faggotter ready for Dakar 2019
  • 2019 WESS calendar announced
  • 2019 AFT calendar announced
  • 2019 GNCC calendar announced
  • 2019 Sunshine State Series calendar announced
  • 2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
  • Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
  • WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
  • Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
  • Stefan Everts in hospital

Brook and Koppe Win North Brisbane Cup

MotoGP racer Jack Miller added some extra prestige into the annual North Brisbane Cup last Saturday afternoon and evening but it was the talented pairing of Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win after winning both feature races.

North Brisbane Cup Koppe Brook victory lap
Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win

Some of our best speedway, dirt track, road race and enduro riders were on hand but the real pace setters were Damien Koppe, Jarred Brook, Max Whale, Jake Allen, Kayden Downing and Jack Miller – in fact, Miller has lost none of his dirt track speed after going down in turn one of the Pro Open teams event, before remounting and carving back to third place in time for the changeover to fellow Townsville terror Kayden Downing.

Despite the relatively tight confines of Mick Doohan Raceway – for a long track slider designed for a mile track – speedway pro Josh Grajczonek proved himself competitive throughout the event.

North Brisbane Cup Results

  1. Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:21.380
  2. Max Whale, Jake Allen 1.791
  3. Jack Miller, Kayden Downing 13.700
  4. Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 25.592
  5. Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 26.068
  6. Briony Hendrickson, Andy McLeisch 1 lap
  7. Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
  8. Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
  9. Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps
  10. 1Ryan Douglas, Joshua Grajczonek 3 laps
  11. Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 11 laps
North Brisbane Cup Jack Miller
Jack Miller made an appearance at the North Brisbane Cup
  1. Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:22.703
  2. Max Whale, Jake Allen 6.763
  3. Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 1 lap
  4. Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 1 lap
  5. Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
  6. Benjamin Mclaughlin, Adam Bevan 1 lap
  7. Andrew McLiesh, Grace Hudson 1 lap
  8. Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
  9. Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 2 laps
  10. Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps
    DNF Jack Miller, Kayden Downing Lap 19

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship
Round 1 – Krakow, Poland

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak has won the opening round of the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held in Krakow, Poland while Cody Webb and Colton Haaker rounded out the podium

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Manuel Lettenbichler
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Image by Future7Media

On a dry and fast track at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Blazusiak delighted his home fans by taking the overall win at round one of the championship. It wasn’t plain sailing for the six-time champion however as an early fall in the third and final heat left him playing catch-up to the riders ahead.

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM cody webb
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Cody Webb – Image by Future7Media

With his KTM 350 EXC-F blasting off the line, Blazusiak secured the holeshot in heat one. The Polish rider was never challenged for the remainder of the race and after riding eight smooth and consistent laps crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of teammate Webb. Putting in a similar performance in the reverse-grid heat two, Taddy fought his way through the pack early on to win by over five seconds from the second-placed finisher Haaker.

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Taddy Blazusiak
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

Aiming to take the hat-trick, Taddy fell early in the third heat and was placed dead-last at the beginning of the opening lap. Charging hard, he got his head down and proceeded to pick off the riders ahead of him, ultimately battling his way through to fourth at the line – enough to claim the overall event win and with it the championship lead heading into round two in Germany.

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Taddy Blazusiak Podium
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Overall Podium – Image by Future7Media
Taddy Blazusiak

“The whole event has been amazing. Race one went perfectly, I was able to get out in front and set my own pace to take the win. Race two was pretty much the same, I had quite a lot of pressure from the guys behind and made a couple of mistakes, but I was able to put in some fast lap times and break the challenge. In the last moto, I got a pretty good start but I got tangled up with some other riders over the first jumps and went down. I picked myself and the bike up and saw I was in last place so I took a couple of seconds to make sure everything was ok and set off again. I was pushing hard and able to overtake the guys in front quite well. I did make a mistake in one rut and washed the front again, luckily I didn’t lose too much time and was happy enough to take fourth. Championship-wise, I’m a little disappointed to lose a few points but I think we’ll all have challenging races over the season. To be leading going into round two feels great.”

