The new look electric balance bikes from Wired Bikes are exactly what future two-wheel champions need to develop and advance their core riding skills.
Wired Bikes new e-balance bikes have arrived in 12″and 16″ variants
Designed in Australia, the latest release 12” and 16” Wired Bikes have been completely redesigned from the original, taking cues from BMX and MX to make the ultimate combination of style and function.
Wired Bikes Brand Manager, Damien Ballinger, says the balance bikes are small but pack a punch with value, power and style.
Damien Ballinger
“We’ve completely redesigned the look to incorporate suspension forks, a more powerful motor and a battery that is now protected by the downtube. Whilst the overall styling of the bike is influenced heavily by BMX, the forks add more of an MX feel but are more than just an aesthetic choice. While the girls want the pink one and the boys just want to go fast, we’ve built in three levels of power providing adjusted torque, acceleration and top speed so kids can build up their skills and safely work their way to a more powerful ride”
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
Having the battery placed inside the main triangle means the chromoly steel frame can protect the battery from major impacts commonly associated with bikes that have the battery mounted under the downtube. This means there’s a lower chance of mud, debris, rocks or gutters causing a problem with your battery as your child rides along.
The forks allow improved handling and feel as well as cushioning to improve the overall comfort of the ride over rough terrain. This is important because depending on the throttle setting, your little ones could be zooming at up to 29 km/h on the 16” and 19 km/h on the 12”.
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
The throttle control has three settings, with the beginner requiring the child to push off like a traditional balance bike and then use the throttle once moving to get to a max speed of 10 km/h on the 16”.
This setting has minimal torque for softer acceleration to reduce the effect of kickback. The intermediate setting sees riders take off from a standing start with mid-level torque and a 17 km/h top speed. Advanced has unrestricted throttle control and torque with a top speed of 29 km/h.
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
Hidden in the rear wheel is the 16” hub drive motor, which pumps out 40 Nm of torque with 250W (max 400 W) and is powered by a rechargeable 36 V 5.2 Ah lithium battery.
The 12” bike, being aimed at much younger riders, has a 24V 5.2Ah battery with a 12” hub motor pumping out 24 Nm of torque and 250 W (max 350 W). Depending on the terrain and how hard you’re riding the bike, you’ll get up to 75 minutes of fun before having to recharge the battery.
Wired Bikes 16″ e-balance bike
The single rear disc brake means there’s no thinking required for the kids, with one hand making the bike go and the other making it stop; being a rear brake means they are less likely to go over the bars (and more likely to rip sick skids).
The 12” is for young riders up to 35 kg and is priced at $899.99 RRP whereas the 16” is for riders up to 45 kg and $999.99 RRP. Available in matte black, metallic pearl pink and pearl white across both sizes, all Wired Bikes are available at AMX Superstores and local motorcycle dealers nationally.
The Wired Bikes 12″ e-balance bikes are suitable for younger riders
Toprak Razgatlioglu forged his way to the top of the time-sheets at Portimao overnight to finish up the final European pre-season test on a high. The Turk’s 1m39.189s under the lap record to finally push Ducati WorldSBK rookie Nicolo Bulega off the top of the charts.
While this is no race win, it will still be an incredible shot in the arm for the BMW World Superbike project, and all who work inside the motorsport division at BMW Motorrad.
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“For sure, to come away with P1 in the list and four riders within the top ten makes me confident to start the season. We had some difficulties in December, namely testing in bad conditions and not having comparables to measure us against. We came to these tests with a good feeling but no proof where we were after the long winter. At Jerez and here at Portimão we luckily found good and stable weather conditions, luckily with most of the paddock being here because we need to know where we stand. We’ve been consistently in the top three with the fastest rider which is pleasing. Now we are packing everything up for Australia, a very different track with a new surface, with harder tyres than what we have used during these tests. So it will be a new situation but we have a lot of positives we can build on. It was also important to see that the setup we brought from Jerez worked immediately here. There are still things to improve, we even see some more potential but I am happy to see how the structure has been build up, I am happy to see how the entire team is working together and I am happy with the results. It makes me look very positively on the season. It will be hard, no doubt; we have seen last year how competitive the field is but we want to be with the competitors at the very top. I am confident that we will be there.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
The last race victory for BMW actually came at Portimao, when Michael van der Mark took the top step in 2021. And that 2021 victory had broken a drought that had stood since 2013, when Chaz Davies won at Nurburgring.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Christian Gonschor – Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport
“It was interesting and busy test days. The good thing was that we actually had six riders on the track simultaneously, operating up to a total of twelve BMW M 1000 RRs. This benefits us immensely for further development. With this setup, we were able to gather so much data and information that we can now make very rapid progress. I think it’s evident that we are making progress. We were consistently in the top three or top four, with Toprak mostly in first or second place from the first to the last minute in both Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão. It was nice to see our BMW racers always up there. It was also phenomenal to see during both tests that ideas generated in the race teams but not immediately tested were passed on to the test team. This approach is optimal, allowing us to support the race teams effectively. Among other things, we tested applications and provided feedback before the WorldSBK riders tried them. With the test team, we evaluated various chassis elements. Bradley (Smith) focused intensively on basic topics and couldn’t chase lap times much, but that’s not the core task of a test team anyway. Sylvain (Guintoli) pre-tested many things for the racing teams. All bikes were run with the new E40 fuel, which is mandatory in the WorldSBK starting this year. This also proved successful, and there were no technical problems. Overall, we can now travel to Phillip Island with confidence because the collaborative efforts of all involved of the past months are bearing fruit.”
Bradley Smith was also testing with BMW
Toprak’s immediate form on the bike will also buoy the hopes of other riders on the M 1000 RR who will, of course, be studying Toprak’s data closely in their own quests to find more speed. And there will be plenty of time to do that study, as now the bikes are about to get crated up and shipped to Australia, where teams will undergo one final pre-season test at the Phillip Island Circuit (19-20 February), before the season’s first races get underway at the same venue on the weekend of February 25th.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
“I have to say that I was also surprised when I saw the 1:39.2 with the SCX tyre. Before, I did a 1:39.8 with the SC0 tyre and then I said to the team, if I am feeling a little more grip with the SCX tyre, we will make a very good lap time. So we did. Then I wanted to try the Q tyre and we got one from the Bonovo team, thanks to them. We tried to do another good lap time with that but the bike setup is completely different and I had the feeling that the bike was just jumping because there was too much grip. But in general I am very happy. After this test, it looks like we are 99 per cent ready with the bike. But again, we are still learning, getting better every day. I don’t know how it will be in Phillip Island. We were very strong here on these two days. Also our pace on race tyres is really strong. But Phillip Island is completely different. We will see there, it is impossible to say anything before the race or the test. But in general, this atmosphere is very good, I am very happy and we did a very good job on these two days.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Other headlines from testing overnight included a big spill for MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli. The Pramac Ducati rider, along with many of the other Ducati MotoGP pilots, had joined the WorldSBK regulars on track while riding lightly modified road bikes. Morbidelli spent the night at Faro Hospital under observation but it seems that he might have got lucky and avoided any major injuries.
Franco Morbidelli had a big off
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued to impress, securing the second-fastest time with 1m39.275s. Bulega had topped the previous day of testing, and also both days earlier this month at Jerez, and indicated that he was not pushing to his maximum potential.
Nicolò Bulega
Nicolò Bulega
“I am very happy with what we have done in these tests. The feeling was very positive both on the race pace and in the time attack and this shows the good work done with the team. Now we are going to Australia, and I can’t wait to be on track at my favourite circuit. Goals? I want to have fun: this is my rookie year and I certainly won’t have the same pressure as the top riders.”
Nicolò Bulega
However, his team-mate Alvaro Bautista faced a more demanding day, finishing in the 15th place, after ongoing work with ballast configurations, compounded by his struggles with strength due to the compressed discs he suffered during testing late last year.
Alvaro Bautista
Alvaro Bautista
“I can’t say I’m particularly satisfied with this test. During the first day, the sensations were not negative as I felt I had taken a step forward compared to the two days at Jerez. Today, however, I couldn’t find a good feeling and even at a physical level things didn’t improve. I’ll try to work as best I can at home these 15 days to arrive in Australia in the best possible condition“.
Alvaro Bautista
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed the third spot focusing on race pace and crucial chassis adjustments. Meanwhile, team-mate Axel Bassani worked on adapting to the in-line four, but faced challenges, finishing 11th.
Alex Lowes
Alex Lowes
“We have been working hard this winter with my crew chief Pere on used tyre settings. The final day here at Portimao was the first day where he was pushing me to focus on finding some speed as well. The electronics work we did, the set up work we did; we have definitely improved our pace on used tyres. We didn’t know how that would affect our one lap pace but when we pushed on with a run on the SCQ tyre, I did a couple of laps in the 1’39s and my best ever lap here. So we have to be happy because the bike was working well. We finished our winter testing in Europe with our best day yet.”
Alex Lowes
Pere Riba – Crew Chief for Alex Lowes
“Our lap time at the end of this test was good, but we focused on the weakest points of our package at the start, and adapting the bike to the new rules. We focused in Jerez and here in Portimao with the same items. We improved the electronics and the balance, in terms of chassis, swing arm and some other measures. We worked with Showa, as always. I would say that I am very happy. In Jerez Alex already showed a very good performance. We now need to go to the races and ride under hotter conditions. But, it seems Alex is very consistent, very linear with the lap times. He is doing the same lap times on the second lap that he can do on the 18th lap, and this is something very impressive. A very important point is that I am always working with the rider feeling. I think he is talking very deeply with the bike, understanding when there is a new tyre, when the tyre is dropping, when the bike behaviour is changing – he understands it. He made a big effort and a lot of laps. Well done to Alex as he made a very good job, as did everybody in the team. Now we are ready to go to Australia and keep working. We still have a job to do, as always, because it never stops.”
Alex Lowes
Axel Bassani
“This test was good and the family of Kawasaki is really nice. You feel like you are home. I am really happy to be here. The bike is not easy right now and we have to improve a lot but we are testing the bike here to do this. All the team are pushing a lot to try to be first in WorldSBK, and we have a lot to do. The first test at Jerez was not easy because the bike was completely different from the one I rode before, but step-by-step I am starting to learn a lot about this machine. I have had to completely change my style of riding. I have to think about everything I have to do. Especially in these two last European test days in Portimao, we have worked a lot on that. We improved a lot. We are ready for the next test in Australia.”
Axel Bassani
Marcel Duinker – Crew Chief for Axel Bassani
“I am impressed the way Axel is managing all these tests because it not easy to jump into a factory team. He has shown his professionalism even in his youth and is really committed to the job. This is not the easiest track especially when you are fresh to a bike and still have to learn to manage the bike properly. Our bike has a unique character and it takes some time to get used to it. But especially on the final day of this test the bike and rider became closer and we made some small adjustments on the chassis set-up. We reconfirmed some items we had at Jerez. Especially today, we had the first race at Phillip Island in our minds and we are really preparing ourselves for the opening round. We did a long run and Axel started to change his riding style to be more suitable for the Ninja ZX-10RR. He learned a lot over these 15 laps. In the end we used some softer tyres and Axel was able to improve his lap time with each set of tyres. We can say we did a good job in this test and really prepared ourselves for Phillip Island.”
