Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans will be under the Team HRC awning in 2022 as they both look to rebound from differing 2021 campaigns, and put their Honda CRF450R’s at the front of this highly competitive MXGP class.
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans
Last year’s championship was filled with a lot of good moments for Team HRC, with four-time world-champion Gajser winning four rounds after some really impressive riding, including an incredible one-one performance at the opening round in Russia. However, ultimately, he came up just short in his quest to become a five-time champion, and it is that outcome that he is looking to set right when he lines up at Matterley Basin and beyond, for what should be another intense title-battle.
Tim Gajser
For his Aussie team-mate Evans, 2021 was the most difficult of his young career as he was forced to watch from the sidelines whilst recovering from the wrist injury he sustained at the MXGP of Spain in 2020.
Mitch Evans
Missing an entire season is never positive, but the Australian has kept a strong focused mindset and is hoping to bounce-back this year and remind everyone of the rider who scored a third-place finish in his first ever MXGP moto. He knows it won’t be easy and isn’t putting pressure on himself to get those sorts of results straight-away but his belief in his ability has never wavered and it should only be a matter of time before the #43 is challenging at the very front of the field.
Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans
“It’s been a really tough 15 months for me, not being able to race and not being able to ride for such a long time. It’s been hard, both physically and mentally to try and stay positive and to keep the motivation high to come back to what is an extremely high level of motocross in the MXGP class now. However, I am feeling better and better every day now and my fitness and strength is ahead of the schedule I’d set out for myself. I know that it won’t be easy to race these guys right away because they are going so fast, but I’m not putting pressure on myself and I truly believe I can get back to that level. You never lose your ability to ride, so it’s just a case of getting my left-side strong enough and that is happening day by day. I’m really thankful to have had the support of Team HRC throughout this period and I’m really looking forward to paying that back by putting in the results on the track.”
Mitch Evans
First up for both riders are the preseason Italian International races, before they head to Great Britain and the amazing Matterley Basin track on the weekend of February 20th. From then on, it’s a steady stream of racing, on some of the best tracks around the world, with hopeful returns to some of the overseas destinations that have been unavailable these past two seasons. Whatever happens this year with the calendar, both Honda riders are ready to bounce back and give their best in the 2022 World Motocross Championship.
Tim Gajser
“I feel really good coming into this 2022 season. Obviously last year didn’t end the way I wanted, as I finished third in the championship, which is still good, but it isn’t what I aim for. I did have a lot of good moments and those are the things I am focusing on and building upon in this off-season. We haven’t had a lot of time to switch-off and relax so that has been difficult but I am feeling fit and healthy and ready to fight for the championship. I will race the Italian races to give me some warm-up gate drops but I know the real racing starts at Matterley Basin in under one month’s time. There are a lot of familiar tracks on the calendar and I am confident that I can maintain a high level of performance and put the Honda CRF450R on the podium throughout the season. Hopefully we can get into a regular routine and the schedule stays the same, and that the fans can come out and support us at all the rounds as that makes such a big difference.”
Tim Gajser
Marcus Pereira de Freitas – HRC General Manager – MXGP
“It is great to have both Tim and Mitch under the awning this year, and they are both working really hard to be ready again for the new season. The break was very short from the end of the 2021 campaign so it has been a very busy period and I must thank everyone in Team HRC for continuing to work hard to make sure we are all set for the first gate drop. Tim always does the work necessary, both with bike testing and his own physical training so I always trust him to do exactly what he needs to do. Mitch has been back in Europe for a little bit now and all the reports have been positive and now we get to test with him before the first MXGP and that will give us an idea of where he is. We know it won’t be easy as the level has risen since he last raced but he is very determined and we will make sure he has everything he needs to get back to top of the class. It sounds like we are going back to a two-day format, which I think is good for the sport so we need to be ready for that, but overall, I think Team HRC is in a strong position for 2022.”
2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar
Honda had a bit of fun a few weekends back – and since we love all things two-wheeled here at MotorBikeWriter, let’s take a look at the stats.
The July 17-18 weekend showcased Honda racing teams speeding to success, thanks to a long-standing collaboration with French oil manufacturer Motul.
Here’s a breakdown of how everyone is doing so far:
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
FCC (Fuji Clutch Co.) TSR (Technical Sports Racing) Honda France snagged a win at the Cicuito do Estoril on the Portuguese Riviera. This was the team’s first victory for the FIM Endurance World Championship 2021 and one that showcased their partnership with Motul to a tee.
Team HRC extend their lead in the MXGP championship
Team HRC also beat the heat and took advantage of the partnership with Motul by prettying up their CRF450RW with the Motul 300V Factory Line Off Road 5W-40 4T. Results were a success, with team HRC taking first place at MXGP of The Netherlands.
National Motos racing team carves their way into the podium
Honda’s National Motos (also supported by Motul) burned up the superstock class with a podium finish, awarding the team with the Dunlop Independent Trophy (Twice the charm!)
Tim Gasjer from Team HRC takes the overall win at the MXGP in the Netherlands.
Thanks to Motul’s joint partnership with Honda, the Motul 300V Factory Line Racing Kit Oil 2376H 0W-30 ESTER Core® was created with the FCC TSR Honda France racing team in mind, with the oil engineered specifically for their CBR1000RR engine.
The results are nothing short of fantastic, providing the CBR1000RR with superior power output yet maintaining the full reliability of the machine.
Because of this excellent compatibility between bike and oil, Honda’s CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP remained reliable for over 400 laps.
Here are the more detailed specs on all of Honda’s racing team results:
FIM EWC QUALIFYING RESULTS
#5 F.C.C TSR Honda France CBR1000RR
The Team:Josh Hook | Yuki Takahashi | Mike Di Meglio
The Results: P3 in EWC class, P3 Overall (1:39.309)
#55 National Motos CBR1000RR
The Team: Stéphane Egea | Guillaume Antiga | Enzo Boulom
The Results: P4 in Superstock class, P13 Overall (1:41.233)
FIM EWC RACE RESULTS
#5 F.C.C TSR Honda France CBR1000RR
The Team: Josh Hook | Yuki Takahashi | Mike Di Megli
The Results: P1 in EWC class, P1 Overall (417 laps completed, Fastest Lap – 1:39.801)
#55 National Motos CBR1000RR
The Team: Stéphane Egea | Guillaume Antiga | Enzo Boulom
The Results: P2 in Superstock class, P9 Overall (407 laps completed, Fastest Lap – 1:41.171)
FIM MXGP RACE RESULTS
#243 Team HRC CRF450RW
The Team: Tim Gajser | Mitch Evans
The Results: P3 in Grand Prix Race 1 (20 Points), P2 in Grand Prix Race 2 (22 Points), P1 Overall (42 Points)
Our hats off to the young racers – looking forward to seeing what Motul and Honda give us next!
2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 4 – Twisted Tea RedBud National
Following its second break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to action for its Fourth of July tradition with the annual Twisted Tea RedBud National.
The fourth round of the season saw a massive crowd line the fences in their red, white, and blue for America’s Independence Day holiday and were treated to an afternoon of perfect weather.
Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis continued his impressive season by leading the way in the 450 Class for his third victory of the season.
In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire demonstrated incredible speed all day en route to his third career win.
450 Moto1
As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Aaron Plessinger prevailed with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen. A quick pass by Webb in the second turn allowed him to steal the lead from Plessinger who retaliated to retake the lead just turns later. It was Plessinger, Roczen, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo at the completion of the opening lap. Championship point leader Ferrandis was sixth at the start.
Red Bud AMA Pro Motocross
As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, Roczen started to close on Plessinger for the lead, eventually making the pass stick as Plessinger slid back to second. As Cianciarulo continued his charge in third, he would soon find himself under pressure from Ferrandis who was turning the fastest lap times of the race.