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Taddy Blazusiak
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round two in Riesa, Germany on January 5, 2019.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has secured his second consecutive victory in the Championnat de France des Sables. Putting in a strong performance throughout the two-hour 30-minute beach race, Watson initially crossed the finish line in second, but was later awarded the overall win.

Yentel Martens - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

After his confidence-boosting victory at last weekend’s round three, Nathan Watson headed to round four with hopes of making it two wins in a row and after starting strongly, he battled with teammate Camille Chapeliere for the lead during the first half of the race before taking control.

Camille Chapeliere - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Camille Chapeliere – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

However, despite pulling a sizeable advantage, Watson was unable to maintain his lead as the race conditions changed. With organisers cutting the event short due to an incoming tide, the Brit slipped back to second place at just the wrong moment in the race. Unable to regroup in time, Watson shadowed provisional winner Milko Potisek across the finish line for what he thought was a runner-up result. Later confirmed as the winner, Watson claimed his second consecutive beach race win.

Nathan Watson

“I’m disappointed to have physically just missed out on that race win but naturally pleased to be awarded the overall win. The race to the chequered flag itself was close and I was right behind him crossing the finish line. I had a good race and was leading with about a one-minute advantage. Then suddenly he came past me and I was shocked because I didn’t realise he was catching me so quick. I must have been riding too relaxed in traffic. He passed me on the last lap and I tried to regroup, but it was too late. With two tough rounds back-to-back and my victory at Red Bull Knock Out, I’ll take a bit of time to recover over the Christmas break and then work hard to prepare for the next round.”

Nathan Watson - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Nathan Watson – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

Claiming the holeshot on his KTM 450 SX-F, Watson’s teammate Camille Chapeliere put in a series of blisteringly fast laps to hold firm at the front of the results and maintain the race lead during the first hour of racing. With lapped traffic hampering his vision, the Frenchman was forced to pit earlier than scheduled for a fresh pair of goggles. Despite his strong pace during the latter half of the race, Chapeliere was unable to catch the leaders and had to settle for third overall, but was later awarded second.

Camille Chapeliere

“After last weekend’s disappointment I was determined to return strong here. I worked a lot to be ready and I wanted to show my speed on the track. My first hour was good. I took the holeshot and lead for quite a while. I had a little issue with my goggles and was unable to hold that position as I needed to pit early for a fresh set. But overall it’s been a good race and now I will continue to work and be ready for the next round as we build towards Enduropale le Touquet.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Yentel Martens delivered a strong ride at round four of the French Beach Race series in Ronde des Sables, Hossegor-Capbreton to claim a confidence-boosting fourth-place result.

Yentel Martens - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens

“Today was a positive step forward for me. After some bad luck last weekend and then picking up a small foot injury I was nervous about how things would go. Unfortunately, my start wasn’t the best and I was outside the top 20, so had a bit of work to do there. But my speed was good and I was able to make up the positions quite quickly. I caught up to Jeffrey Dewulf near the end but crashed and lost some time to him that I wasn’t able to recover. However, I’m happy with the progress. I know my speed is good enough to win now and as a team we are all working hard to make it happen.”

The Championnat de France des Sables continues with round five in Grayan on January 13, 2019.

Yentel Martens - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

Results – French Beach Race Series, Round 4

  1. Nathan Watson, KTM, 25 laps 2:23:11.880
  2. Camille Chapeliere, KTM, 2:26:59.150 +3:47.270
  3. Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:28:59.550 +5:47.670
  4. Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 2:23:59.550 +1 lap
  5. Daymond Martens, Honda, 2:24:01.590 +1 lap

Championship Standings (After Round 4)

  1. Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 500 points
  2. Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 500 pts
  3. Nathan Watson, KTM, 435 pts
  4. Maxime Sot, Yamaha, 397 pts
  5. Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 390 pts

Wade Young Wins Roof of Africa

Wade Young has topped off an incredible 2018 hard enduro racing season by winning the infamous Motul Roof of Africa in a total time of 14-hours and 47-minutes, a clear 23-minutes ahead of the second placed rider, Travis Teasdale.