Axel Bassani
Yamaha witnessed a day of two halves, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fourth as the lead Yamaha rider. Remy put in a total of 168 laps across the two days.
Remy Gardner
Remy Gardner
“We had another positive test here in Portimao, we definitely enjoyed our time here in Portugal and in general the days of testing we had. On the final day we also focused on race performance, trying a long run. We’re still looking for the maximum performance, but I’m happy with the job done so far. Finally, I tried a flying lap as well; unfortunately I had some traffic on my fastest laps, but I’m satisfied overall with the lap time.”
Remy Gardner
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) impressing throughout, securing sixth place, while team-mate Jonathan Rea faced technical issues in the morning but finished in seventh.
Andrea Locatelli
Andrea Locatelli
“It was an interesting test, especially today because I think we made a big improvement particularly in the long run – we did a really good job. I always had a really good feeling on my R1 in all the days, so this is the main point – and at the same time, we have been working well to be ready for Phillip Island. Let’s see what can happen there, it’s always a bit of a strange track, but to do a good job here in Portimão and Jerez was really important. It was the first time working with Tom and we are working very well together in these days, everything looks positive – we changed some things in the way of working, for him it was the first tests with me and with this bike but I already know it very well! We have a lot of data and completed very good long runs, with fast lap times every lap – so we can be happy with our work and now I am looking forward to the first round of the Championship.”
Andrea Locatelli
Jonathan Rea
“We lost a little bit of time today, but we just focused on what we could with our workload. I was not completely satisfied with the feeling out there, but I did a longer run to understand the tyre drop here and I got faster and faster during that – so there are some positives. I think we need to improve our “out and out” pace a bit, but I wasn’t completely comfortable as we are still looking to find that optimum set-up for my style. First time here at Portimão on my R1 threw a few curveballs from what I’m used to, so a little bit of work to do – but still happy, confident and relieved now that testing is finished and we can move on to focusing on Phillip Island. We still managed a lot of laps so I have to thank everyone on the team, from AP and my electronics engineer Davide to all the mechanics – they worked tirelessly all day to get through all the items! It has been super cool to be in full 2024 colours, kudos to Yamaha and Paul for getting the bike looking so nice – it feels real now riding on track that I have joined Yamaha and I’m enjoying it.”
Jonathan Rea
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Prometeon Yamaha
“All of the riders and teams have done a lot of mileage in four days across Jerez and Portimão – we’ve been really lucky with the weather and the conditions in general. The first “thanks” has to be to our Pata Prometeon Yamaha crew – tests are the hardest days for a race mechanic and these have been no different: lots of changes and some challenges, but the guys always give 100% and overall, we can be quite happy with the work completed. Loka’s test was smoother than Jonathan’s and this allowed him to complete two race distance simulations and a slightly wider test programme. He is riding really well, was very consistent and is looking to start the season strongly in Phillip Island. For JR, there were a few challenges to overcome for the first time at a different track with the R1 – and even if the ultimate lap time was disappointing by his extremely high standards – his consistency and ability to grind out very good lap times on old tyres is a positive sign not only for the demands of Phillip Island but the season as a whole. Now, there is a lot of work for the crew chiefs, electronics engineers and for Yamaha’s guys to ensure we go to Australia with the best start point possible. Testing is done, let’s go racing!”
Jonathan Rea and Paul Denning
Michael van der Mark, Razgatlioglu’s teammate, worked on bike setup and secured the fifth position overall.
Michael van der Mark
“I was really happy with the end of the day. Today we changed the setup of the bike, we had some ideas and we changed honestly the whole bike and immediately from the first lap that felt good. At the end of the day we were trying some new tyres, doing some good laps with the SCX and I felt happy. I felt good with the bike so I think I even could have gone a little bit quicker. But I am really happy. I am feeling more and more ready to race. Also doing so many laps in these perfect conditions I gained a lot of confidence again. I feel faster and more ready than last year. I feel that the old Mickey is coming back.”
Michael van der Mark,
Scott Redding and Garrett Gerloff were ninth and tenth respectively, making for four BMW machines in the top ten.
Scott Redding
“Portimão was a lot more difficult than Jerez. We knew that there was a possibility that this could be the case but it is also good sometimes to have this in testing because you have the time to work. We tried a lot of different things and nothing was really hitting the spot. It was a bit of confusion with the tyres and the track grip so that made it a bit time consuming for us. We managed to try some test items which was also important to do. We have a bit more a clear direction with the parts for round one at Phillip Island. After two days we finally made a little bit of progress and it was good to finish knowing you’re making steps. Going to Phillip Island it will be interesting what characteristics the bike will give us. In Jerez everything was running pretty easy, here it seemed quite difficult, so it will be interesting to see what is the outcome of the bike. Regarding the situation of what the track grip gives us we’ve done a lot of work in both areas. I’m looking forward to going to Phillip Island now. I’ve really enjoyed my time here testing with the team, having a lot of fun, laughing a lot and working hard. Now I can’t wait to go racing.”
Garrett Gerloff
“The test here in Portugal has been a bit up and down. Yesterday I struggled more than I like to admit but we finally found a setting on the last run yesterday that set up today as a really good day. Especially in the beginning of the day I felt really strong and I felt like I had a decent pace. I’m just frustrated with the end of the day. I had a crash and after that we struggled getting both the bikes to work like they should. That’s frustrating a little bit but I know that I have a team that’s on top of it and looking to solve all the problems that we have before the bikes go on the crates to Australia. That’s not the way I wanted to end the test but we still have positive stuff from these days, so that’s good.”
Other notable performances include Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) displayed strong performances completing the top 10, contributing to the anticipation of a competitive 2024 season.
Danilo Petrucci
“Yesterday, we tried new solutions to improve corner entry, but we didn’t find what we expected. Today, we returned to a more ‘standard’ solution, and I immediately felt better and I was able to be strong. The test in Portugal was an important proving ground because on this track, we struggle a lot due to numerous weight transfers and poor grip. Compared to a year ago, after the Portimao test, we look at the opening race in Australia with more confidence: I feel good, the team supports me at its best, and our race pace is good.”
Danilo Petrucci
Honda showed some small signs of improvement, with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Iker Lecuona adjusting electronics and addressing traction issues.
Xavi Vierge
“After last week’s Jerez test the team put together a really good plan for us to follow here at Portimão. So yesterday we started by working on the base, looking for greater stability, and then we mainly focused on the electronics. I think we’ve taken a little step forward, working on our riding style to manage the traction issue a little better. Today we essentially continued in a similar vein, as without traction it’s hard to fully exploit the potential of the engine and tyres. Overall, and as I said after the Jerez test, the feeling on the bike is not bad. At the end of this test, I can say that we have more understanding and are moving in the right direction. We now have a huge amount of data to look at before Phillip Island, where I hope we can take a similar step to the one we’ve made from Jerez to Portimão.”
Xavi Vierge
Iker Lecuona
“I’ve definitely completed a lot of laps over the two days here, and we’ve worked very hard. Unfortunately, despite the great efforts of everyone on the team, we cannot be satisfied with our result or performance. We were honestly expecting more, especially considering this is a track where I had a strong race last year. We still need to find a way to establish a good base setup to exploit the potential of the new bike. We have another two days to test at Phillip Island, although there it will be more about preparing for the first races. We will see. I’ll go to Australia with the best possible attitude though. It was nice to see some of the MotoGP guys here too. I chatted with the Marquez brothers, Luca Marini, and at one point I was on track at the same time as Rossi, which is always a pleasure”.
Iker Lecuona
Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin, representing the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team, faced a mixed day, with Mackenzie experiencing a delay due to a starting issue, while both riders missed the action on day one.
Tarran Mackenzie
“This test was mainly about getting used to the new bike, which for now is a mix of 2023 and 2024 parts, for a variety of reasons. We should have the full 2024 spec ready in time for Phillip Island. I ran in the engine this morning before making some laps this afternoon and working with the 2024 parts, so we now have some data we can use. We worked out a few small issues during the session and I think some of the new electronic components can really help too; I could see an improvement there. Unfortunately, today was cut a little short after I crashed but, like I say, it’s a matter of working to understand what we have and how we can exploit it.”
Adam Norrodin
“I’m happy with what has been my first real test, considering we didn’t complete many laps last time out at Jerez. We only really had a few hours in which to set up the bike, after running in the engine this morning and mounting some new parts yesterday, so we’re running a little behind everyone else. We improved every time we went out on track, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Everything is new for me, so there are many things I need to understand. We will receive some new parts in time for Phillip Island, which I hope can offer better feeling.”
The rest of the field, including Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing), Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), and Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha), continued to work on various aspects of their setups and strategies during the test.
Top WorldSSP rider was Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), ahead of Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team).
Adrian Huertas
Teams will undergo one final pre-season test at Phillip Island (19-20 February), before the season’s first races get underway at the picturesque venue between 23-25 February.
Tickets for the 2024 season opener are on sale now, check out your options at www.worldsbk.com.au
Indian Motorcycle and S&S will field Troy Herfoss alongside Tyler O’Hara for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan National Championship in 2024.
Troy Herfoss’ King of the Baggers Indian Challenger
Troy Herfoss transcends boundaries between on and off-road competitions, as he’s recorded championship titles in several forms of motorcycle racing, including Australian Dirt Track, Supermoto, and Supersport. Herfoss was the 2008 AMA Supermoto champion and a Moto X-Games silver medalist.
Troy Herfoss’ King of the Baggers Indian Challenger
Troy Herfoss
“To have the opportunity to don Indian Motorcycle Red leathers and compete on behalf of such a historic brand is a true honour. As a motorsports enthusiast in Australia, I’ve been envious of all the bagger racing taking place in the states, and I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to pilot an S&S Indian Challenger and ride for a factory team that has a championship to its name.”
Troy Herfoss alongside Tyler O’Hara for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan National Championship in 2024
Tyler O’Hara enters his fifth year aboard the S&S Indian Challenger, having won the inaugural KOTB race in 2020, and the class championship in 2022. In addition, 2024 will mark O’Hara’s second year piloting the S&S Indian FTR within the SHNC class, where he’s earned back-to-back class championships.
Tyler O’Hara and the King of the Baggers Indian Challenger alongside the FTR Super Hooligan machine
Gary Gray, Vice President Racing and Service for Indian Motorcycle
“We’re excited to welcome Troy to the Indian Motorcycle family, as he’s a seasoned road racer with a wealth of experience competing at a high level. Backed by the performance capabilities of Indian Motorcycle, we feel we have three riders who could each win a championship in 2024. Jared of course is eyeing a record-setting 10th-career AFT championship, while Tyler and Troy could both very well be in the hunt for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan championship. Our team has put in the work this offseason, so we’re excited to get the season rolling and head out to Daytona.”
Troy Herfoss and the King of the Baggers Indian Challenger alongside the FTR Super Hooligan machine
In addition to its factory efforts, Indian Motorcycle is offering up to $131,999 in KOTB privateer contingency and up to $67,249 in SHNC contingency.
The MotoAmerica road racing season will begin in just over a month with the Daytona 200 and round one of three of the series’ championships commencing on March 7 through 9 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Along with the 82nd running of the Daytona 200, the “Great American Motorcycle Race,” opening rounds of the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, BellisiMoto Twins Cup Championship, and Mission Super Hooligan National Championship will also take place during the three-day event.