Adam Cianciarulo
Ferrandis was relentless in his push to the front and made the move on Cianciarulo just before the halfway point of the moto. The battle for the lead began to tighten up as Plessinger closed in on Roczen while his teammate Ferrandis closed in on them both with 10-minutes remaining. The Star Racing Yamaha teammates pulled alongside each other several times before Ferrandis took possession of second with a pass on Plessinger through the sand rollers.
Ferrandis
Ferrandis’ charge to the front could not be stopped as he struck on his championship rival Roczen to take the lead with just three laps remaining. The Frenchman would hold on to claim his second moto win of the season with 2.9 seconds to spare on Roczen. After leading early, Plessinger would finish third.
450 Moto 2
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off 450 Moto 2with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.
Ken Roczen
The battle immediately intensified up front as Tomac made quick work of Plessinger to take the number one position from Plessinger. Just behind the leaders, Roczen and Ferrandis matched one another’s pace in an effort for valuable championship points and to keep the leaders in sight. Roczen made a costly mistake that saw him go down hard, but he was able to dust himself off and remount in sixth.
Up front, Tomac and Plessinger were separated by no more than two seconds for the majority of the race as they took turns on clocking the better lap times.
With the race winding down, the battle for second began to heat up as Ferrandis closed in on his teammate Plessinger. He would use an excellent drive through the sand rollers to take second and set his sights on the race leader Tomac. As the crowd cheered them on, Tomac held on to take his second moto win of the season by just 1.5 seconds over Ferrandis. A distant third would go to Plessinger, while Roczen recovered for sixth.
Eli Tomac
It was Ferrandis who’s hard charging and consistency would give him the overall victory (1-2). Tomac earned his second consecutive podium of the season in season (4-1), while Plessinger completed the podium with an impressive 3-3 moto scores on the day. Roczen’s 6-2 was good enough for fourth. A jump during the red cross flag in Moto 1 resulted in Ferrandis being docked a single point and Roczen two points, however, the overall finishes remained the same.
Dylan Ferrandis
“I gave it everything and it was a big fight today, I charged really hard at the end of the motos. I wanted to win the second moto, but Eli [Tomac] was riding really good. I dreamed of winning here at RedBud and thanks to the fans for cheering loud for us all day. It’s been a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to keep working hard so we can stay up front the rest of the season.”
Ferrandis passes Plessinger
With the win Ferrandis was able to extend his lead in the championship standings to 14-points over Roczen who lost crucial points in the second moto. Plessinger sits third, 36-points out of the lead.
Ken Roczen
“I was excited coming into RedBud for Fourth of July; it’s always a special race and the fans always go wild. We had a pretty decent couple of qualifying sessions. I ended up going fifth to the gate, which was totally fine; I felt pretty good on the track and was ready for the moto. In the first moto, I think I was third after the start and just kind of worked my way up there into second right away and made a move on [Aaron] Plessinger and was leading most of the race until about two laps to go. I kind of lost my rhythm a little bit. The track is really hard-packed underneath and soft on top, so it was really tricky to ride. It just wasn’t really my best performance, but at the same time I was okay with the second place. I got passed there with a couple of laps to go and tried to hang on behind [Dylan] Ferrandis and tried to make a pass back, but it just wasn’t enough. I was looking forward to the second moto. Moto 2 was kind of like when everything came undone. I was battling really hard to get to the front. I was in third and [Eli] Tomac was leading and Plessinger was second. I made my way past Ferrandis and just sat in third for a while trying to see what the race gave me. I had a bad case on [LaRocco’s] Leap, as Plessinger’s roost slowed me down so much. I hurt my wrist a little bit, but then a couple laps later I fell right after the leap. I tucked the front end, had a pretty big get-off, and my bars were a little bent. I’m glad I was able to finish at least in sixth and minimize the points damage. We’re healthy leaving RedBud and I’m just looking forward to prepping for next weekend’s race.”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
250 Moto 1
When the gate dropped for the first 250 Class moto of the day it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com holeshot just ahead of the Team Honda HRC duo of Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Jeremy Martin and Hampshire.
Justin Cooper
As they crossed the finish on the opening lap, Cooper lost traction going up the face of the finish line and crashed out of the lead. Cooper’s mistake allowed a hard charging Hampshire to inherit the lead over the Lawrence brothers and Martin. Cooper would remount in 10th.
Hampshire pushed the pace out front with Jett Lawrence in tow and the duo began to slowly distance themselves from the train of riders behind them. As Jett Lawrence applied the pressure, Hampshire crashed out of the lead, but was able to restart quickly in second. Hunter Lawrence remained a distant third.
Jett Lawrence
With the race closing in on the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Hampshire started to inch back onto the rear wheel of Jett Lawrence and searched for a way around. Hampshire would once again lose the front end of his motorcycle and find himself on the ground while contending for the race lead. Hunter Lawrence took full advantage of Hampshire’s mistake to move into second, while Hampshire remounted in third.
As Jett Lawrence continued to control the race out front, Hunter Lawrence and Hampshire started to gain momentum and slowly reduce the gap to the race leader. With three laps to go, Hampshire muscled his way around Hunter Lawrence for second and began to set his sights on the race leader Jett Lawrence but Jett held on to take the checkered flag for his third moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds over Hampshire. Hunter Lawrence finished third, just ahead of Cooper who recovered for fourth.
Hunter Lawrence
250 Moto 2
The final 250 Class moto of the afternoon saw Cooper capture his second Motosport.com Holeshot of the day, just ahead of his teammate Martin and first moto runner-up finisher Hampshire. The Lawrence brothers found themselves mired deep in the pack as Hunter was scored 11th and Jett 18th at the completion of the opening lap.
Justin Cooper
As the lead trio went to work with a clear track out front, Jett Lawrence put his head down in an attempt to do damage control, however, a costly mistake would see him make contact with another rider and go down, losing valuable time as he remounted outside the top-30.
Out front, Hampshire began to find his momentum as he moved Cooper to within striking distance for the race lead, using every inch of the track to find a way past. At the 15-minute mark, Hampshire would get a drive and out drag race Cooper to become the new race leader.
Just as Hampshire looked to have the race under control he would yet again find himself picking himself up off the ground as he surrendered the lead to Cooper in the late stages of the moto. Cooper emerged with his second moto win of the season by 12.9 seconds over Hampshire. Martin finished third in an impressive return from injury, followed by Hunter Lawrence in fourth. An inspiring ride by Jett Lawrence netted him sixth.
Hunter Lawrence
By virtue of 2-2 finishes Hampshire prevailed for his first win of the season and won the RedBud National for the second consecutive year. Cooper’s second moto win earned him second overall (4-1) as Jett Lawrence completed the podium in third (1-6), followed by his brother Hunter in fourth (3-4).
Jett Lawrence on the podium but saw his series lead trimmed by three points
RJ Hampshire
“This win just feels so good after everything I’ve gone through lately,” said Hampshire. “As you can hear, I’ve been super sick all week, so to be up here today is a bit emotional. I give it my all everytime I’m on the track, and it would have been great to get those moto wins today, but to win here at RedBud for the second year in a row is an amazing feeling. The speed has been really good lately and I’m looking forward to some of my favorite tracks coming up on the schedule.”
Jett Lawrence maintains his hold of the championship point lead by eight over Cooper who reduced the gap by three on the day. Hunter Lawrence remains third, 44-points out of the championship lead.
Jett Lawrence
“The bike setting in the first moto wasn’t good. I had RJ [Hampshire] charging, and if he got me, I didn’t really have any ammo to fight back. Between motos, my team did a great job making some adjustments that made the bike work better for me, but I just didn’t give myself a very good chance for winning or even getting myself into a good position. I came from 37th to sixth, so I think that’s pretty good. I definitely made a lot of passes, maybe the most passes of the day. I think if you look at the result it sucks because I lost three points, but you have to look at the positives; it was a strong ride, and I felt like there’s not many other people in this class that could do that.”