It has been widely reported that the 2018 version of the Roof of Africa was one if the toughest with legendary racer and former Roof winner Alfie Cox reporting, “It was tough. It was not a walk in the park and people had to dig deep. Some blokes were on the bike for ten to eleven hours a day. But that is what the Roof of Africa is all about.”

Wade Young Roof of Africa Win
Wade Young wins the 2018 Roof Of Africa – Image by www.trompievanderberg.co.za / www.zcmc.co.za

While the mountains of Lesotho proved unforgiving, Wade Young made short work of the competition with a 40-minute lead after a strenuous 8-hours and 28-minutes on the bike after the first day of racing. Young played it safe on day-two, relinquishing some of his lead but ensuring his fourth Roof of Africa title.

The Sherco Factory rider claimed a number of high-profile hard enduro events in 2018 with victory in the Sea to Sky, Romaniacs, Megawatt and Australia’s own Wildwood Rock Extreme.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Faggotter Ready for Dakar 2019

Yamalube Yamaha Rally team riders Adrien Van Beveren, Xavier de Soultrait and Aussie Rodney Faggotter will be aboard the newest edition of the WR450F Rally works machine as they take on the 41st Dakar which will be for the first time contested exclusively in Peru.

Rod Faggotter
Rod Faggotter

Playing a crucial role for the Yamalube Yamaha Rally team during the last two Dakar Rallies, Rodney Faggotter remains with the squad going into the 2019 edition of the event after an extremely consistent run that saw him finish 16th overall and the highest placed Yamaha rider at the 2018 Dakar Rally.

Rodney Faggotter

“I’m looking forward to the 2019 Dakar. I’ve been racing some Bajas and training hard back home in Australia these last few months. I feel strong physically and also mentally. In the beginning of December, we’ve spent a full week testing and training with the team in Morocco and that was a good morale booster for me. We have a great spirit within the team and I want to be there for my teammates if they need me. I want to have a good clean run and do my own race. This Dakar might seem shorter, but we all know it’s still going to be a long and demanding race. If it all goes well, I’m confident I can improve my overall result from last year and fight for a spot inside the top-10.”

Rodney Faggotter
Rodney Faggotter – Dakar 2018

Race Schedule – Dakar Rally 2019

  • Stage 1 | Jan 7 | Lima to Pisco | SS: 84km | Total: 331km
  • Stage 2 | Jan 8 | Pisco to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 342km | Total: 554km
  • Stage 3 | Jan 9 | San Juan de Marcona to Arequipa | SS: 331km | Total: 779km
  • Stage 4 | Jan 10 | Arequipa to Moquegua | SS: 352km | Total: 511km
  • Stage 5 | Jan 11 | Moquegua to Arequipa | SS: 345km | Total: 776km
  • Rest Day | Jan 12 | Arequipa
  • Stage 6 | Jan 13 | Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 317km | Total: 839km
  • Stage 7 | Jan 14 | San Juan de Marcona, return| SS: 323km | Total: 387km
  • Stage 8 | Jan 15 | San Juan de Marcona to Pisco | SS: 361km | Total: 576km
  • Stage 9 | Jan 16 | Pisco to Pisco | SS: 313km | Total: 410km
  • Stage 10 | Jan 17 | Pisco to Lima | SS: 112km | Total: 358km

2019 WESS Calendar Announced

The World Enduro Super Series will be an eight-round championship for the 2019 season with two additional Classic Enduro events scheduled for the coming season, combined with established Hard Enduro favourites, plus the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country.