MOTUL Summer Night Series hosted by St. George MCC
Sydney Motorsport Park – Gardner GP Circuit
Round Three – Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2
Words by Nick Edards, Images by Half Light & RbMotoLens
Round Three of the MOTUL St George Summer Nights Series 23/24 (aka SNS04) ran over two nights, Friday January 26 and Saturday the 27th. This differs from Rounds One and Two which were both one-night events. Reports for Rounds One and Two can be found here:
The established format was used for both nights which meant three classes each having a short qualifying session followed by three nine-minute-plus-one-lap races.
Races may be shortened or worst-case scenario cancelled, to ensure track action completes by 2230. With sunset at around 2000, there’s plenty of action under Sydney Motorsport Park’s excellent floodlight system.
2024 St George Night Series – Round Three
Qualifying on both nights meant that racers who couldn’t attend on Friday, still had a chance of claiming a good grid position on Saturday.
A progressive grid format was in effect both evenings so qualifying determined grid position in Race One, Race Two grid position was determined by finishing position in Race One, Race Three grid was based on Race Two finish.
Josh Brookes – 2024 St George Night Series – Round Three
The majority of racers elected to race both nights. Points from all six scheduled races would be tallied up at the end of Saturday’s racing to determine points for the round.
The AGV 400 cc/Formula St George classes also made their first appearance at a St George Night event, displacing the AGV Unlimited F3 class which didn’t run at Round Three.
Australia Day fireworks – 2024 St George Night Series – Round Three
The AGV 400cc class sees Yamaha R3s and Kawasaki Ninja 400s fighting for points.
The Formula St George class meanwhile is a wonderfully eclectic mix of two-stroke jewels like Honda NSR250R Moto3 bikes going up against the likes of the Yamaha MT07/R7, Aprilia RS660 and Keo Watson’s magnificent Saint ST650RR which is an SV650 motor in a CBR400R. frame This class saw some of the most intense racing of the weekend.
Pirelli Unlimited (Superbikes) and AMA Warehouse 600 (Supersport) were back again and as usual, both of these split into F1 (international/national riders) and F2 (clubbies).
Max Stauffer on the grid – 2024 St George Night Series – Round Three
Pirelli Unlimited F1 always springs some surprises as rider’s schedules and availability mean that whilst there are some, like Josh Brookes (#25B Livson Racing, FHO Racing, Pirelli, Aria Helmets BMW M1000RR) and Max Stauffer (#27 Dr Mak, RS&C, GTR Motostars, YRD, KYT Helmets, Racers Edge, Ricondi Leathers Yamaha R1), who can make the whole series, there are others who only attend one or two rounds.
Round Three saw the first and very welcome appearances of Ant West (#13 Addicted to Track Yamaha R1) and Bryan Staring (#67 MotoGO Yamaha R1) on track to further mix things up a little more.
Ant West’s #13 Addicted to Track Yamaha R1
Cam Dunker (#3 Doctor Mak, KYT Helmets, Yamaha Motor Australia R1) was also on deck for his first appearance on a Superbike ahead of his ASBK season in the big bike class, adding further excitement. More on Dunker’s ASBK plans here (link).
Glen Richards and Wayne Maxwell talk with Cam Dunker
Absent from Round Three was Harrison Voight who had held the series lead going into Round Three.
Sydney put on a scorching day ahead of the race evening with temps above 37° C, threatening to make the evening a very wearing exercise for everyone. Storms later in the evening were an outside possibility.
The Pirelli Unlimited class in pitlane – 2024 St George Night Series – Round Three
Once again though, the weather Gods played nice, a cool change came through around 1700 which took a lot of heat out of the air and the rain stayed away until half an hour or so after racing completed.
So the whole evening enjoyed nearly perfect weather, racers just having to be careful to make note of some residual damp spots on the track from earlier rain. These, for the most part, dried out as the evening progressed.
So points totals coming into Round Three: In F1, Harrison Voight (absent from this round) had a 48-point lead over Jake Farnsworth (#49 Worth Race Developments, Kingsdene Automotive, YRD, Pirelli, Forcite, Motul, RK Chains, AT1 Race Suits Yamaha R1) with Brookes, Stauffer and John Lytras (also absent) in third through fifth.
Harrison Voight pictured at Round Two was a notable absence
In F2, Timothy Griffith (#18 BCPerformance, Leafylooks Landscapes, TAG Avionics, Kenma Australia Kawasaki ZX10R) held top spot on 131-points, a 23-point lead over Carlos Rendon (#36 Pest Killer Sydney Ducati V4).
Leanne Nelson (#52 West Sliders, True Protein, MotoCity Wollongong Kawasaki ZX10R, Chris Dunne (#202 Damarc Civil, Evo Suspenion Ducati V4) and Ryan Masri (absent from Round Three) held third through fifth.
Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2 Qualifying 1 (Friday)
Qualifying sessions started right on schedule at 1730. In F1, Lachlan Epis took pole with a 1m30.737 and he was one of only three riders – along with Josh Brookes and Glen Allerton (#14 Spectra Oils, BMW, GT Racing BMW M1000RR) – to break the 1m31 sec mark.
Josh Brookes and Lachlan Epis
Stauffer and Farnsworth took fourth and fifth with a little over three-tenths of a second separating the top five.
In F2, Leanne Nelson’s 1:34.751 was good enough for top spot with Tim Griffith just one-tenth off Nelson’s pace.
Leanne Nelson topped F2 qualifying
Dominic De Leon (#63, AT1 Pro Race Suits, Motoschool, Airoh Helmets, BCPerformance Kawasaki ZX10R), Ryan Jowett (#57 JC Landscaping Ducati V4S) and Eddie Leeson (#11E GNH Engineering, AWX, Marjason & Marjason, Ricondi Race & Road Yamaha R1) rounded out the top five.
Summer Nights events are very much quickfire so there was little hanging around after the end of qualifying before the racing started.
Once the track was clear, Race One was re-run from scratch with the short red-flagged race attempt not contributing to points or grid positions.
Glenn Allerton’s bike earlier in the day
Epis wasn’t able to capitalise on his pole position, Brookes ran hard from the start and took the win from Stauffer with a three-second gap.
Max Stauffer and Josh Brookes
Stauffer had pulled a healthy lead over West by the end of the seven laps, Epis in fourth and Staring fifth.
Dunker’s first race outing on the R1 scored him a very credible sixth position. Fastest lap went to Brookes with a 1m31.023.
Cam Dunker
In F2, Nelson converted pole into a race win, seven-tenths ahead of Rendon, who had Griffith and De Leon right on his tail.
Leanne Nelson
Ashley Woolford (#11W Royal Precision Lubricants, Servalloy, Ascari Works Yamaha R1) hadn’t been able to stay with the lead group but bought the R1 home to fifth place.
Race One Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Cl.
Time
1
JOSH BROOKES
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:45.4450
2
MAX STAUFFER
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:48.6010
3
ANTHONY WEST
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F1
10:53.1040
4
LACHLAN EPIS
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:54.0310
5
BRYAN STARING
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:54.5740
6
CAMERON DUNKER
YAMAHA R1
F1
11:03.8300
7
JOSHUA SODERLAND
DUCATI V4R
F1
11:08.3920
8
PARIS HARDWICK
KAWASAKI ZX10RR
F1
11:08.6800
9
LEANNE NELSON
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:14.3720
10
CARLOS RENDON
DUCATI V4
F2
11:15.0440
11
TIMOTHY GRIFFITH
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:15.5820
12
DOMINIC DE LEON
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:15.6080
13
ASHLEY WOOLFORD
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:23.7000
14
PAUL LINKENBAGH
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:24.3770
15
EDDIE LEESON
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F2
11:26.8000
16
RYAN JOWETT
DUCATI V4S
F2
11:26.8930
17
MARC BALESTRO
DUCATI V4
F2
11:28.9420
18
NICHOLAS MARSH
YAMAHA R1M
F2
11:32.8490
19
GARETH REES
BMW S1000RR
F2
11:35.6940
20
CHRISTOPHER DUNNE
DUCATI V4
F2
11:38.4970
21
ASH EDWARDS
YAMAHA YZFR1
F2
11:46.7270
22
WAYNE HEPBURN
BMW S1000RR
F2
12:13.0750
DNF
JAMES BERKLEY
BMW S1000RR
F2
Race Two
Race Two saw another early red flag as Josh Soderland highsided leaving Tim Griffith nowhere to go, hitting Soderland’s bike and bringing him down as well.
Josh Soderland crashed out, collecting Tim Griffith
Both riders were OK and a mammoth effort by Griffith and his crew saw him back on track Saturday, Soderland however had to sit the rest of the weekend out.
Josh Brookes was the man to beat
Once again, the restart was from scratch and Josh Brookes was in charge from the start not giving Stauffer the opportunity to attack for the lead.
Max Stauffer
At the flag, Brookes had a half-second lead over Stauffer. West took third less than five-hundredths of second from Staring, while Dunker, rapidly adapting to the R1, finished fifth.
Ant West
Griffith’s absence robbed us of one of the key players in F2. De Leon and Nelson looked in great form and it was De Leon who took Race Two by four seconds from Woolford.
Dom De Leon
Paul Linkenbagh (#60 Smash Media Planning and Buying Agency Yamaha R1) and Dunne in fourth and fifth.
Paul Linkenbagh
Rendon was hampered by mechanical issues in both Races Two and Three which put a dent in his points chase.
Race Two Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Cl.
Time
1
JOSH BROOKES
BMW M1000RR
F1
9:12.4330
2
MAX STAUFFER
YAMAHA R1
F1
9:13.9520
3
ANTHONY WEST
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F1
9:14.7680
4
BRYAN STARING
YAMAHA R1
F1
9:14.8170
5
CAMERON DUNKER
YAMAHA R1
F1
9:21.1350
6
PARIS HARDWICK
KAWASAKI ZX10RR
F1
9:29.1100
7
LACHLAN EPIS
BMW M1000RR
F1
9:32.0570
8
DOMINIC DE LEON
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
9:34.7490
9
LEANNE NELSON
YAMAHA R1
F2
9:42.7970
10
ASHLEY WOOLFORD
YAMAHA R1
F2
9:44.5550
11
PAUL LINKENBAGH
YAMAHA R1
F2
9:46.7000
12
CHRISTOPHER DUNNE
DUCATI V4
F2
9:50.3280
13
RYAN JOWETT
DUCATI V4S
F2
9:50.5730
14
MICHAEL EDWARDS
YAMAHA YZF-R1M
F1
9:51.8330
15
EDDIE LEESON
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F2
9:52.5580
16
MARC BALESTRO
DUCATI V4
F2
9:54.8290
17
GARETH REES
BMW S1000RR
F2
9:58.0060
18
ASH EDWARDS
YAMAHA YZFR1
F2
10:01.5960
19
CARLOS RENDON
DUCATI V4
F2
10:17.8160
20
NICHOLAS MARSH
YAMAHA R1M
F2
10:18.5500
Race Three
In the final race for Friday evening, Stauffer was able to take the lead early and keep Brookes behind him for a two-tenths of a second win.