Jett Lawrence
Hunter Lawrence
“My weekend wasn’t bad; it wasn’t great, but we’ll take it. We went 3-4 moto scores for fourth overall. I missed out on the box by two points. That second moto I was in a ‘do or die’ position to catch J-Mart [Jeremy Martin] and make that pass. I was pushing to make up a lot of ground on him, coming from a pretty bad start, so I was ‘damned if I did, damned if I didn’t’; I had to risk it and push. I ended up laying it down and got back up, managing to finish in a position where I was chasing down fourth. All in all, I’m really happy with how the team worked together to make changes on the bike for the second moto, which benefited us a lot. It maybe wasn’t a moto-score result, but as far as my feeling on the bike, and everything else, we left better than what we started in the first moto, so I’m happy with that. RedBud was awesome. That was my first proper Fourth of July RedBud experience, so it was pretty cool. I also checked something else off my bucket list; I really wanted to scream ‘RedBuuuuud’ into the microphone. I hadn’t been able to do that until today, so that was cool.”
As the races of the MXGP of Garda Trentino finished for the day, it concluded an intense season of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, which saw Champions decided a round early, when Team HRC’s Tim Gajser claimed his fourth World Title in MXGP and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle secured his very first Championship in MX2.
Tim Gajser claimed another round win to close out the season
For the final round this shifted the focus onto who would finish the season off with a medal alongside the two victors, with Tim Gajser also presented with the MXGP Trophy, wrapped with plagues which are engraved with all the world champions’ names from 1957 until now in the main class.
Tim Gajser took the overall round win, narrowly beating Romain Febvre on account of a final race victory, with both riders taking a win and a runner up position a-piece. Gautier Paulin took the final podium position, from Jeremy Seewer, both on 38-points and with identical results, but Paulin the better performer in the final race.
Tim Gajser
“As I’ve said many times, I was super happy to win my fourth world title on Wednesday. Today, my goal was just to go out there and have fun and we did that, winning the last overall of the year and it couldn’t have gone better. I want to say a huge thank you to all my team who have worked so hard and put in so much effort. In March, we did two GPs in Matterley and Valkenswaard and they went well, but then we had a long break and when we returned, I wasn’t feeling good, I was struggling. Now, the second half of the season I found good speed, I was consistent, and I was able to win the title.”
Tim Gajser
Second and third in the MXGP championship were also still up for grabs, with Jeremy Seewer claiming the silver medal on the day with the addition of 38-championship points to his name. Tony Cairoli had a mixed weekend, with sixth in Race 1, but no points in Race 2. It was enough for the bronze medal however.
Romain Febvre was fourth overall, followed by Gautier Paulin. Jorge Prado was sixth, Clement Desalle seventh, Glenn Coldenhoff eighth, and Jeremy Van Horebeek and Brian Bogers ninth and 10th respectively. Despite still being out injured Mitch Evans finished the season in 14th.
In MX2 Tom Vialle was already crowned champion and Jago Geerts had cemented his place as runner up, with the final championship podium position between Maxime Renaux and Australian Jed Beaton.
While Ben Watson won the MX2 round overall from Tom Vialle and Maxime Renaux, Jed Beaton finished fourth, four-points behind Renaux. Unfortunately for Beaton that left him in fourth overall – an amazing result nevertheless, while Renaux’s 581 championship points was enough to claim the bronze.
Ben Watson
“I really want to congratulate the whole team. They work really hard and it’s really nice for me and Jago to give them a 1-2 on the podium. It is a little bit difficult to pass out there, but I have been feeling really good on the bike. I had a mediocre start in the first race, but I came through good and then in the second one, I took a good start and it’s always a nice race when you can battle with your teammate up front. I finished second, but I am really happy with second overall.”
Ben Watson
Overall Beaton enjoyed a highly positive year in 2020. Showing race-winning speed throughout the season, he came agonisingly close to a maiden overall win at the penultimate round. Proving to be a capable racer on any surface, the 22-year-old claimed three overall podium finishes, along with nine moto podiums and was the first rider in the standings to score points in every race. A memorable season with many career milestones reached.
Jed Beaton
“It’s been great to end the year with a runner-up finish in the last moto of the season. I had a great start and challenged for the win, so it’s positive to end the season like this. It’s a shame about the first moto but moto two proved I can be up there with a good start. It’s been a long season. Many ups and downs but all in all it’s been a positive year for me and the team. Having completed a full season I know what it takes now and I know what I need to work on over the winter ahead of 2021. I’m actually really glad that we got a season in as at one point it looked like we weren’t going racing at all. The three GPs in a week, that was different, racing so frequently was different, but it was always a good time and it’s been a lot of work for the team as well as myself. The team has done a phenomenal job with such a tight schedule. It can’t have been easy so credit to them, they’ve done an awesome job.”
Jet Beaton
Bailey Mailkiewicz finished 15th in Race 1, improving to ninth in Race 2, and was 11th overall for the weekend, claiming 18-championship points. This saw him finish the 2020 season in 14th overall.
MXGP
The MXGP races saw great battles, especially between Gajser and Romain Febvre, who challenged the four-time world Champions in both of the heats, one of which he won. But it was Gajser who finished the 2020 season with his fifth Grand Prix victory at the MXGP of Garda Trentino, with a 2-1 result.
Tim Gajser
Febvre was forced to settled for second with a win in the opening heat, that saw him chase down Gajser, before passing him on lap 6 and lead the race until the end, to take his second race win of the year. In race two, the Kawasaki rider worked hard to get around a couple of riders before catching up to Gajser once again, though this time he could not make a pass stick and eventually dropped the gap, to finish the race in second.
Romain Febvre
It was also a special day for Gautier Paulin who lined up for the last MXGP races of his professional racing career. The Frenchman battled well inside the top five in both heats and finished race one in fourth and race two in third position, after a battle with his teammates Jeremy Seewer and Arnaud Tonus. He claimed the third step on the podium, his second podium this season, on his final GP.
Gautier Paulin
Clement Desalle and Tanel Leok also took part in their final MXGP of their careers, with Desalle narrowly missing out on a podium spot, as he was tied on points with Seewer in fifth, and Leok finishing 21st overall.
With Gajser crowned as world champion at the previous round, this left the door open for second and third in the championship standings, which was to be decided between Seewer and Antonio Cairoli.
Jeremy Seewer
Seewer had a strong first race, starting well inside the top five and then worked hard to get past his teammate, Tonus, for third. While Seewer finished third, Cairoli placed sixth, giving Seewer a one-point advantage heading into race two. As the gate dropped for the second heat, Seewer was able to get another good start and squeeze into the lead, before being passed by Gajser, Febvre and then eventually Paulin.
Romain Febvre
Cairoli had a dramatic start to the second race, which saw him pushed out wide in the first corner, as he hit the bank, which as a result caused unrepairable damage to his bike and forced him out of the race, meaning he could not fight for the silver medal. All while Seewer had another strong race to finish fourth and cement himself as this year’s vice world champion, for the second season in a row.
Tim Gajser – 2020 Champion
“I want to say a huge thanks to everyone, to all my team, we were really working hard, and everybody was putting so much effort into preparing the bike, getting better and better. The last couple of GPs I started to find good speed and started to put consistent races together and win the title, so I’m super happy and I want to say congratulations to all the guys here, but also to Gautier [Paulin] for an amazing career, wishing you all the best in the next chapter.”
Tim Gajser
Jeremy Seewer – 2020 Runner-up
“It was a strange year for us, starting that early and then a big break. But, Valkenswaard was really horrible, I scored seven points and I think that’s one of the worst GPs in many years for me, so it was hard to not race for that long after a GP like that, because you would love to go back the next day and show different. Somehow, I did my homework and put many good races together after that, had some awesome races in Latvia, won my first races in Faenza and stuff like this. I definitely made a step and improved. I could battle with these guys. Overall Tim [Gajser] was the man, he put things together, especially for the last few races and he was just that little better but overall for me, I’m happy, I got second today in the championship, ok the thing I wanted was first but I can’t wait now to get back to work and for next year.”