WESS Gotland Rnd Atmos
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

The Extreme XL Lagares will once again open the season in Portugal, on May 10-12 before moving to France and the Classic Enduro at the Trèfle Lozérien AMV, then the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, Red Bull Romaniacs, Hawkstone Park Cross-Country in the United Kingdom, the Solsona Enduro in Spain et and finally GetzenRodeo in Germany on November 2-3.

Winfried Kerschhaggl – WESS Series Manager

“Further broadening the mix of events in the championship, while sharpening the focus on true Enduro competitions has been our goal. Traditional Enduro is always close to our hearts, fuelling our passion for racing, and for that reason it has led to the addition of two Classic Enduro events being added to the calendar. Combined with some of our much-loved events from 2018, plus the welcomed addition of the GetzenRodeo, we are very much looking forward to the start of the new series and the battle to find the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion.”

WESS Red Bull Knock Out Rnd josep garcia FM
WESS 2018 – Round 8 Red Bull Knock Out – Image by Future7Media

World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Schedule

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

2019 AFT Calendar Announced

American Flat Track has finalized its 2019 schedule and prepares to launch ticket sales in time for the holidays.

The 2019 running of the New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, NY has been moved back one week to July 13, 2019. Race fans can plan on an entire weekend of excitement, as AFT Events will once again throw a pre-race kickoff party with food, live music, entertainment and rider meet & greet session.

AFT Meadowland Mile Jared Mees leads ERV
American Flat Track 2019 calendar announced

AFT’s season finale returns to the Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment at the famed MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ for a second running of the Meadowlands Mile. The race is set for September 28, 2019 – one week earlier than its 2018 date. This venue provided showstopping race action in 2018 and has already become one of the most highly-anticipated events of the upcoming season.

Cameron Gray, COO of AFT Events

“Now that we have finalized our 2019 schedule, we can hit the ground running. We’ve got new venues, freshly-built and redesigned racetracks and are planning some major improvements to overall fan experience for the coming season. AFT fans can look forward to the most exciting season of American Flat Track to date.”

AFT Minnesota Mile Rnd Bryan Smith FA
AFT returns in 2019

American Flat Track will kick off its 2019 season with its bar-banging Daytona TT in appropriate fashion – during the wild Bike Week festivities in Daytona Beach. The 2019 Daytona TT happens Thursday, March 14 once again under the lights of the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Tickets will be available soon at https://www.americanflattrack.com.

2019 American Flat Track Schedule

  • March 14: Daytona TT – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
  • March 23: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
  • April 20: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
  • April 27: Wild Horse TT – Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
  • May 11: Perris Half-Mile – Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, CA
  • May 18: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
  • May 26: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
    • (AFT Singles Springfield TT same weekend)
  • June 1: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
  • June 15: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Motor Sp., Loudon, New Hampshire
  • June 29: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
  • July 13: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
  • August 4: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
  • August 6: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
  • August 17: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
  • September 1: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
    • (AFT Singles Springfield Short Track same weekend)
  • September 7: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Sp., Mechanicsburg, PA
  • September 21: Minnesota Mile – Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
  • September 28: Meadowlands Mile – Meadowlands R & E, East Rutherford, NJ

2019 GNCC Calendar Announced

Racer Productions, producer of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, is pleased to announce the 2019 series schedule.

New for the 2019 season will be the expanded Micro (50cc) Racing program, while the eMTB racing will take place at eight rounds including an eMTB only race held on July 27 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

GNCC Ben Kelly Hole Shot ImgKenHill
2019 GNCC calendar announced – Image by Ken Hill
Jeff Russell – GNCC Trail Boss

“We’re excited to get the 2019 season rolling. With a great schedule of events on some of the best off-road courses the country has to offer, the upcoming season is shaping up to be one of the best yet. We have several facilities to consider for the fall TBA event. A lot of factors go into finding a venue to host a GNCC event and we hope to have an announcement on that round as soon as possible.”