Max Stauffer in the lead
West, Staring and Epis (who scored fastest lap of the race) all crossing the line in very close company.
Lachlan Epis
In F2, De Leon took his second win of the night, three-seconds ahead of Nelson, who had put some air between her and Woolford in third. Linkenbagh and Dunne held fourth and fifth.
Chris Dunne
That wrapped up Friday’s races, ahead of three more races to be run on Saturday.
Josh Brookes held the lead in the F1 table by five-points from Max Stauffer. Bryan Staring in third, Lachlan Epis in fifth and, impressively, rookie Cam Dunker in sixth.
Bryan Staring and Hardwick
In F2, Dominic De Leon held a slim two-point lead over Leanne Nelson with Ashley Woolford, Paul Linkenbaugh and Eddie Leeson all within striking distance with 70-points up for grabs from Saturday’s races.
Eddie Leeson
Race Three Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Cl.
Time
1
MAX STAUFFER
YAMAHA R1
F1
4:38.6680
2
JOSH BROOKES
BMW M1000RR
F1
4:38.7070
3
ANTHONY WEST
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F1
4:39.1740
4
BRYAN STARING
YAMAHA R1
F1
4:39.2930
5
LACHLAN EPIS
BMW M1000RR
F1
4:39.9920
6
CAMERON DUNKER
YAMAHA R1
F1
4:41.1730
7
PARIS HARDWICK
KAWASAKI ZX10RR
F1
4:48.7430
8
DOMINIC DE LEON
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
4:48.9560
9
LEANNE NELSON
YAMAHA R1
F2
4:52.2950
10
ASHLEY WOOLFORD
YAMAHA R1
F2
4:53.2900
11
PAUL LINKENBAGH
YAMAHA R1
F2
4:54.8110
12
CHRISTOPHER DUNNE
DUCATI V4
F2
4:55.2830
13
MICHAEL EDWARDS
YAMAHA YZF-R1M
F1
5:01.7810
14
EDDIE LEESON
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F2
5:02.1590
15
NICHOLAS MARSH
YAMAHA R1M
F2
5:03.1880
16
GARETH REES
BMW S1000RR
F2
5:03.4170
17
ASH EDWARDS
YAMAHA YZFR1
F2
5:05.4660
18
MARC BALESTRO
DUCATI V4
F2
5:06.3710
19
CARLOS RENDON
DUCATI V4
F2
3:48.3100
DNF
RYAN JOWETT
DUCATI V4S
F2
3:21.5610
Saturday Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2 Qualifying 2
Back at the track on Saturday, conditions were cooler than Friday with no threat of rain, just perfect for some more action.
Lachlan Epis
In qualifying, it was Lachlan Epis, running on a bike carrying Wayne Hepburn’s #41 plate, who did it again, taking out pole with a 1:30.405.
Cam Dunker
Dunker, Stauffer and Brookes were all able to get into the 1:30s and Dunker’s second-place on the grid was apt demonstration that he was learning the R1 very quickly. Bryan Staring was fifth fastest.
Tim Griffith
In F2, Griffith, on his spare bike, put down a 1m34.728 giving him eighth on the grid overall and fastest of the F2 runners.
Leanne Nelson
De Leon and Nelson were within two-tenths off Griffith’s mark. Leeson and Woolford, always a threat, took fourth and fifth fastest F2, which gave them 11th and 12th on the grid.
Qualifying 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Cl.
Time/Gap
1
LACHLAN EPIS
F1
1:30.4050*
2
CAMERON DUNKER
F1
+0.115
3
MAX STAUFFER
F1
+0.156
4
JOSH BROOKES
F1
+0.336
5
BRYAN STARING
F1
+0.933
6
ANTHONY WEST
F1
+1.838
7
PARIS HARDWICK
F1
+3.601
8
TIMOTHY GRIFFITH
F2
+4.323
9
DOMINIC DE LEON
F2
+4.455
10
LEANNE NELSON
F2
+4.482
11
EDDIE LEESON
F2
+5.098
12
ASHLEY WOOLFORD
F2
+5.185
13
PAUL LINKENBAGH
F2
+5.887
14
CARLOS RENDON
F2
+6.315
15
CHRISTOPHER DUNNE
F2
+6.417
16
HARLEY BORKOWSKI
F2
+6.736
17
MARC BALESTRO
F2
+7.955
18
NICHOLAS MARSH
F2
+8.026
19
WAYNE HEPBURN
F2
+14.654
Saturday Race One
Epis would stick with the #41 plated bike for the rest of the night’s events and that machine was clearly to his liking as, in Race One, he took out second place, behind Josh Brookes.
Farnsworth, Epis, Brookes, Allerton, Stauffer and West
Epis kept Max Stauffer two-tenths behind him at the finish, Staring and West having not been able to maintain the same pace back in fourth and fifth. Dunker DNF’d after an off in Turn 5.
Max Stauffer & Josh Brookes
De Leon took another win in F2 from Nelson, this time with a near-eight-second gap.
Dom De Leon
Just one second covered second through fifth with Leeson, Rendon and Woolford coming in behind Nelson.
Carlos Rendon
Race One Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Cl.
Time
1
JOSH BROOKES
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:38.9270
2
LACHLAN EPIS
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:40.2570
3
MAX STAUFFER
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:40.4940
4
BRYAN STARING
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:44.2940
5
ANTHONY WEST
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F1
10:54.4500
6
PARIS HARDWICK
KAWASAKI ZX10RR
F1
11:03.5950
7
DOMINIC DE LEON
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:06.8270
8
LEANNE NELSON
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:14.3200
9
EDDIE LEESON
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F2
11:14.5560
10
CARLOS RENDON
DUCATI V4
F2
11:15.0330
11
ASHLEY WOOLFORD
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:15.3260
12
PAUL LINKENBAGH
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:17.7500
13
TIMOTHY GRIFFITH
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:21.7570
14
MARC BALESTRO
DUCATI V4
F2
11:23.0650
15
NICHOLAS MARSH
YAMAHA R1M
F2
11:34.4460
16
HARLEY BORKOWSKI
YAMAHA YZF R1
F2
11:34.6860
17
WAYNE HEPBURN
BMW S1000RR
F2
12:03.8640
18
CHRISTOPHER DUNNE
DUCATI V4
F2
10:54.1720
DNF
CAMERON DUNKER
YAMAHA R1
F1
Saturday Race Two
Race two and Stauffer took an early lead but Brookes was on top form, carding fastest lap of the race, a 1m30.745 ,and took the win by seven-tenths of a second.
Josh Brookes & Max Stauffer
Stauffer and Epis were nearly inseparable, Stauffer crossing the line just four-hundredths of a second ahead.
Lachlan Epis
Dunker wasn’t quite in touch at the finish but with barely two seconds between himself and Epis, and having a fastest lap less than two-tenths off Brookes’ mark, he would have been well satisfied with the result.
Cam Dunker
West took fifth but was 14-seconds back from Dunker.
Ant West
De Leon was unstoppable in F2. Another win, this time by nearly five seconds from Griffith, who was clearly still feeling beaten up from the previous evening’s accident but putting in a strong effort.
De Leon leads Rendon, Griffith, Nelson
Griffith had Leeson right on his tail across the line. Rendon and Linkenbagh took out fourth and fifth.
Race Two Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Cl.
Time
1
JOSH BROOKES
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:41.4760
2
MAX STAUFFER
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:42.2230
3
LACHLAN EPIS
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:42.2680
4
CAMERON DUNKER
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:44.9150
5
ANTHONY WEST
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F1
10:58.8060
6
BRYAN STARING
YAMAHA R1
F1
11:00.8190
7
PARIS HARDWICK
KAWASAKI ZX10RR
F1
11:02.4330
8
DOMINIC DE LEON
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:08.8090
9
TIMOTHY GRIFFITH
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:13.1370
10
EDDIE LEESON
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F2
11:13.1440
11
CARLOS RENDON
DUCATI V4
F2
11:15.6300
12
PAUL LINKENBAGH
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:16.2530
13
LEANNE NELSON
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:16.2810
14
CHRISTOPHER DUNNE
DUCATI V4
F2
11:19.9840
15
MARC BALESTRO
DUCATI V4
F2
11:32.6810
16
NICHOLAS MARSH
YAMAHA R1M
F2
11:39.1330
17
WAYNE HEPBURN
BMW S1000RR
F2
12:05.5200
DNF
ASHLEY WOOLFORD
YAMAHA R1
F2
3:56.7990
Saturday Race Three
Saturday’s Race 3 was the last race for the weekend and Stauffer took an early lead but Brookes and Epis were able to reel him in.
Brookes chases down Stauffer
Brookes went on for the win, Epis two-hundredths of a second back and Stauffer in third hassling them right up until the end.
Lachlan Epis
Dunker wrapped up his debut Superbike race weekend with a fourth, Staring took fifth.
Cam Dunker
De Leon made F2 all his by taking out Race Three from Eddie Leeson by over twenty-five seconds.
Dom De Leon
Leeson had Griffith just seventh-tenths back. Nelson and Rendon crossed in fourth and fifth.
Tim Griffith
Race Three Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Cl.
Time
1
JOSH BROOKES
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:42.5620
2
LACHLAN EPIS
BMW M1000RR
F1
10:43.5450
3
MAX STAUFFER
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:44.2030
4
CAMERON DUNKER
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:45.9020
5
BRYAN STARING
YAMAHA R1
F1
10:46.5160
6
DOMINIC DE LEON
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:13.2720
7
EDDIE LEESON
YAMAHA YZF-R1
F2
11:13.3410
8
TIMOTHY GRIFFITH
KAWASAKI ZX10R
F2
11:14.0010
9
LEANNE NELSON
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:18.0760
10
CARLOS RENDON
DUCATI V4
F2
11:18.3480
11
PAUL LINKENBAGH
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:25.2370
12
CHRISTOPHER DUNNE
DUCATI V4
F2
11:25.2470
13
MARC BALESTRO
DUCATI V4
F2
11:31.8550
14
ASHLEY WOOLFORD
YAMAHA R1
F2
11:32.0200
15
NICHOLAS MARSH
YAMAHA R1M
F2
11:41.7130
Overall Round
What a weekend. Both nights ran to schedule with all classes completing their three races.
Even a red flag couldn’t slow proceedings
Josh Brookes took the F1 overall on 145-points, Max Stauffer the round runner-up on 121-points and Lachlan Epis rounding out the top three on 108-points. Bryan Staring (102), Cameron Dunker (83), Paris Hardwick (76), Michael Edwards (28) and Josh Soderland (15) rounded out the class for round three.
Josh Brookes
With round three added to the overall standings, we see Brookes leading on 240-points, Stauffer second on 205 and Lachlan Epis is third, a point ahead of Paris Hardwick, who is a point ahead of Harrison Voight.
Max Stauffer, Jamie Stauffer and Paul Free
In F2 Dominic de Leon took the overall on 142-points, Leanne Nelson second on 117-points, and Eddie Leeson rounded out the podium on 99-points.
Dominic de Leon
Leanne Nelson now holds the F2 lead on 214-points, 13-points ahead of Tim Griffith, Dominic de Leon and Carlos Rendon tied on 198-points in third.
Leanne Nelson
The report on AMA Warehouse 600 F1/F2 and AGV 400c/Formula St George will follow later in the week, so stay tuned for the supports.