Jeremy Seewer
Antonio Cairoli – 2020 P3 Overall
“I’m really happy. It’s another season that I finish on the podium, my fourteenth season that I finish on the podium, so it’s something amazing, after so many years of racing. Of course, Tim [Gajser] was very difficult to beat this year, especially in the last part of the season, he was very strong. After Latvia, my knee was getting worse every time, so I couldn’t really train, so for me it’s really important and I lost a little bit of fitness and confidence because when the track gets rough and slippery, I need to slow down. In the end, we are all ok and that is the most important thing, ok we lost second place but we try to look forward to the next year, we have another season to see what we can do.”
Antonio Cairoli
Romain Febvre – 2020 P4 Overall
“It’s always nice to end the season on the podium and go into the winter feeling confident for next year. I had a nice battle with Tim in the first moto and could catch him for the win; I think he hoped to pick up on my lines when I passed him but I could keep him behind me and I knew it would be all on the second moto for the overall GP win. My start wasn’t bad in the second moto but also not as good as Tim’s; I could see him in front so I knew I needed to pass the other guys quickly. He had a gap of nearly four seconds when I got to second; I was pushing but I couldn’t see anywhere to make up the time and in the end I fell just before the waves with five minutes to go. I was still a safe second but the chance of victory was gone.“
Romain Febvre
Gautier Paulin – 2020 P5 Overall
“It was a pretty tough day today. In the first moto, the rider next to me anticipated the start too soon, and that made me move too soon for the start, and then right after the gate a rider cut across. I started from really far back after that, but I made my way back to the top-10. The riding was good, but it was difficult to make a good result after a start like that. In the second moto, we had a red flag on the first lap, and hopefully the rider involved is well and the injury is not too bad. After that we had to start with dirty tyres and I had a big spin on the mesh, so I didn’t start so good. On this type of track, it’s hard to pass, everyone forms a train. Here it is really important to have a good start, but on the bright side, the pace is good and physically I feel good.”
The 2020 MXGP of Pietramurata in Italy proved to be a day of champions as Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle claimed the MXGP and MX2 World titles, both in the opening races of the GP and with a round to spare.
Tim Gajser and team celebrate the world title win
Tim Gajser 2020 MXGP Champion
For Gajser, the 2020 season came with ups and downs. The Slovenian looked strong in the first two rounds in Matterley Basin and Valkenswaard, where he finished second both times. But then we saw him struggle in Latvia, as the season resumed, before he turned things around for the MXGP of Lombardia where he finally got his hands on the red plate. He then got his first overall victory two rounds later during the MXGP of Europe in Mantova, before following that up with a string of podiums and race wins.
The Slovenian turned the red plate gold, as he claimed his fourth world title with a fourth overall Grand Prix victory of the season, along with a 14th heat win in race two. The stats for Gajser are pretty impressive in 2020, he has 13 podiums to his name, has led a total of 205 laps along with eight pole positions this season, more than any other rider in the category.
Tim Gajser
Trentino is a circuit that Gajser knows how to win at, as he secured his first ever Grand Prix victory in Pietramurata back in 2015, the same year he asserted his first world title in MX2 and then followed it up with an MXGP world title in Charlotte, USA, during his rookie season in the 450cc class. Title number three came last season in Imola, as he wrapped things up three rounds early and now his fourth at the MXGP of Pietramurata during the penultimate round of the year.
Tim Gajser – 2020 MXGP Champion
“It feels unbelievable to be world champion for a fourth time. Winning one time is amazing, but four times, I’m just speechless. It was a weird season with the COVID-19 and then the break between the rounds two and three, but in the end, everything came together and we won another title! Racing today was very nice, in the first race, I didn’t have the best start but I was still able to come through the field and finish second and that meant that if I could win race two, I would take the overall. In the second moto I grabbed the holeshot and then had a really good battle with Romain all the way to the chequered flag. We were pushing the whole time so I’m super happy to win this title and the overall on the same day. A big thanks to the whole of Team HRC, there are a lot of people who are involved who couldn’t be here today so a big thank you to all of them and to everyone who has supported me all year long. It is a privilege to ride for this team and I appreciate every single person who has helped me. Thank you!”
Tim Gajser
MX2 crowns Tom Vialle Champion a round early
Meanwhile in MX2, Vialle had a close battle with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts all season long. Geerts was the early championship leader, though by the second round Vialle was able to take over the spot and retain that position, as he swapped the red plate for a gold one. He confirmed his first world title with a confident race win, which saw him take the Fox Holeshot from the outside. This was his 13th heat win of the season and while the Frenchman missed out on a spot on the podium, the only thing that mattered was the championship.
Tom Vialle
Last year, Vialle joined the Red Bull KTM Factory squad and was already a key player in the championship. His first podium in MX2 came in Uddevalla during the MXGP of Sweden, last season and he ended the season fourth, just 5 points down on Geerts. This season, the Frenchman entered as the leading factory KTM rider and he took on the role with confidence as he racked up a total of seven GP wins, his first at the MXGP of the Netherlands, 13 podiums and led a total of 309 laps. He is also this year’s winner of the Fox Holeshot Awards with a total of 20 points, with one round remaining.
Tom Vialle – 2020 MX2 Champion
“I’m so happy but there have been a lot of emotions today. I was a bit angry with the verdict this morning but to make the holeshot and lead the first moto was fantastic. I was almost crying on the last lap. There was so much emotion. It was really special. Crazy. In the second moto I was around sixth position and someone hit me and bent the gear shifter under the bike. I was stuck in second gear. I tried hard to get the bike into third but it was not possible, so I had to come into the pits. I still finished the moto. It was a bit of a shame because I was feeling so good today. Sometimes bad luck happens though. The important thing is that we achieved our goal. I want to say a big thanks to the whole team and everybody who worked together to make this happen. It was tiring to have a lot of races so close together and also keep the concentration through the training. I think we did it pretty good.”
Tom Vialle
Jed Beaton claimed third overall in MX2, with a second-place finish in race one followed up with a solid fourth in moto two, earning the Australian a well-deserved place on the final step of the podium, just one-point away from the eventual GP winner Jago Geerts who cemented his MX2 championship runner up position, and tied on points with Ben Watson. Beaton currently sits 13-points off Maxime Renaux in the standings, a gap he’ll need to close in the final round this weekend to end the season on the overall podium in third.
Jed Beaton
“I gave everything I had in that second moto. I knew the overall was there and I just rode as hard as I could, but it wasn’t to be. It’s disappointing that I couldn’t get it done but at the same time I’m happy to be back on the podium. It’s great for the team too. They’ve been working really hard and it’s nice to pay them back with a solid result. One more round to go so I’m looking to end the season with another podium.”
Jed Beaton
Bailey Malkiewicz had a consistent weekend with two 12th place results, to claim 11th overall for the round. He now sits 16th in the MX2 standings.
MXGP
Team HRC’s Tim Gajser sealed his fourth world title in style, with a 2-1 result that saw him take to the top step of the box. Following a tough start to the first race, Gajser was able to make a good recovery, passing Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Alessandro Lupino and Brent Van Doninck. The Slovenian caught up to the race leader, Jeremy Seewer of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, who he pushed until the end, though could not manage to get around the Swiss. But a second-place finish was enough for him to secure the gold plate.
Tim Gajser
In race two (the re-run), Gajser was able to get a good jump out of the gate and grab the Fox Holeshot to then lead every lap of the race, despite immense pressure from Romain Febvre of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, to claim his 14th race win of 2020.