The 2019 schedule welcomes back many of its most seasoned venues, including Camp Coker Bullet in Society Hill, South Carolina; X-Factor in Peru, Indiana; The John Penton in Millfield, Ohio; Tomahawk in Alpine, New York; West Virginia’s popular Snowshoe GNCC in Snowshoe, West Virginia; and the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

GNCC 2018 - Image by Ken Hill
GNCC 2018 – Image by Ken Hill

2019 GNCC Calendar

  • Rnd 1: Feb. 23/24 – Big Buck, Union, SC – Micro, SETRA
  • Rnd 2: Mar. 9/10 – Wild Boar, Palatka, FL – Micro
  • Rnd 3: Mar. 16/17 – The General, Washington, GA – Micro / eMTB, SETRA
  • Rnd 4: Mar. 30/31 – Steele Creek, Morganton, NC – Micro / eMTB, SETRA
  • Rnd 5: April 13/14 – Camp Coker Bullet, Society Hill, SC – Micro, SETRA
  • Rnd 6: May 5/6 – X-Factor, Peru, IN – Micro IXCR
  • Rnd 7: May 18/19 – The John Penton, Millfield, OH – Micro / eMTB, WEXCR
  • Rnd 8: June 1/2 – Tomahawk, Alpine, NY – Micro / eMTB
  • Rnd 9: June 22/23 – Snowshoe, Snowshoe, WV – eMTB
  • Rnd 10: Sept. 14/15 – Black Sky, Harpursville, NY – Micro
  • Rnd 11: Sept. 28/29 – Mason-Dixon, Mt. Morris, PA – Micro / eMTB
  • Rnd 12: Oct. 12/13 – TBA, TBA – Micro
  • Rnd 13: Oct. 26/27 – Ironman, Crawfordsville, IN – Micro / eMTB, IXCR

2019 Sunshine State Series Calendar Announced

The Queensland Motocross subcommittee is pleased to announce details of a freshly revamped 2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series, with four exciting venue additions from last year’s Airoh series.

Jack Kukas
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced

Since its inception as a B & C Grade series more than 25 years ago, the ‘Sunny States’ have made a consistent contribution to the development of Queensland’s racing stocks, and established a tradition as a proving ground for up-and-coming riders.

Averaging around 330 riders per round, the series contributes significantly to the ‘dirt bike economy’ that fuels small towns in South-East Queensland, while offering competitors the best prizemoney of any comparable series.

Next year’s incarnation will see a mix of trusted and true venues and exciting new locations, with the respected Suncoast Junior Motorcycle Club both raising and lowering the curtain on the series, boasting two rounds at its iconic Coolum track.

Levi Rogers
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced

In between though, riders will take a thrill ride of fresh racing challenges to grow their skills, re-visiting old favourites like a recently-updated Roma, Mundubbera, Kilcoy and Goondiwindi.

New series coordinator Rachelle Houterman is anything but a new face on the scene, and in taking over the reins from Jason Watson, will look to maintain what’s great about the series, but improve what she can.

She’ll again assume the role of Race Secretary for the series and will steer the ship overall with help from the Motocross Subcommittee, as well as the promoting clubs and series officials.

Rachelle Houterman – Race Secretary

“It’ll be a busy year for me and my helpers, but we have a lot of experience with all aspects of the series and we’re looking to continue to grow Queensland’s premier motocross series as well as trying to increase the payback to the clubs and open up more contingencies for juniors. Some riders may not have previously experienced a few of these tracks, but are sure to be in for a great time at venues that older riders still speak very highly of. Roma has had some exciting new changes as well, so there’ll be lots of opportunity for riders to learn new tracks and gain new skills. Kilcoy has also been missing from the series lately, but the Kilcoy Motorcycle Club has gained a huge following in recent years, so we’re happy to return this track to the calendar.”

The Motocross Subcommittee wishes to thank Jason Watson for all of his hard work over the past two years and wishes him all the best for his new endeavours. Jason remains a valued member of the MX Subcommittee.