On a last upbeat note, Andrew Burley, who we reported took a bad tumble in Turn 1 at Round Two and needed surgery on arm injuries, was back at the track, smiling, in fine form and helping out the orange army where he could.
Safe to say we were all seriously happy to see Burls back in the circus off-track and expect to see him back in the circus on the track in due course.
Three rounds down, one to go, the MOTUL St George Summer Nights Series 23/24 wraps up with another double-header in less than two weeks on Friday 9th/Saturday 10th of February.
Quotes
Josh Brookes #25
“The double-header was something that I was looking forward to. We didn’t have the Ducati competition this weekend but everyone else has stepped up anyway so I had my work cut out for me in every race with an attack coming from a number of riders. The first night each race was affected by red flags but the second night went without any stoppages and I was able to win all three. With five wins from six starts I’m happy with that and I feel like I’m keeping my reaction sharp with the high intensity of the Summer Night Series.”
Josh Brookes
Max Stauffer #27
“It was great to get to the back-to-back rounds, I spent a lot of time behind Josh and he taught me a lot. I’m still struggling with the same issues and I’ve got to try work out a way to fix them. I’ll keep working and pushing forward, massive thanks to the club for everything they have done.”
Max Stauffer
Lachlan Epis #82
“As usual the night racing was excellent and it was nice to be competitive and feature in said night racing. Always good to be rubbing bars with the boys and while hard we kept in clean. Hoping for a speedy recovery for GA, one of those ones where you just get the shit end of the stick. One more round and then off to Asia for me, looking forward to it!”
Lachlan Epis
Dominic De Leon #63
“After my performance in Round Two I needed to prove to myself that I’ve not lost my mojo. Round Three, I felt positive leading up to this event and just knew I had a lot more to give. Well, the performance last weekend has certainly proven to me that anything is possible, especially when you are hungry. It just all fell into place. Going to be pressing the repeat at Round Four. Plan is to go even harder.”
Dominic De Leon
Leanne Nelson #52
“Wow! Another spectacular round by St George MCC. The Night Series just keep getting better and better and so does the racing. I had my best round yet. I’m very happy with the bike set up we’ve achieved in the short time I’ve had my new Yamaha R1. I’ve definitely taken a leap forward on this bike and over the two nights I hit a number of PBs. I can’t wait for the final round in a couple of weeks.”
Leanne Nelson
Eddie Leeson #11
“I’d been keeping an eye on the first few rounds while away at work and seen that over the past few years the series has been getting bigger and better to the point it is one of the premiere national events outside of ASBK. A lot of mates and a fellow racer spoke very highly of it and when the opportunity came up to make it down and have a go it did not disappoint! A fantastic event run extremely well and clearly very popular with local, interstate and national racers alike. I couldn’t ask for a better first experience to ride and race Eastern Creek and would encourage others to come down and give it a go.”
The PIERER Mobility Group increased consolidated sales by around 9 per cent, to a new record of EUR 2,661 million in the 2023 financial year (previous year: EUR 2,437 million) despite difficult economic conditions and upheaval in the bicycle industry.
The preliminary operating result (EBIT) fell by around 32 per cent to EUR 160 million (previous year: EUR 235 million), which corresponds to an EBIT margin of 6.0 per cent.
In the motorcycle segment, the EBIT margin is around 9 per cent, which is within the originally planned range of 8-10 per cent.
On the other hand, the reorganisation of the bicycle segment had a significant negative impact on earnings. At EUR 324 million, the operating result before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is around 15 per cent below the previous year’s figure, which corresponds to an EBITDA margin of 12.2 per cent.
In the motorcycle segment, the cost of dealer inventories rose sharply due to significantly higher interest rates despite good demand. As a result, extended payment terms and higher discounts had to be granted to dealers in order to strengthen the dealer structure.
Due to the sufficient liquidity reserves available, PIERER Mobility AG was able to support not only its dealers but also its suppliers accordingly in order to stabilise their financial situation and reduce the significantly increased burdens caused by the rise in interest rates.
2024 Husqvarna TC 65
The associated negative impact on free cash flow, which totalled EUR -411 million in 2023 (previous year: EUR -3 million), was therefore consciously accepted. In addition, the level of investment in the 2023 financial year remained at a high level (EUR 284 million, +6 per cent). In the past financial year, investments in series development projects including tools totalled EUR 195 million (+21 per cent).
In the 2023 financial year, the PIERER Mobility Group increased its workforce by 96 to a total of 6,184 employees. Of these, around 220 apprentices are employed in the training workshop at the Mattighofen site. Around 1,300 employees work in Research & Development, which corresponds to around 21 per cent of the total workforce.
With 280,206 KTM motorcycles sold, 67,462 HUSQVARNA motorcycles sold and 29,532 GASGAS motorcycles sold in the 2023 financial year, in addition to the motorcycles sold by MV Agusta (1,852) and CFMoto (2,503), sales totalled 381,555 motorcycles (2022: 375,492 units). The motorcycles segment thus achieved a sales increase of 2 per cent.
2024 GASGAS Enduro models
In the sales regions of Europe, sales totalled around 140,000 motorcycles (+15 per cent) and around two-thirds of motorcycles (around 240,000) were sold in markets outside Europe. Despite a slight decline in sales in North America, the subsidiary there still managed to sell more than 100,000 motorcycles for the second time in a row. While sales in South America (-26 per cent) and Asia (-27 per cent) declined in the past financial year, sales in Australia were up slightly (+1 per cent) on the previous year with around 19,700 motorcycles sold.
Contrary to the difficult global economic conditions, demand in the core markets of Europe grew very strongly at +11 per cent (~820,000 newly registered motorcycles) and in North America (USA & Canada) at +4 per cent (485,000 motorcycles).
The market share of all three brands (KTM, Husqvarna, GASGAS) will therefore be around 10.6 per cent in Europe and 12.6 per cent in North America in 2023.
The Australian (including New Zealand) motorcycle market declined slightly, with a 3 per cent drop to 67,000 newly registered motorcycles. Nevertheless, the total market share of the three brands in this market increased to 21 per cent.
The relevant Indian motorcycle market, on the other hand, is experiencing a significant upswing (+22 per cent), as in the previous year. Bajaj sold almost 66,000 KTM and Husqvarna motorcycles in India, resulting in a market share of 5.3 per cent.
The PIERER Mobility Group was also confronted with a sharp fall in market prices due to global overstocks in the bicycle sector. The sales growth of more than 30 per cent in this segment with the HUSQVARNA, R RAYMON, GASGAS and FELT brands was characterized by inventory adjustments and the disposal of the R Raymon brand. In the 2023 financial year, 157,358 bicycles were sold (previous year: 118,465), of which 100,640 were e-bicycles (previous year: 74,479). The DACH region remains the largest sales market for bicycles, accounting for around 60 per cent. The share of sales in the bicycle division in North America will be 10 per cent in 2023.
In January 2024, PIERER Mobility AG received the update of its ESG risk assessment by Sustainalytics. The company was classified as having a low risk of material financial impact from ESG factors (score: 10.0). With this ESG risk rating, the company thus achieved the 1st place in the automotive sector assessed by Sustainalytics. In addition, PIERER Mobility AG was again recognised by Sustainalytics as an “ESG Regional Top Rated” and “ESG Industry Top Rated” company in 2024.
In the 2024 financial year, PIERER Mobility AG will focus on strengthening its core business “Powered-Two-Wheelers (motorcycles and e-bicycles)” with the brands KTM, Husqvarna, GASGAS and MV Agusta. In order to secure the Group’s profitability, the management is implementing cost-cutting measures in the double-digit million range in the current year of consolidation. A key focus will be on streamlining product development cycles and a clear alignment of the product programs.
2024 KTM 990 Duke with the mandatory street bits removed and some bling added
In the motorcycle segment, parts of production for individual mid-range models and certain R&D activities are being transferred to strategic partner Bajaj Auto, India, and CFMOTO, China. This affects products (road motorcycles) in very price- and competition-intensive markets. The model range previously produced by Bajaj (between 125 and 390 cubic centimetres) will be expanded. Road motorcycles between 790 and 950 cubic centimetres will be assembled by the Chinese partner CFMOTO. Among other things, this is intended to exploit cost advantages in these regions and accelerate development and industrialization processes.
These measures will be accompanied by a reduction in the number of employees by up to 300 in Mattighofen and Munderfing, in particular through the removal of temporary workers and employees leaving the company through natural fluctuation.
Against the backdrop of difficult economic developments worldwide, the Executive Board expects sales to remain virtually unchanged and the EBIT margin to be between 5 per cent and 7 per cent in the 2024 financial year.
PIERER Mobility AG is the holding company of Europe’s leading manufacturer of powered two-wheelers, producing a full range of premium brands including KTM, GASGAS, Husqvarna and und MV A
The 2024 Ales Trem Hard Enduro has been run and won, with Wade Young making a surprise appearance on GASGAS machinery, after years riding Sherco. The South African came out swinging for a narrow win over previous team-mate Mario Roman.
Ales Trem Hard Enduro Podium – 1) Wade Young, 2) Mario Roman, 3) Alfredo Gomez
The ninth running of the Ales Trem Hard Enduro saw Young take victory by two-seconds, from Roman, while Alfredo Gomez rounded out the podium in a more distant third. Roman’s team-mate Teodor Kabakchiev then finished fourth.
Mario Roman – P2
“I’m very happy with the result of the weekend second and second. For sure, I would like to win because Alestrem is very important for us and it’s one of my favourite races and I am one of the best riders for this kind of races. But I came with an injury, my clutch finger which is one of the most important fingers or parts of the body. A week ago, I wasn’t sure if I could be able to race and now we almost win the the weekend. For the first two laps. I was saving energy and trying to get the base, as the boys were on fire. Because of the injury, I lose a lot of confidence, so I was trying to not crash and save energy, because I wasn’t sure how good would be my finger at the end of the day. And at the third lap, I ride full gaz and i catched Téo and Wade pretty fast in the first and second uphill. And from that I’ve been fighting with them especially with Wade. I get a good lead of five minutes gap and then at seven or ten minutes from the end, Wade chased me and we fight each other full gas until the Finnish flag, so it’s not a victory. But I feel like a victory because I, I did my 100 or even 200 today, and ‘everything was very good. Thanks to the team for the big effort, it was amazing on the mechanics, all the people around and it will be awesome to have all this team in other races as well.”
Mario Roman
Alfredo Gomez – P3
“At the Ales Trem Hard Enduro from less to more, with a few falls in between… today my Rieju has behaved well.”
Teodor Kabachiev – P4
“This was the first race for the Sherco team and me since we joined forces. We managed to get a win in the prologue and a 4-th place in the 8 hour main race. Solid start. I am sure that we will only build from here!”
24MX Alestrom Hard Enduro Finishers
Pos
Rider
Time
1
YOUNG Wade
17:00:49
2
ROMAN Mario
17:00:51
3
GOMEZ Alfredo
17:19:21
4
KABAKCHIEV Teodor
17:30:24
5
WALKNER Michael
17:35:04
6
POIROT Fabien
17:54:56
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New Zealand’s Cole Davies tops 250SX Futures Main Event in Anaheim
Anaheim 2 saw the opening stop of the 250SX Futures development category, where new GASGAS amateur recruit Cole Davies won the Main Event to commence his 2024 AMA Supercross campaign in fine fashion on the top step of the podium.