There was a re-start of the second MXGP race, due to a red flag which was caused by an incident involving Gajser and Honda SR Motoblouz rider Jeremy Van Horebeek, who was taken off track, but luckily walked back to the camper in decent conditions.
MXGP Start
Seewer finished second overall, the Swiss was looking strong all day, as he took his first pole position in time practice, then managed to grab the Fox Holeshot in race one and lead the race from gate drop to chequered flag. This was his 3rd heat win of the year. Then in the second race, the factory Yamaha rider was able to grab another good start, though was quickly passed by Febvre for P2 and eventually finished the race in 3rd, which gave him a solid overall result, to keep third position in the championship standings, just 4 points behind Cairoli.
Jeremy Seewer
Febvre was the last rider to claim a podium spot, as he worked hard in race one to get up to 5th and then in race two had a much better start, inside the top 5 and made some quick passes on the opening lap to get behind Gajser, where he kept him tight all race long. The Frenchman really applied the pressure onto the 4-time world champion, though in the end was forced to settle for 2nd, which put him third overall.
Romain Febvre
With Gajser crowned champion, the door is now wide open for the vice-champion position. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli had not such a bad day, though may not have been what he had expected, following an overall victory last time around. The Italian finished the first race 6th after a crash while pushing Seewer for the lead, though he did try to re-group and had some nice battles with Lupino and Febvre. While in the second race we saw the 9-time world champion battle with Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing’s Clement Desalle though he could not get around the Belgian and had to settle for 5th. This has allowed Seewer to close in, in terms of championship points, as there’s only 4 points in it, heading into the final round.
It was a good day for Alessandro Lupino who took a season best result in race one as he crossed the line in 3rd. Race two was a bit tougher for the local rider, who finished 11th which gave him 6th overall.
Tim Gajser – 2020 MXGP Champion
“It feels just unbelievable. Like I said many times, winning one is incredible but now four is just…speechless. I’m really happy. It was a weird season, but anyway in the end everything came together, and we won another title. In the first race, I was already struggling with the clutch and was riding without the clutch the whole race, finishing second. Then in the second race, I had a nice battle with Romain [Febvre] who was really pushing and I’m super happy to win the title and the overall on the same day.”
Tim Gajser
Jeremy Seewer – P2
“First pole position and then got a great start…I’ve been second many times in qualifying this year so it didn’t really matter for the start, it is just a good feeling to be on pole and then after an amazing first race, Tim [Gajser] had some technical problems, so hats off to him for riding that fast without a clutch and also congratulations on the world championship, he’s done great this year. Anyway, I’m really happy, solid results, second overall and good points for the championship, especially on this kind of track, where I kind of struggled the last few years and not got a podium here, not even in my MX2 days, so it felt great. I know it’s going to go between me and Tony [Cairoli] for the vice world championship, but honestly I hope for some more races like today. I mean my goal was to be up front and win, to be on the podium and I will hope to do the same on Sunday.”
Jeremy Seewer
Romain Febvre – P3
“Last Sunday, I had a really bad first race, crashed at the start so I was last and then crashed two more times after that. Anyway, today in the first race, I didn’t really get the start and came back to 5th, so I was really happy about my riding, but I knew they key was the start. We focused for the second start and I had a really good start, maybe third or something, and moved to second quick and battled with Tim [Gajser] for the whole race, congrats to him on the championship of course and today’s win, he was the best this year.”
Romain Febvre
Gajsers injured teammate, Australian Mitch Evans congratulated him on a great season.
Mitch Evans
“It has been a great season for Tim, and he thoroughly deserves to win this title. He works extremely hard and I couldn’t be happier for him and the whole team. It is a great group of people here and having now experienced the atmosphere this year, I am really happy to be here again next year. The injury is progressing really well and I’m aiming to come into 2021 just how I started this year, knowing that I’ll be riding a championship-winning bike.”
The 2020 Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders saw epic action over the weekend, as the MXGP and MX2 riders took on the challenge of what is known as one of the toughest sand tracks in the world.
In MXGP Tim Gajser took to honours with a 2-1 result handing him the round win over Gautier Paulin, with Jorge Prado third overall. Antonio Cairoli was down in ninth meanwhile, allowing Gajser to extend his championship lead.
Tim Gajser
Gajser now sits on 488-points, to Cairoli’s 440, with Jorge Prado closes in on his fellow KTM teammate, with 429-points, the same number held by Jeremy Seewer. Aussie Mitch Evans falls to twelth in the standings with a broken wrist at the previous round requiring surgery during the week, with the rider absent as a result.
In MX2 Tom Vialle had a solid day to finish 2-2 in the races with that consistency enough to claim his sixth overall win of the 2020 campaign. Vialle was only a single point ahead of Jago Geerts, who took one of the MX2 wins, while his teammate Ben Watson was third overall and was the other MX2 winner, in a strong result for Yamaha.
Tom Vialle
Jed Beaton went 7-7, for seventh overall and 28-championship points, while fellow Australian Bailey Malkiewicz was 18th, finishing 15th in Race 2.
Jed Beaton
“Not the greatest day but we’re here for two more rounds so it’s a solid start to the week. My starts weren’t great in both races, which didn’t help but we’ll be better on Wednesday. It took me a while to get going in race one, by around 20 minutes into the race I found my flow and felt really good, but it was too late to move forwards. Race two I felt good from the start and rode a smart race. I know what to expect for the next two, so we’ll be ready for them and I look forward to Wednesday.”
Jet Beaton
Vialle now sits on 569-points to Geerts 516, with Maxime Renaux and Beaton both tied on 407-points. Malkiewicz sits 16th, on 98-points.
MXGP Race 1
In the opening MXGP race of the day, it was Dylan Walsh who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, as he led Tim Gajser, Arnaud Tonus and Gautier Paulin. There were a few riders caught up in a crash on the first turn, two of them being Adam Sterry and Calvin Vlaanderen.
MXGP Start
It didn’t take long for Gajser to take the lead, as Walsh crashed, Prado and Paulin also followed through and those were the top three for the next few laps. Brian Bogers had a great start to the race, sitting in fourth.
Both Romain Febvre and Jeremy Seewer didn’t have the best start to the race as they were down in 16th and 17th in the opening laps. Though Seewer was able to quickly pull through, he passed six riders in a single lap to get himself into the top 10.
Paulin went after the #61 of Prado and was able to pass him by the second lap, to get himself into P2. The Frenchman then set his best lap of the race and was 2.808 seconds down on Gajser who led the way. But Gajser was quick to respond with a flying lap, which put the gap back up to 4.383.
Gautier Paulin
Championship rival, Antonio Cairoli had a tough first race after starting outside the top 15. He managed to finish the race in 13th, not where the nine-time world champion would have hoped to be.
Paulin, Prado and Bogers then clocked their best laps of the race at the same time, as Paulin got the gap down to 2.386. Further down the field, Seewer was applying the pressure to Jeremy Van Horebeek for P6. The pair then caught up to Tonus, as Seewer passed the two riders within a couple of laps.
Jorge Prado
On lap 11 we saw a change of lead, as Gajser crashed out of first place, which allowed Paulin to make of this opportunity to go after his first race win since Valkenswaard 2017.
Seewer was the next rider to go down, as he lost the two spots he worked hard to gain, to Van Horebeek and Tonus. And despite his best efforts he had a small issue with the bike, which he needed to pull over to fix, that also lost him two more spots – he eventually finished the race in eighth.
In the end it was Paulin who claimed the first race victory in Lommel, while Gajser finished second and Prado third.
Gautier Paulin
Coming into the day’s races, Glenn Coldenhoff was among the favourites for the podium. Unfortunately, the Dutchman did not line up for the races, as a crash in the MXGP timed practice session forced him out of today’s action.