Levi Rogers
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced

The series sponsor is expected to be announced very soon, and a host of sponsorship opportunities now exist with the Sunshine State MX Series. Please contact Rachelle direct on 0409 174 273 or email [email protected].

2019 Sunshine State Series Venues and Dates

  1. Coolum 16/17 February
  2. Roma 23/24 March
  3. Mundubbera 6/7 April
  4. Kilcoy 11/12 May
  5. Goondiwindi 1/ 2 June
  6. Coolum 15/16 June

Further information, Rachelle Houterman, Series Coordinator. Ph: 3281 2255 E: [email protected]

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced

The 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship kicks off bright and early on January 3rd 2019 at Gillman Speedway, South Australia, and the seeded and qualifying line-up is locked and loaded!

For the first time in three years, the Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship will run a Qualifier the day before Round 1, where 16 selected riders will battle it out for the remaining eight spots in the Championship.

Australian Speedway Championship
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced

Gillman Speedway will play host to the first round of the Championship, setting the bar higher than the South Australian Summer temperature! Round 1 will commence with the Qualifier on Wednesday night, January 2nd, where each rider will vie for their spot in the available eight places remaining on Thursday night.

With no brakes, gears or fear, Thursday 3rd January is anticipated to be an absolute scorcher, as tensions continue to run high after a tough Qualifier the day prior. Speedway Commission Chair, Ivan Golding, reflected on the draw of seeded and qualifying riders for the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship.

Ivan Golding  – Speedway Commission Chair

“This has been one of the strongest qualifiers we have experienced in quite some time! Yesterday’s draw was extremely tough, making our job even harder than in previous years. The depth of nominations received for the 2019 Championship are some of the best we have received, which has made the draw super tough. The quality of riders to pick from was very impressive, and we are no doubt locked in for a thrilling 2019 Championship!”

The field includes eight seeded riders, including the 2018 reigning Champion, Rohan Tungate, alongside the likes of Max Fricke, Chris Holder, Jack Holder and Jaimon Lidsey.

The full list of seeded riders in the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship are as follows:

The 16 riders selected for the Qualifier on January 2nd are as follows

Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw

At the close of Round 1, riders will move North to Mildura, Victoria for Round 2 on 5th January, followed by Round 3 on 7th January at Undera, Victoria. The penultimate round will be held on 9th January at Albury Wodonga, Victoria, with a close to the Championship at Kurri-Kurri, New South Wales on 12th January.


Tanti joins Crawford at Serco

Serco Yamaha will again be a force to be reckoned with next season after enlisting Nathan Crawford and Aaron Tanti to steer their YZ250F’s in the 2019 MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championships.

Nathan Crawford

“I hate being off the bike and not riding and its driving me crazy but my motivation is as good as it’s ever been and I’m excited to be locked in with Serco and the opportunity to race the YZ250F again. I haven’t even ridden the 2019 bike, but it looks and sounds amazing and I know Serco Yamaha will give me the best bike in the class. I’m able to bare weight on my leg and start physio this week with a view to start riding again by late January. That still leaves me enough time to get myself bike fit and ready to go for the MX Nationals and I’m already looking forward to racing again.”

Australian SX Nathan Crawford YZF
Nathan Crawford
Aaron Tanti

“Up until last year, I was juggling work with racing but for 2018 I was able to get myself in a position where I could ride and train full time and it instantly showed improvement in my results. The reward of the hard work and sacrifice came when Gavin approached me about racing for Serco in 2019. Now to have the support and structure of the Serco Yamaha team behind me and entering the new year feeling fit and refreshed, I am confident 2019 will be my best season yet as I feel there is still a lot of room for improvement in my riding and racing.

MX Nationals Rnd Conondale Aaron Tanti MX Race ndplace ImageByScottya
Aaron Tanti joins Crawford at Serco in 2019

“I spent a day on the bike earlier this week and I’m impressed with everything about it. We just ran through some basic things like bar bends to get me comfortable, stiffened up the fork a little and I was good to go. The Yamaha YZ250F feels awesome and that is just the production bike, I can’t wait to ride the full- blown race bike Serco will build for me. I’m proud to have achieved this ride with Serco Yamaha but I know the real work is about to come. But I will give it my all and aim to win as many races and championships as I can.”