Cole Davies
Davies hails from Waitoki, New Zealand and battles Gavin Towers for the win, with the leading duo well clear of the rest of the field, third placed Parker Ross over eight-seconds off the winning pace.
Cole Davies
250SX Futures Main Event Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Cole Davies
GASGAS MC 250F
9 Laps
2
Gavin Towers
Yamaha YZ250F
+00.632
3
Parker Ross
Honda CRF250R
+08.046
4
Preston Boespflug
Suzuki RM-Z250
+13.616
5
Blake Gardner
Kawasaki KX250
+15.134
6
Drew Adams
Kawasaki KX250
+16.886
7
Landen Gordon
Kawasaki KX250
+24.808
8
Tyler Mollet
Husqvarna FC 250
+26.445
9
Kelana Humphrey
GASGAS MC 250F
+29.212
10
Dylan Rempel
Kawasaki KX250
+31.138
11
Preston Masciangelo
GASGAS MC 250F
+32.447
12
Hayden Robinson
KTM 250 SX-F
+42.208
13
Landin Pepperd
GASGAS MC 250F
+46.625
14
Kaden Lewis
GASGAS MC 250F
+47.489
15
Jesse Wessell
Husqvarna FC 250
+53.279
16
Mark Fineis
Yamaha YZ250F
+53.663
17
Kile Epperson
Honda CRF250R
+55.217
18
Noah Smerdon
KTM 250 SX-F
+57.123
19
Noah Viney
Honda CRF250R
8 Laps
20
Ethan Day
Honda CRF250R
+05.960
21
Reven Gordon
Kawasaki KX250
+12.544
22
Alvin Hillan
Honda CRF250R
+32.372
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Another runner-up position for Mason Semmens at WORCS
Mason Semmens has grabbed another podium in the Pro 250 class at WORCS Round 2 held at Glen Helen Raceway, completing the podium behind Colton Aeck, with Kai Aiello third.
In the Pro 450 class Tyler Lynn took the win, followed by Dare Demartile and Trevor Stewart.
Mason Semmens – Pro 250 P2
“P2 for the day, was a battle for two hours, just came up that little bit short! Healthy and ready for the next one. Thanks everyone”
Mason Semmens
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Jorge Prado says goodbye to America and the AMA SX, as he heads for MXGP
Jorge Prado has said goodbye to America where he’s been competing in the AMA SX series with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team, as he heads back over to Europe to defend his MXGP title.
Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado
“Saying goodbye to America, seeing a great progression on competition days. I finish the experience happy and knowing that this learning will possibly help me face the world of MXGP. I feel lucky to live here. Thanks to all the Spaniards who flew expressly to see me. To the affection of Latin Americans and America in general for the treatment received. It’s time to go back and keep training to fight for revalidate the title. Can’t wait to compete with N1.”
Jorge Prado
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Team Australia wins inaugural FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup
Team Australia led by six-time Australian champion Charli Cannon have taken victory at the inaugural FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup, with the Aussie team also comprising of Emma Milesevic (Honda), Madison Brown (Honda), Taylor Thompson, (Yamaha), Tayla McCutcheon (Kawasaki) and Madi Healey (GasGas).
Charli Cannon led Team Australia to victory
Team New Zealand were represented by Karaitiana Horne, Taylar Rampton, Breanna Rodgers, Hannah Powell, Letitia Alabaster and Melissa Patterson, with four-time FIM women’s motocross world champion Courtney Duncan providing counsil.
Held over three motos of 12 minutes plus one lap and incorporated into the Woodville senior women’s races, the team with the lowest score was declared winner.
Australia largely dominated the three races, Charli Cannon winning race one, with Taylor Thompson runner-up and New Zealand’s Karaitiana Horne rounding out the podium.
McCutheon, Milesevic, Healey and Brown were then fourth through seventh, and New Zealand’s Rampton, Rodgers and Powell rounded out the top-10.
Cannon again took the win in race two, with Australia locking out the top-five, McCutcheon second, Heley third, and Milesevic and Brown fourth and fifth.
Cannon wasn’t able to make it three from three in the third race however, McCutcheon finishing the weekend on a high note with the final win for Australia, Cannon runner-up and Thompson third. Australia again dominated the top five, Healey fourth and Brown fifth.
Charli Cannon
“I was nervous about racing – but I wanted to race for Australia, and if I could race, I was going to give it my all,” Cannon said. “Winning overall and playing my role in helping Team Australia secure victory in the FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup is an experience I’ll never forget. Every member of the team did an amazing job.”
Team Australia consisted of Charli Cannon (Honda), Emma Milesevic (Honda), Madison Brown (Honda), Taylor Thompson, (Yamaha), Tayla McCutcheon (Kawasaki) and Madi Healey (GasGas).
FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup individual standings
Charli Cannon (Aust)
Taylah McCutcheon (Aust)
Taylor Thompson (Aust)
Madison Healey (Aust)
Maddison Brown (Aust)
Karaitiana Horne (NZ)
Emma Milesevic (Aust)
Taylar Rampton (NZ)
Letitia Alabaster (NZ)
Breanna Rodgers (NZ)
Mel Patterson (NZ)
Hannah Powell (NZ)
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Jaimon Lidsey wins 2024 FIM Oceania Speedway Solo Championship
Jaimon Lidsey is the 2024 FIM Oceania speedway champion after producing a blemish-free scorecard in the Gillman-hosted event on Saturday, January 27. The 2020 world under 21 champion came out all guns blazing in his opening heat, and then waltzed through the evening en route to victory in the final ahead of Tai Woffinden, Brady Kurtz and Justin Sedgmen.
Lidsey’s victory in the FIM Oceania Championship – promoted by the Speedway Riders Association of SA – continued a stellar summer for the 23-year-old from Red Cliffs, who won the Speedway Centenary meeting in North Brisbane before finishing fourth in the Australian title to wrap up a spot in 2024 Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) qualifying.
Jaimon Lidsey
“After being injured for most of the last Aussie summer, and then with Covid before that, I really haven’t had a good go at racing domestically for a while now, so the last couple of months have been great. I have been trying to win the Oceania Championship for ages, so to get the win and go through the card unbeaten was really satisfying. I didn’t feel too fast in practice, but when I started racing everything just clicked and came together. In the final, I got the jump before Tai came under me, but I passed him back on the second corner and held onto the lead for the rest of the race.”
Jaimon Lidsey wins 2024 FIM Oceania Speedway Solo Championship – Image by Judy Mackay
After a large chunk of the field had made the 400km road trip from Mildura to Gillman – Mildura’s 75th anniversary meeting was held the night before – to compete in the 2024 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship, the big guns immediately loomed large as Lidsey (15pts) completed the heats ahead of triple world champion Woffinden (13), Josh Pickering (13), Brit Sam Hagon (11), Kurtz (11) and Sedgmen (10).
Lidsey and Kurtz then progressed from the opening semi-final with Pickering and Fraser Browes eliminated, and the second semi saw Woffinden and Sedgmen make it to the decider at the expense of Hagon and Zane Keleher.
There were two major talking points ahead of the final: who would become the new FIM Oceania champion, and would Kurtz or Sedgmen lock in the final 2024 SGP qualifying spot?
Lidsey’s decisive early move on Woffinden emphatically answered the first question, while Kurtz also had Sedgmen’s measure as they flashed across the line in third and fourth.
FIM OCEANIA SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
HEAT SCORES: 1 Jaimon Lidsey 15, 2 Tai Woffinden 13, 3 Josh Pickering 12, 4 Sam Hagon 11, 5 Brady Kurtz 11, 6 Justin Sedgmen 10, 7 Fraser Bowes 9, 8 Zane Keleher 7, 9 Michael West 7, 10 Jacob Hook 7, 11 Sam Martin 5, 12 Dayle Wood 4, 13 Jack Morrison 2, 14 Declan Knowles 2, 15 Matt Marson 2, 16 Jake Turner 1.
The Mildura Motorcycle Club has announced the winners at their 75th anniversary meeting, where Justin Sedgmen topped the GT On-Site Windscreens Phil Crump Solo Classic class, ahead of Brady Kurtz and Jaimon Lidsey. Fourth through sixth were then Josh Pickering, Sam Masters and Frederick Jakobsen.
2024 Phil Crump Solo Classic Podium – 1) Sedgmen, Kurtz, Jaimon
In the Dudley Bradshaw Sidecar Shootout we saw Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr claim victory, ahead of Byren Gates/Michael O’Loughlin and Max Howse/Riley Commons, while the duo of Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris were fourth.
The 2024 Indian Supercross Racing League kicked off in Pune over the weekend, with Jordi Tixier taking the opening 450 cc International win, while in the 250 cc International class it was Reid Taylor taking top honours.
In an exciting result for Australia’s Matt Moss he finished runner up in the 450 cc class, tying on points with Cedric Soubeyras, both riding for Bigrock Motorsports. Thomas Ramette and Paul Haberland then completed the top-five.
Behind Reid Taylor on the 250s, was Hugo Manzato, followed by Julien Lebau, Enzo Polias and Mickael Lamarque.
“Team work makes the dream work,” shared Moss, also congratulating teammate Taylor for his 250 cc win. “To say I’m pumped for this kid to get his first international win and first win is an understatement the smile says it all well done legend.”
2024 Indian Supercross Racing League – 250 International Top Six
2024 Indian Supercross Racing League – 450 International Top Six
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Harwood & Scott top 2024 Woodville GP
The 61st annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville is an important prelude to race meeting before the Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championships begins this weekend, and Australian import Jed Beaton’s first time riding for the Altherm JCR Yamaha team proved a good one, settling for second in the MX1 class.
Jed Beaton
Beaton was second overall, behind Hamish Harwood, while Jack Treloar rounded out the top three in the premiere class.
Jed Beaton
“It’s been a long time between races for me and it was good to get back behind a start gate and get the intensity that only racing brings. I felt pretty good on the bike, but also think there is room for improvement and the New Zealand champs will be the perfect place to get myself and my bike 100% before the start of the ProMX championship in March.”
Jed Beaton
In MX2 Altherm JCR Yamaha took the win, James Scott a point clear of Madoc Dixon, with Cody Cooper rounding out the top three.
Altherm JCR Yamaha supported rider Nelson’s Wills Harvey claimed the MX125cc class title in what was his first senior class win. It also earned the 17-year-old the Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy, as the youngest senior class winner aged under 19.
Woodville GP MX2 Podium – 1) James Scott, 2) Madoc Dixon, 3) Cody Cooper
Other notable results for the team in the junior categories, which raced on Saturday, were achieved by young Yamaha supported riders Jack Ellingham who won the 125cc class and the Townley brothers Levi (1st 13/16 85cc; 2nd 12/14 125cc) and Jaggar (1st 11/12 85cc).
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YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup set for big year in 2024
Yamaha’s award-winning bLU cRU program has seen a surge in popularity. The number of youngsters racing off-road as part of the bLU cRU has increased by 53% over the past two years, with more than 600 YZ riders from 29 countries set to compete for a place at the 2024 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale this season. This is the largest entry since Yamaha Motor Europe launched the unique bLU cRU program in 2015.