MXGP Race 2
As the gate dropped for the second MXGP race of the day, it was Prado who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, with Gajser, Seewer, Tonus and Bogers right behind him. Gajser then started to go after Prado for the top spot, as just 0.5 seconds separated the pair, and he was able to make the pass stick by the second lap, as Prado made a mistake.
Jeremy Seewer
Seewer then started to come under pressure from Bogers who was keen to put on a good performance. Cairoli was also having a much better start to the race as he was sitting in seventh just behind Paulin.
Gajser continued to lead the way as he gradually stretched out his lead, while Seewer started to catch up to Prado, as Febvre joined in on the battle too.
Romain Febvre
Bogers crashed out of fifth, which allowed Paulin and Cairoli through, as the two continued their race long battle.
With six-minutes plus 2 laps to go, Seewer and Prado were having a close battle. The pair made contact in one of the corners, after Prado lost a bit of ground, which also saw the Spaniard go down as a result. Febvre benefited from this as well, as Prado re-joined in fourth.
Three laps to go saw Gajser had a comfortable 10.447 second lead to Seewer, who made a mistake on the final lap and went off the circuit. As a result, he lost a position to Febvre.
Tim Gajser
In the end it was Gajser who was victorious, as Febvre crossed the line in second and Seewer holding on to third.
Tim Gajser – P1
“From the beginning of the day, I felt great on the track and on the bike. In the first moto, I got a good start, in second place around the first corner and then I moved quickly into the lead, pulling out a little gap. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake and fell, which allowed Gautier to pass me and I finished second. In the second moto, I had a good first corner and came out second again. I passed Jorge in the second lap and then pulled out a decent gap to control the race and take the overall. I’m really happy to take the victory here because we have worked so hard to get better in the sand and this is toughest race to win. Everyone in the team has been great and we just keep on pushing to get better and better and I can’t thank everyone enough!”
Tim Gajser
Gautier Paulin – P2
“This is an emotional high. I am really happy to be back on the podium especially for myself and for my team. It has been a tough road, it has been a long time since I had a win, so in the first moto I could have it, I was really pushing hard on a good rhythm. I didn’t really talk about it, but at the end of May I broke my back and knocked myself hard, so to be back at this level I am really happy because from the ground, in hospital where I broke two vertebra, it was a really hard time and then I crashed again in Faenza (Italy) and hurt myself again. Now I am feeling 100% and I am really happy to be back again.”
Gautier Paulin
Jorge Prado – P3
“It was a positive day. The track was very rough and it was good to get used to the conditions because we still have another two rounds to go here. We also made some improvements to the bike, so that was useful. I had a perfect start in the second moto and was block-passed by Seewer while holding a good position. I rode strongly to make sure of 4th though and 3rd overall was pretty decent. I’m very happy to be 3rd in the championship after the way the year started. We are still charging.”
Jorge Prado
Romain Febvre – P4
“It was a good GP with a great second moto! My start was good and as always there was confusion in the first corner but I made my way through and rode a good opening lap. I found a good rhythm and came back to second; I was very happy with that! The first moto was not so good. I was fourth at the start but during the first lap I made a mistake in a corner and crashed; that’s never good as everyone is so close together during the first laps of a race and you lose so many places. I was seventeenth and came back to sixth, which is not so bad, but that cost me the podium. I was happy with my speed and my physical shape; the track was difficult but I found a good feeling and overall it was a good day. Now my goal is to win a GP here in Lommel; I have two more opportunities on Wednesday and Sunday!”
Romain Febvre
Jeremy Seewer – P5
“Lommel is always tough except when you are winning, and then I think you enjoy it. I felt okay today. I had a tip over on the first lap and was caught in the pack, almost last, but I had good speed and rhythm and I came back to fifth but then I made another small mistake and had a technical problem which cost me another three positions. I had a good start in the second race which paid off. I felt solid in second position but I threw it away with a stupid crash, but this is how it is in Lommel. If you’re on the limit it’s really sketchy, but I am still happy with third in that race but a little bit disappointed. At least we have another two rounds to make up.”
The weekend was the very first time the MXGP and MX2 riders got their chance to test out the hard-pack circuit in Arroyomolinos, which shaped up well and created some exciting races. The return of the Spanish Grand Prix saw Jorge Prado take a clear win from Tim Gajser and Romain Febvre in MXGP, claiming 50-points, while the runner ups had to settle for 42-a-piece.
Jorge Prado proved unstoppable in Spain
As a result Prado closes in on Gajser, who still holds the championship lead on 441-points. Tony Cairoli is second overall on 417, while Jeremy Seewer is third on 396. Prado is fourth on 391, with injured Aussie Mitch Evans sitting in 11th with 228 points, despite being knocked out for the weekend.
Mitch Evans had to retire from the first race at the MXGP of Spain due to a left wrist injury, which he sustained whilst running in fourth position. The Australian misjudged a landing and came down in an awkward position causing him to immediately pull off the race track. The Honda CRF450RW rider will now get further medical assessment in order to know the extent of the damage, which will then decide his plan for the rest of the season.
Mitch Evans
“Shitty day! Over jumped a double and the landing was so hard it blew both hands off the handle bars and broke my left wrist in the process. Gutted but that’s the way she goes sometimes. Looking at the positives, we came back once and we will do it again!”
A crash and injured wrist ended Mitch Evans weekend
MX2 also saw a KTM rider claim the win, with Tom Vialle the front-runner, but not without a race 2 challenge from Jago Geerts, who was second overall. Vialle went 1-2, while Geert’s 5-1 result was enough for second overall. Thomas Kjer Olsen was third, while a strong first race in third for Jed Beaton, was followed by a Race 2 10th, for sixth overall. Bailey Malkiewicz finished 15th in Race 2 to collect six championship points.
Vialle currently holds a significant championship lead with 525-points, with Geerts second on 473. Jed Beaton is third overal on 379-points, with Maxime Renaux nipping at his heels on 372.
Jed Beaton
“The day started off really well. I felt great in the first moto, track was fast, but it was coming around. I was in second and briefly led the race, which was good but I just wasn’t able to make another pass. I was confident going into race two. My speed and fitness are on point but going into the first turn a few of us came together and I had a pretty big crash… and smacked my head pretty hard, 15 mins into the race my vision started going all funny and the last four laps were just survival had a lot of sketchy moments not being able to see exactly where I was going… I was lucky to not be injured and it was disappointing, but I came back to 10th for sixth overall so, not bad for the championship. I’m still third so I’m hoping for two strong races next weekend.”
Third in Race 1 was a good start to the weekend for Beaton
MXGP Race 1
Jorge Prado started the opening MXGP race with a FOX Holeshot, as he led Romain Febvre of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, Team HRC’s Mitch Evans. JM Honda Racing’s Dylan Walsh and Gautier Paulin of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing also got a good start as they were running fourth and fifth on the opening lap.
MXGP Race Start
Tim Gajser of Team HRC then pushed his way into the top four, while his teammate passed Febvre for second. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer didn’t have the best start to the race and was down in 9th after the first few laps.
Febvre then eventually passed Evans back for second, with Gajser managing to get around his teammate as well, before the Australian crashed out of the race, sustaining a left wrist injury.
Prado then continued to lead the way by 2.361 seconds over Febvre, Gajser and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle, while further down the order, Walsh dropped a few more positions and was down in 11th.
Tim Gajser
Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff was having a good ride in 6th as he applied the pressure onto Paulin. This battle carried on for a couple of laps before Coldenhoff forced his way past the Factory Yamaha rider. Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and Seewer were also there in 7th and 8th having a fight of their own.
A few laps later, Cairoli made a little mistake which allowed Seewer to close in, though as the Swiss pushed for the pass, a small mistake turned into a big crash. He was able to quickly re-join in 10th just behind Jeremy Van Horebeek of Honda SR Motoblouz.
Glenn Coldenhoff
Walsh then went out of the race with what looked like a broken chain, all while Coldenhoff was looking for another position, as he got onto the rear wheel of Desalle.