Aaron Tanti
Aaron Tanti

Round one of the MX Nationals takes place at Appin, west of Sydney on March 17.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD

WBR Yamaha team will be out to match their 2018 success that saw them claim the top two spots in the MXD class at the MX Nationals, with Max Purvis and Jack Kukas lining up for 2019.

Max Purvis

“I have done two seasons in Australia now and I feel comfortable racing here now as I know the riders and how the events work. But, it’s also the first time I have had major support over here and its cool to be a part of the WBR Yamaha. I had to race against them in 2018 and I know how well prepared and organised they were so it’s exciting to now be on the same side as them. I won plenty of rounds last year, but I just wasn’t consistent enough in the rounds that I didn’t win so that’s an area I need to address this year. Championships are won on your bad days, so I need to find a way grind out a good result when things aren’t going my way and be consistent across all 10 rounds. I love racing in Australia and the MX Nationals is a great series. Doing the NZ Nationals, the MX Nationals and the Australian Supercross Championship will be a huge year for me, but I can’t wait to get started.”

Maximus Purvis MX Fest
Maximus Purvis with WBR Yamaha in 2019
Jack Kukas

“It’s awesome to be back here in Australia and on the WBR Yamaha team for the 2019 season. I have been a Yamaha rider all my life to so get the opportunity to ride for the official Yamaha MXD team is a bit of a dream come true. I have already spent a week down with the team in Echuca just getting settled on the bike and meeting everyone. Travis and Nathan are awesome to deal with and are so helpful in getting me comfortable on and off the bike. I can’t thank them enough for giving me this chance and I hope to repay them with some good results. The 2019 YZ250F is such a good bike and we have a great group of sponsors on board for next year so I’m going to give it my all and try and get another championship for Yamaha and the WBR team.”

Jack Kukas
Jack Kukas to 2019 WBR Yamaha team

The first time both riders will be on track together will be the opening round of the MX Nationals at Appin, west of Sydney, on March 17.


Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season

Youthstream has revealed that the first round of the 2019 MXGP and MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship season will take place at the Patagonia-Argentina circuit of Neuquen on Sunday the 10th of March with bikes racing for the first time of the new season in Qualifying on Saturday.

MXGP 2019 kicks off in Argentina
MXGP 2019 kicks off in Argentina

MXGP’s return to Patagonia Argentina’s beautiful Neuquen circuit is exciting for the riders, fans, and industry members as amazing GPs have taken place at the venue since first hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2015. Serving as the second round of 2017 and then the opening round of 2018 the previous years have resulted in stunning racing amongst the hillsides lined by thousands of South American motocross fans.

David Luongo – Vice President of Youthstream

“It is great news to be back in Argentina for the opening Grand Prix of the season. The circuit of Neuquen is for most of the riders, the most beautiful track of the championship and its location in the middle of Patagonia is breathtaking. We really want to thank David Eli from Mas Eventos along with the local and national authorities making this Grand Prix possible, we are sure that it will be a great success and will bring a lot of attention and exposure Argentina.”


Stefan Everts in hospital

Ten times World Champion Stefan Everts was hospitalized last week and remains at the University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium in an induced coma.

Stefan Everts has been left out in the cold by Suzuki's change in policy
Stefan Everts

Everts participated in a charity event three weeks ago in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo to raise funds for the construction of schools in the area and contracted malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.

During his legendary career, Everts won the record numbers of 101 Motocross Grands Prix and ten FIM world titles. After his career, he worked at KTM and then ran the Suzuki World MXGP team before Suzuki suspended its support for the FIM Motocross World Championships last year.

The moto world holds its combined breath waiting for Stefan to pull through and our hearts go out to the family.

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au