2024 Yamaha YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup
As in previous years, the Yamaha YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup will see riders aged from 8 to 16 years racing throughout Europe and competing for a place on the start gate at the Yamaha YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale in front of a huge and typically enthusiastic crowd, the world’s media and the biggest teams in the sport.
Some ‘famous’ surnames feature on the rider list, including Augusts Reišulis, younger brother of Yamaha stars Kārlis and Jānis, and Nixon Coppins, son of MX star and JCR Yamaha Manager Josh Coppins. The 29 different nations registered represent every corner of Europe, bringing a cosmopolitan feel to the bLU cRU patch of the paddock when they come together at the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale.
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2024 FIM Speedway of Nations to decide SON2 champion
Eight of the sport’s top under-21 teams will compete over an epic 28 heats for the FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 title in Manchester on Friday, July 12.
The FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship is staged as part of the FIM Speedway of Nations – the sport’s world team championship for 2024, which takes place at Britain’s National Speedway Stadium from July 9-13.
Great Britain was due to sit out the 2024 event after finishing seventh in Riga. But after being seeded into the competition as host nation, they will now join an eight-team field, expanded from seven in 2023, featuring Poland, Denmark, Latvia, Australia, Germany, Czech Republic and the returning Swedish team, which missed the 2023 competition after finishing seventh in 2022.
With 28 heats and the sport’s under-21 world team crown on the line, René Schäfer, FIM race director for SON2, is expecting a dramatic night of action in Manchester.
René Schäfer – SON2 FIM Race Director
“We looked at all the different options. With this being an under-21 event, the SON2 riders are the future of our sport, and we felt the right decision was to find a way to allow every team to race and give these riders the valuable experience of an FIM Speedway World Championships event. There will be no Semi-Final or Final to decide the champions. Every team will race against the other seven nations. The highest-scoring team at the end of it will be the world under-21 team champions, and we look forward to seeing who comes out on top.”
The FIM has confirmed the FIM Speedway of Nations world rankings ahead of the 2024 tournament, which sees Australia defend the title they won at the last FIM SON, staged at Danish venue Vojens in 2022.
The FIM SON rankings correspond to the countries’ finishing positions in the 2022 competition, with the SON2 rankings taken from the 2023 event in Riga.
2024 FIM Speedway of Nations rankings
2024 FIM Speedway of Nations rankings
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2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup confirmed
The FIM has confirmed a number of major changes to the 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup series, with each round again having its own unique format as detailed in the respective Supplementary Regulations, but all still counting towards the overall standings.
2023 Enduro del Verano (Argentina) – Image by Frederik Herregods
In addition to the expanded six-round calendar that was published last month, the FIM Sand Races World Cup will now be contested across nine categories. These are Motorcycle (M), Motorcycle Junior 1 (MJ1), Motorcycle Junior 2 (MJ2), Quad (Q), Quad Junior (QJ), SSV (S), Vintage 1 (V1), Vintage 2 (V2) and Vintage Quad (VQ).
The Motorcycle category will have Overall, Veteran and Women classes while MJ1 and MJ2 will include both Junior and Women classes. Quad competitors will also have Overall, Veteran and Women classes while QJ will include Junior and Women classes.
To qualify for the Vintage categories, machines must be pre-1997 and be equipped with steel frames.
Consisting of races in five separate countries across two continents, the series runs from February to December and gets under way with the world-famous Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais from 2-4 February.
2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup Calendar
2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup Calendar
Date
Round
Location
2-4 Feb 2024
France – Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais
FRA Le Touquet
24-26 Feb 2024
Argentina/Argentine – Enduro del Verano
ARG Villa Gesell
12-13 Oct 2024
Great Britain/Grande-Bretagne – Weston Beach Race
GBR Weston Beach
1-3 Nov 2024
Italy/Italie – Bibione Sand Storm
ITA Bibione
22-24 Nov 2024
Portugal – Monte Gordo Sand Experience
PRT Algarve
30-1 Nov/Dec 2024
France – Ronde des Sables
FRA Hossegor-Capbreton
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Harri Kullas does the Aberdeen double at Rounds 5 & 6
FUS Marsh Geartec’s Harri Kullas scored an epic win in the Traxxas Pro Main Event at Aberdeen for round five of the 2024 British Arenacross Championship presented by Fix Auto UK.
In typical AX fashion, the intensely close Main Event podium was rounded out by Stark Future teammates Justin Bogle and Jack Brunell, representing the top three in the standings too.
Justin Bogle
Bogle held the lead for the majority of the race, with Harri gaining ground lap by lap until finally passing Bogle after a lengthy battle, treating the crowd to edge of the seat racing throughout.
Notably missing from the lineup was round four winner Conrad Mewse. Having initially planned to race Aberdeen, after MRI results, Mewse has been forced to take six weeks out of racing to recover.
The result saw Kullas close in on standings leader Brunell, with Bogle third, a point ahead of Mewse who won’t be going anywhere but down the standings with his injury preventing competition.
Jack Brunell
Harri Kullas then scored another win in the Traxxas Pro Main Event round six, the Main Event podium rounded out byJack Brunell and Dirt Store Kawasaki’s Thomas Do.
Brunell holds on to his lead in the Championship by just one single point after round six, with Kullas not quite able to close down that gap. Four points separate Bogle (52) and Adam Chatfield (48) with Ashley Greedy also not far off on 46-points.
The penultimate round is held in Birmingham next week.
Arenacross Standings after Round Six
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Jack Brunell
72
2
Harri Kulas
71
3
Justin Bogle
52
4
Adam Chatfield
48
5
Ashley Greedy
46
6
Conrad Mewse
41
7
Thomas Do
34
8
James Mackrel
25
9
Dylan Woodcock
24
10
Luke Burton
20
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Speedway GP qualification places for 2025 increased to four
The stakes will be high in the 2024 FIM SGP Challenge at Czech track Pardubice in October as FOUR places in the 2025 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series will now be up for grabs.
Staged alongside Pardubice’s iconic Golden Helmet meeting, one of the sport’s most famous and prestigious open events, which takes place on Sunday, October 6, the FIM SGP Challenge is the hotly contested final round of the Speedway GP qualifiers, which sees riders from all over the world battle for their place on the sport’s biggest stage the following year.
Kvech qualified for Speedway GP at the 2023 FIM SGP Challenge
The SGP Commission has increased the number of Speedway GP qualification places on offer at the FIM SGP Challenge from three to four, giving riders an additional opportunity to secure a life-changing spot in the SGP elite. As a result, four permanent wild cards – reduced from five – will be selected by the SGP Commission for the 2025 series.
The FIM SGP Challenge comes just six days after the 2024 SGP season reaches its climax at the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun on September 28, meaning the Pardubice showdown will be the final chance for Speedway GP World Championship hopefuls to book their place for 2025.
The top six riders in the 2024 SGP series will qualify for the 2025 competition, along with the Speedway European Championship winner and the top four at the FIM SGP Challenge. The 2025 Speedway GP line-up of 15 riders will be completed by four wild cards.
The 2024 SGP series sees FIVE new riders make their full-time Speedway GP World Championship debuts. Latvia’s Andzejs Lebedevs, Germany’s Kai Huckenbeck and Poland’s Dominik Kubera received permanent wild cards, while Polish racer Szymon Wozniak and Czech star Jan Kvech made it via the 2023 FIM SGP Challenge in Gislaved, Sweden last August.
The 2024 Speedway GP series launches with the FIM Speedway GP of Croatia in Donji Kraljevec on April 27.
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Niedermaier tops 2024 FIM Ice Speedway qualifier
Germany’s Max Niedermaier snatched a dramatic Run-Off win from Heikki Huusko to claim overall victory at Örnsköldsvik’s Kallehov track over the weekend, as the Swedish city hosted the Qualifying Round of the 2024 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship.
Max Niedermaier – Image by Good-Shoot.com
The pair were locked together on fourteen points each after the action-packed programme of twenty Heats was completed with each rider scoring four wins and one second-placed finish. When they met in the second Heat of the afternoon it was Huusko who drew first blood, but when the top step of the podium was on the line it was Niedermaier who ran out winner in sub-zero conditions around five-hundred kilometres south of the Arctic Circle.
The top eight will now face defending champion Martin Haarahiltunen from Sweden along with Austria’s Franz Zorn and Germany’s Luca Bauer who finished second and fourth in 2023. Harald Simon from Austria, who finished third last season, will be unable to compete because of health issues and Germany’s Markus Jell – who was sixth – will take his place.
Sweden’s Niclas Svensson, who was fifth in 2023, is also sidelined with a back injury and he will be replaced by his father Stefan who ended last year in seventh.
They will be joined in both Finals by two FIM-selected permanent wild card riders and one local wild card.
2024 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship Qualifier
Only days away from the first official 2024 pre-season tests getting underway in Malaysia, GASGAS overnight officially launched their campaign and presented the latest RC16.
2022 Moto2 World Champion and 2023 MotoGP Rookie of the Year Augusto Fernandez will tackle his sophomore attempt at the premier class with the GASGAS RC16 and will be aiming to better a ‘PB’ race result of 4th from 2023 as well as enter the top ten of the championship standings.
Augusto Fernandez
Augusto Fernandez
“Everything was new and there was a lot to learn last year but there were points towards the end of the season where I felt fast and like I had the speed. I felt comfortable riding the bike but as a rookie you had to be very patient and trust the process. When I finished 2023 I analyzed the season and saw I had made the steps I needed to take. I am looking forward to this year because I now have the references of each track with the GASGAS RC16 and I know on Fridays we need to put a lot of input because it can decide much of the weekend. I’m super-proud to be partnering with Red Bull, and to have them on the bike. It’s a dream and we have everything we need to perform. It’s in our hands so let’s go for it.”
Augusto Fernandez
The 26-year-old is, of course, joined by fellow Spaniard and reigning Moto2 Champ Pedro Acosta. The 19-year-old already has Moto3 and Moto2 titles in just three years of GP competition and comes to the MotoGP fray with deserved hype and expectation. 2024 will be his first taste of the demands and technical complexities of MotoGP and the initial step of what could be a truly spectacular career.
Pedro Acosta
Pedro Acosta
“If I think about my career and journey so far then it is quite nice! Nice to say I had the opportunity to ride for a factory team in my first season, nice to say I won two titles in three years, it is nice to say I come into a factory team for the first season in MotoGP. But it is also quite tough to play with the pressure, to play with the comments. I don’t want to think about results at the moment. I just have one day on the bike, and it is not the time to talk about results or targets because it is not realistic. I will try to enjoy the Malaysia test and try to get as much experience as I can to try and be competitive at the beginning of the season but during that we also need to take race experience to grow step-by-step.”
Pedro Acosta
Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 is again led by Nicolas Goyon, for the second season in a row, and with excellent back up from the likes of Pol Espargaro in a test rider and supporting role and the team’s loyal band of partners and suppliers.
Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez
Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 Team Manager
“In 2023 we had a lot of changes. We had this new Sprint format, and the new team structure but this means we are set and ready for the coming season. Augusto was strong for his rookie season. Of course, we all expect him to improve for 2024.He is very calm! He always takes some time to think about what has happened on the track and then to explain the technique and his feelings. This is something super-important for the team to develop and set-up the bike. Pedro is a great talent but my message for the fans would be ‘be patient’. You know, it is not so easy for a rookie to perform. It is complicated now with ride-height devices and a lot of electronics. The format of the weekend is also complicated and something to learn. Let’s give him time. For me, the 2024 Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 line-up will be even closer to the fans. Both riders are young, and we know this is the main target for GASGAS, to connect and excite all those that watch MotoGP.”
Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez
Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 Team Principal
“One of the very exciting things that has happened this winter is the return of Red Bull with Tech3, and we are extremely happy to have them again featuring on our MotoGP bike. This season will be more exciting than ever, with a very competitive grid: riders and technical packages are so close to each other, so I truly believe that we are set for an amazing show. Augusto Fernandez learnt a lot last year, and he is ready to perform and fight for top positions. One of the most exciting prospects that MotoGP™ has known in recent years, Pedro Acosta, will line up for us. His first day at the Valencia test gave us the insurance that he has everything to have a brilliant rookie season, and we are looking forward to heading to Sepang to kick things off!”
Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez
Pit Beirer – GASGAS Motorsport Director
“2023 was a very intense year for our first season with GASGAS on the grid but Augusto came in with a great approach – he is super-positive and a fighter – and gave us a highlight in Le Mans with his 4th position. I feel the team adapted really well over the whole season and I’m looking forward to seeing what Augusto can do in his second go. With Pedro I think the whole paddock and community agrees that there is a diamond coming up in this sport. He is a very special rider, a unique rider who has already broken so many records at a young age.Pedro will make us better and stronger for the future, so we are happy to have him. I feel GASGAS is a very dynamic brand, and looking to the team spirit with these two fantastic athletes it is definitely the one to watch out for in ’24.”
2024 GASGAS RC16
Hubert Trunkenpolz – Member of the Board, Pierer Mobility AG
“One of the reasons why we went with GASGAS into MotoGP was to create brand awareness and it worked perfectly. MotoGP is, by far, the biggest and most successful platform because the media value and the public attendance is immense and we are absolutely happy we made that move. We now have a very exciting combination of Augusto and Pedro and a motorcycle that has proven it is ready for trophies. We know it will be a long season and the Sprints have been challenging: the really positive thing is that the fans really appreciate [the Sprints], the action on Saturday, and frankly speaking I also like it. At the end of the day the guys are racers. It’s great to have Red Bull onboard this year and I think the 2024 livery looks fantastic.”
2024 GASGAS RC16
The 2024 MotoGP season gets underway with round one at Lusail International Circuit on the weekend of March 10. The season opener under lights will be the first of a scheduled 22 rounds and 44 races (2024 will be the second term of the Saturday Sprint format). Although there are murmurs that the Argentinean round may be cancelled.
The opening day of the two-day Portimao WorldSBK Test was gatecrashed by the likes of MotoGP World Champion Pecco Bagnaia alongside the living legend that is Valentino Rossi.
The Ducati MotoGP riders were on lightly modified road bikes but put in plenty of laps. Most had timing transponders, however, the Marquez brothers did not. Valentino Rossi was on a Yamaha.
Valentino Rossi and Nicolo Bulega
Topping the charts once again was Nicolo Bulega. The WorldSBK rookie a tenth ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea.
Nicolo Bulega – P1
“Very good first day. I was a bit worried before starting this morning, this track is very difficult with this bike. It was difficult to be fast, so I’m really happy about the time today. This track is one of the most difficult this season and I needed to adapt a little bit because it’s really different from Supersport. My pace was good in the end, so I’m happy about today. We focused on braking because there is a lot of hard braking here, and we need to improve in that area. During the day, we were able to improve, and we know in which direction to work tomorrow. We’re already doing a great job, and I want to continue this way.“
Nicolo Bulega
Jonathan Rea seems very happy at Yamaha while the pace of Razgatlioglu will be a great shot in the arm for the BMW World Superbike project.
Toprak doing Toprak things…
Remy Gardner was next best in fourth ahead of Andrea Locatelli, Sam Lowes, Michael van der Mark and Alvaro Bautista.
Remy Gardner
Although an improvement from his position in Jerez (P16), Bautista is grappling with both a lingering neck injury and the challenge of adapting to the ballast imposed on his bike to comply with the new combined weight rules.
Bautista is still off the pace…
Michael van der Mark experimented with different swing-arms on the Rokit BMW.
Michael van der Mark
Lowes is clearly taking to the V4 R superbike and looks to have the pace to be fighting for podiums when the season gets underway next month at Phillip Island.
Sam Lowes
HRC seem to be making some progress with Xavi Vierge not as far off the pace as he had been last week at Jerez.
Jonathan Rea
Alex Lowes rounded out the top ten as fastest Kawasaki just ahead of Bradley Ray.
Valentino Rossi, Nicolo Bulega, Remy Gardner and Axel Bassani
Tuesday will be the final day of testing before teams get ready to ship the bikes to Australia. Where teams will undergo one final pre-season test at the Phillip Island Circuit (19-20 February), before the season’s first races get underway at the picturesque venue between 23-25 February.
Tickets for the 2024 season opener are on sale now, check out your options at www.worldsbk.com.au
16-year-old Cameron Dunker threw a leg over a Superbike on Friday for the first time at a sweltering Sydney Motorsports Park.
The Superbike in question was a stock standard YZF-R1 road bike until the previous week.
Standard YZF-R1 road bike a couple of days earlier, lapping the Creek in 30.5 shortly after… – Image RbMotoLens
Burning some midnight oil up at Kurri Kurri in the days leading up to the event were Heath Griffin, Jamie Stauffer and Cam’s dad Mark. Crew Chief Glen Richards then joined them on Wednesday evening to load a base map into the bike so he could start entering parameters and tuning the Yamaha Kit ECU on Thursday.
Glen Richards and Wayne Maxwell talk with Cam Dunker – Image RbMotoLens
The K-Tech shock from Max Stauffer’s R1 race bike was fitted while the front end and brakes were simply unbolted from Cam’s Australian Supersport Championship winning YZF-R6 machine and slotted into the R1. A stiffer set of springs were installed but they simply didn’t have time to build a set of Superbike spec’ forks for the machine in time, and in reality the weekend was simply about getting Cam out on a Superbike for the first time.
The bike being prepped by Cam’s dad Mark, Glen Richards and Heath Griffin – Image RbMotoLens
A gremlin with the kit ECU had them scratching their heads and also cost them a little time before they traced it down to a fault with the ECU itself. A borrowed unit put them back on the right track.
Providing the power was the completely standard unopened YZF-R1 engine with zero kilometres on the clock that came in the bike when they picked it up.
Bone stock zero kilometre YZF-R1 engine – Image RbMotoLens
The Friday track day at Sydney Motorsports Park was the first time Cam turned a wheel on the bike before he headed into qualifying for the third round of the ST. George Motorcycle Club’s Summer Night Series. Dunker managed six laps in qualifying with a best of 1m32.376.
Cam Dunker – Image RbMotoLens
Friday’s opening race saw Cam struggling to turn the bike, too much slide control preventing him from being able to effectively turn the bike on the throttle. Cam finished sixth behind Bryan Staring, his fastest lap a 1m33.413.For comparative purposes the fastest lap of the race was set by race winner Josh Brookes at 1m31.023.
Cam Dunker – Image Half Light
The second bout saw Dunker finish fifth, his best lap improving to 1m31.996.Brookes again the winner with a fastest lap of 1m30.703.
Brookesy was impressed with the young fella and had a good long chat with him at the end of proceedings – Image RbMotoLens
The last race on Friday night saw Dunker finish sixth, his best lap a 1m31.839. Team-mate Max Stauffer winning that contest ahead of Brookes, West and Staring.The fastest lap of that bout though was set by fifth place finisher Lachlan Epis at 1m30.758.
Some midnight oil burned on Friday night as the team started to fettle the bike a little more while examining the data from the MoTeC logger.
Another ten-minute qualifying session was staged on Saturday and this time around Dunker recorded a 1m30.520. That’s good going after one single day on any Superbike, let alone this freshly put together package. The team were shell shocked and this was far exceeding their expectations. One day on a hastily prepped and relatively low-spec Superbike and Cam was doing 1m30.5s at the Creek.
Cam Dunker – Image Half Light
They thought that was about the limit of that package, but Cam reported that he felt pretty comfortable and that he didn’t think he was really trying ‘that hard’.
Come race one on Saturday though he did find that limit, losing the front while trying to change his line mid-corner while challenging for the lead early on after scoring the holeshot. Lesson learned and he would now have to start from the back of the grid in race two.
Cam Dunker discussing things with Wayne Maxwell, Glen Richards and dad Mark. Image RbMotoLens
Cam came from the back of the grid in that penultimate bout to finish fourth, ahead of Anthony West and Bryan Staring. Brookes the winner with a fastest lap of 1m30.478 on the Livson BMW. Cam’s best lap a 1m30.658.
Too many Aussie Supersport and Superbike titles to count amongst that group… Image Half Light
Dunker was fourth again in the final bout of the weekend to complete his second ever day on a 1000 cc bike.
The plan for the weekend had been to simply let Cam log laps and get some experience on the Superbike ahead of what is expected to be a relatively low-budget single-bike learning year in ASBK.
Cam Dunker – Image RbMotoLens
On the back of his debut ride I think it is fair to say that those goalposts have changed.Not many riders go immediately quicker first time out on a Superbike, let alone to do it at the very technical Sydney Motorsports Park.
Cam Dunker – Image RbMotoLens
Next weekend they will venture to a freshly resurfaced Phillip Island for the Hartwell Motorcycle Club round. A cartridge kit is meant to arrive for the R1 forks this week, and the aim is to have Dunker on the same Bitubo suspension that team-mate Max Stauffer recently switched to, and will race on this season.
CFMOTO Australia will be running a host of demo ride days over the next few months, across quite a few states, in partnership with TeamMoto and their dealership network, spanning February to April.
2024 CFMOTO Papio XO Racer
Whether a TeamMoto regular or a rider less familiar with CFMOTO, all are welcome to, with the Demo Ride Days presenting an excellent opportunity to sample some of the latest offerings from the world’s fastest-growing powersports brand, which now offers an extensive range of motorcycles.
You can join by registering your spot at one of the selected dealerships, with a full list of dates listed below:
(Note: Only February dates are currently accepting entries)
3rd February 2024 – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
2nd March, 2024 – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
20th APRIL – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
CFMOTO models available for test rides include the XO Papio Racer, 150NK, 300NK, 300SR, 450SR, 650NK, 800MT Explore. However not all bikes are available at all dealerships, and ensure you book for your preferred dealership.
If your desired bike is not available at your preferred dealership, please contact them, and they may be able to arrange a private test ride for you.
CFMOTO 650NK
The CFMOTO Demo Rides offer a great opportunity to take the latest and greatest motorcycles from the range for a spin, with staff on hand to answer questions or offer additional insights.
There will also be an In-Store Sale, with special promotions and discounts on parts and accessories, available only to attendees of the test ride event, as well as exclusive spot prizes to be won on the day by just registering and attending an event.
Plus you can meet your local riding community, and connect with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts and share your passion. So don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity.