After leading every single lap of the race, Jorge Prado went on to take the first race win, with Febvre finishing second and Gajser third.
MXGP Race 2
In race two, Prado repeated his start success from the first race, as he took another FOX Holeshot and led the way with Seewer and Febvre closely behind him. Gajser though was able to quickly move up into second on the opening lap as he started to push for the win.
Jorge Prado
Walsh had another good start inside the top 10, though had a big crash which saw him pull out of the second race too, which meant that the JM Honda Racing pilot scored no points this time around.
Coldenhoff then started to push Seewer for fourth, though Seewer was able to respond by setting his fastest lap of the race on the fourth lap. By lap 5, the top 10 included Prado, Gajser, Febvre, Seewer, Coldenhoff, Cairoli, Desalle, Brian Bogers of Marchetti Racing Team KTM, Van Horebeek and Henry Jacobi of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing.
Prado then continued to put in lap after lap as he led the way by just over 5 seconds, as Gajser looked to have settled for P2 in the race, while the battle was heating up between Coldenhoff and Seewer. The factory GasGas rider, eventually took 4th from the Swiss rider on lap 13.
There were no changes in positions for the next few laps, and in the end, Jorge Prado went to take his first ever 1-1, to end the day in a perfect way, as he took the overall on home soil. Gajser crossed the line in 2nd, while Febvre finished third.
Romain Febvre
The podium looked exactly the same as the second race, as Prado took his second GP victory of the season, while Gajser made it his 8th podium, with Febvre making his 3rd podium of the year.
As it stands, Tim Gajser will now head to Belgium with a 24-point advantage to Antonio Cairoli, while Jeremy Seewer is a further 21 points behind.
Jorge Prado – P1
“Exactly what I wanted to do today. This was my goal here in Spain. My first 1-1 in MXGP! I felt I was the best out there and I was really excited when I crossed the finish line. The second race was really good. The first laps were intense with Tim and the track was very technical and a lot of ruts. You had to be very precise and smooth, no mistakes. It was an amazing day.”
Jorge Prado
Tim Gajser – P2
“It was a good day today, and I really liked the track here in Spain. I didn’t have a good start in either race but I was still able to finish third in race one and second in race two. The second moto, I was especially happy with the line I chose for the second corner as I swept all the way from seventh into second. I then tried to push, had some nice lines, and briefly passed Jorge before he passed me back. We stayed together for quite a lot of the moto but then I saw that Romain wasn’t so close behind me so I finished second, for second overall. The championship gap has increased but my focus for Lommel is to go out there and have fun. A big thanks to the team who have worked hard, and I hope that Mitch will recover quickly because he was riding really well.”
Tim Gajser
Romain Febvre – P3
“It was a good GP for me with two top-three moto finishes and an overall podium; that’s important for both the team and myself. I was very happy with my starts today; we have worked hard with the team to find the solution and when you start twice in second position it makes life so much easier! In the first moto I felt good; I was not far from Prado and I thought that it would be possible to go for the win in moto two when I got another good start but in the first few corners Gajser passed me and after ten minutes I saw that he and Prado were a little faster than me. I tried new lines but that didn’t change anything; I had a very good feeling but they were simply faster than me so I had to be satisfied with third.”
Romain Febvre
Glenn Coldenhoff – P4
“I’m happy with today. I felt really good on my bike all day, which really helped. The level in MXGP is really high so starts are important and in race one I was able to start in third. In turn three though, everyone bunched up and I had to stop to avoid crashing. It was frustrating as I went back to ninth. I found some good lines and I moved up to fifth so, this was ok before race two. My jump in race two wasn’t great, but I stayed out wide, missing all the ruts and chaos and was fifth after a few corners. I passed Seewer when he made a mistake and finished fourth. Not bad. Good points and onto Lommel for three in a row so I know I’ll be better there.”
Clement Desalle – P5
“It was another good day for me, starting with a fifth in the timed practice session. My first start was not good at all but I made many passes in the first few corners to come to eighth and I was sixth by the end of the first lap; I passed two more riders during the next three laps to finish fourth; that was positive. My second start was better but I made a mistake at the third corner and that dropped me to eighth; I was soon seventh and came close to Cairoli but it was very difficult to make the difference as there was mainly one line on this track. I’m getting better results each weekend; that’s encouraging.”
Clement Desalle
Tony Cairoli – P6
“A bad start in the first moto and I managed to make it back to 7th place. It wasn’t so easy to pass here but I didn’t want to lose many points so I had to make it happen. I wasn’t too happy, but the second moto start was better. I tried to do the second corner aggressively but caught my knee and it felt painful for a while. I pushed again. I lost some positions and won some but finished 6th. Not really a good weekend but we can re-group to make a push in the last six races. There are still plenty more points on the plate. We go to Lommel now and a lot can happen in the sand.”
Jeremy Seewer – P7
“Result wise, of course this is not what I want, 10-5 is one of the worst results I’ve had this year. I feel like I still made the most out of this day with my second race. We came from some tough times and struggling but luckily the team, especially the mechanics, and myself, we were able to make some positive changes. It’s always tricky on race-day to adapt the bike but it worked out well and I could finish fifth in the second moto which is solid. Although, top-three is my goal but there are 18 GP’s and this is racing. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. Now we put this one behind us and move to the next one.”
The FIM Motocross World Championship completed its triple header and Round 8 in Faenza with the MXGP of Emilia Romagna, with Antonio Cairoli riding two consistent races to take his 91st Grand Prix victory in front of a cheering crowd of Italian fans, while claiming the MXGP Red Plate. In MX2 Tom Vialle secured his second consecutive GP win.
2020 MXGP of Emilia Romagna – MXGP Podium 1. Tony Cairoli 2. Tim Gajser 3. Jorge Prado
Mitchell Evans was the lone Australian rider competing in the MXGP class, fighting his way to fourth in Race 1, but having to settle for eighth in Race 2 after expending so much energy in the first moto. The result sees Evans 11th in the standings, although there’s a 41-point gap to reach the top 10 to overcome at this stage.
Mitch Evans
“I had another good day again and we’re still improving with sixth overall today. It’s been better each time so I’m happy with that. The first moto I didn’t get that great of a start and pushed really hard to come back to fourth so it was a good moto but I pretty much used all of my energy in that one. In the second moto I had a really good start, almost grabbing the holeshot but I had nothing left in the tank so it was just survival mode after that, with me holding on as best I could. I’m happy that I was still able to keep improving and stay healthy and be moving onto the next GP in a couple of weeks at a track I really like.”
Mitch Evans
Leading the Aussie riders in MX2 was Jed Beaton, taking fourth in Race 1, just 0.7s off the final podium position, while Race 2 saw Beaton improve to third, for third overall for the MXGP of Emilia Romagna. He now sits fourth overall in the MX2 standings, 12-points off third placed Maxime Renaux.
Jed Beaton
“It feels great. It’s been a long time coming and it’s great to finally get the monkey off my back and have a great first moto. My starts weren’t the best today but I made it work, especially in the second moto. I’m really happy to finally get onto the podium this season for myself and the team. It’s extra special because it’s my first podium result for Husqvarna. I’ve had a few second-place finishes, but the first moto has let me down so it’s great to turn it around and get on the podium with two good results. My riding was good today. My bike was great so thanks to the team and we’ll build on this ahead of Mantova.”
Jed Beaton
Fellow Aussie Nathan Crawford had a strong weekend, claiming 11th in Race 1, with a challenging Race 2 seeing him settle for 14th, for 11th overall for the round. He now sits 14th in the MX2 standings as a result of the 17-points collected at Round 8.
Bailey Malkiewicz was just off Crawford in Race 1, coming home in 12th, while in Race 2 he claimed 21st, bringing home nine championship points and sitting 17th overall for the GP. Malkiewicz now sits 24th in the MX2 standings.
MXGP
In MXGP race one, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado with another FOX Holeshot and he then led his team-mate Antonio Cairoli and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer. Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s riders Calvin Vlaanderen and Alessandro Lupino both got off to a great start in the opening race and were fourth and fifth on the opening lap.
Jorge Prado
Team HRC’ Tim Gajser then moved into the top four, as he looked for a quick way to pass Cairoli, though that didn’t work as the two touched and Gajser was left on the floor. Prado then continued to lead the way with Seewer, Cairoli and Lupino right there as well.
Despite crashing a lap earlier, Gajser was already making a strong recovery as he broke into the top 10 on lap 2. Back with the leaders the gap between Prado and Seewer was 2 seconds, though as the race progressed Seewer was looking to take another win in the class as he set his fastest lap of the race and closed in on the lead.
Tim Gajser
Lupino though was coming under pressure from Team HRC’s Mitch Evans for fourth, with the Australian taking the position not long after.
Gajser then continued to make progress as he moved into 6th place, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis searched for a way past Clement Desalle of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team to move in to 9th.
With 10 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock, the gap between Prado and Seewer was just 0.5 seconds, as the factory Yamaha rider put the hammer down for the win. The gap between first and second remained below half a second for the remainder of the race, until Seewer made a mistake and had a huge crash while trying to pass for first place. Though he was able to quickly re-join the race, only losing one position to Cairoli.
Jeremy Seewer
In the end, Prado went on to take his very first MXGP race win of his career, with Cairoli second and Seewer third.
In race two, Prado once again proved himself as the master of starts as he added yet another FOX Holeshot to his ever-growing tally. Evans was right there in second, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin and Gajser in the top 4 too. Seewer was down in 6th.
Tony Cairoli
Gajser once again was wasting no time as he moved into second and was then followed by his team-mate, with Cairoli and Seewer right there too. Paulin then came under pressure from Standing Construct GasGas MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Romain Febvre of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team.
Febvre was then the fastest guy on track as he continued to chase Coldenhoff, meanwhile Seewer was all over the back of Evans for fourth, as Coldenhoff and Febvre were closing in fast as well.
Romain Febvre
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis then crashed out of 10th, to eventually finish the race in 13th position.
As Seewer moved into 4th, Gajser was all over Prado for the lead. The two looked like they almost came together, as Gajser made a risky move, which paid off, of course, and he was then the new race leader.
Prado then started to come under pressure from Cairoli and a lap later the #222 passed the young Spaniard in the exact same spot as Gajser. Seewer then looked to catch Prado for third, though Febvre sneaked up on him and went for the inside to steal fourth from Seewer.
Jorge Prado
Febvre then went after the race 1 winner, Prado, as he passed him on the same section as did Cairoli and Gajser. Though Prado immediately fought back and was able to move back into 3rd. This didn’t last long as Febvre responded and clinched 3rd once more.
And things didn’t get better for Prado who was passed by Coldenhoff, and it was again on that same part of the track that the #61 lost positions to Gajser, Cairoli and Febvre a few laps earlier. This dropped Prado to 6th in the race.
As Evans and Paulin battled for 8th, the gap between Gajser and Cairoli was coming down, as it looked like the Italian was going to push for that win. And Febvre was also showing great pace in the race as he pushed for second with 3 laps to go.
Mitch Evans
Towards the end of the race there was no change with the leaders as Gajser secured the second race win. Cairoli finished second, Febvre was third, Seewer fourth and Coldenhoff fifth.
With two consistent rides, Antonio Cairoli took to the top step of the podium and also became the new championship leader. Meanwhile Tim Gajser finished second overall, with Jorge Prado third. Cairoli now has a 7-point advantage over Gajser in the MXGP championship standings, with Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing still there in third.
Antonio Cairoli
“Of course today I am really happy. Every race I’m feeling a little better with the conditions. This morning in time practice I struggled a lot; I was three and a half seconds away from the pace so for sure it was not a good boost in motivation for the race. But still at the beginning of the race I made some mistake, keep twisting my knee, it was difficult but with the experience I have I know how to handle these situations. I wish Jeffrey a quick recovery, it is a pity that he’s not there. I didn’t start so good but now I wanna go for the championship and this is my goal. I’m really happy about the championship, 8 years is a lot of time but for sure I’m super happy to be there still fighting with those guys for the title. Now I’m 35 years old and this is a thing that I’ve never expected to be there at this age, anyway every time I ride, I enjoy riding at the track a lot. For sure I enjoy riding with young guys, every time I try to improve, it is more and more difficult every time but at the end, I’m really really happy and satisfied.”
Tony Cairoli
Tim Gajser
“I didn’t have a good start in either moto, they were solid and I tried to make quick passes in the beginning but I would have liked to have been nearer to the front. The first lap of the first moto I came together with Toni and I fell so I was back in the pack, eventually coming back to fifth. I was a bit disappointed but that was the result so I had to refocus for race two. I got a better start in this race and made a couple of good early passes to get into the lead. I pulled out a gap of a few seconds and controlled the race from there to get myself another moto win. It was a tough week of racing and not everything has gone my way but the championship is really close and we are all working hard in Team HRC to get the best results possible. Now there is a weekend off so I will go home and prepare myself for the next race in Mantova.”
Tim Gajser
Jorge Prado
“I’m feeling quite good with the bike at the moment. I think speed wise it’s quite good for sure the first twenty-five minutes. But I’m happy that I could get my first race win even if it was a tough day, I’m very happy. I used a lot of energy in the first race, but I really wanted that win. I give my maximum in every single race and that second race I already started with an empty tank. Yesterday was tough for me; I was feeling really bad and stayed in bed pretty much all day so I’m very happy that I can be on the podium. It’s normal that I feel powerless today, so I think I did a very good results in these circumstances.”
Jeremy Seewer
“First moto I had a decent start. I had some bar-banging with Tony (Cairoli), luckily we didn’t crash and I won it. I followed (Jorge) Prado for the whole moto and I struggled to pass. He made it very difficult and I couldn’t make a pass stick. I pushed, but I lost all of my energy doing so, and then I crashed because I hit the limit. I didn’t make a mistake really, it was just something that can happen in racing. I still managed third. In the second race I got stuck behind Prado again, but I could make a pass stick this time but I already lost some ground. Honestly, I felt a bit empty. I used a lot of energy in the first race battling for the win, and it just took it out of me. It’s a bummer to miss the podium, but I have taken good points for the championship, and I have no injuries and stuff so that is positive. Now it’s time to recover and keep pushing.”
Jeremy Seewer
Romain Febvre
“It could have been a very good GP but on the second lap of the first race I was surprised to see a big hole in a rut; I tried to avoid it but I went outside the track and crashed. I was nearly last when I got back on the track; I came back to tenth but crashed in a corner as I was still pushing to regain positions. I restarted thirteenth to come back again to finish tenth despite two crashes. It was too much to retain any hope of a podium, but nevertheless I gave everything to come back after a mid-pack start in the second moto; I finished third, close to Cairoli. My speed was again good in both races but we struggle a little with the starts as the chase to turn one is uphill with a different grip between the gate and the first corner! We have some testing planned in our programme next week to prepared for Mantova.”
Glenn Coldenhoff
“The day started good and there were a few track changes to make things different. I was fifth for a long time in qualifying and ended up sixth, but this was ok. I didn’t quite get the best start in race one and then used a lot of energy working my way through the riders towards the front. I had a much better start in race two. Came around the first turn in eighth and then came through to fifth at the finish. I wasted too much time trying to pass Prado, but it was difficult to push as the track was slick and you had to be careful. Overall, I’m not happy with the results, but not devastated either. I’ll continue to work hard and I’m looking forward to Mantova in two weeks.”
An updated 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar has been issued with a much-anticipated return to racing following a four month break due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The common goal has remained to preserve the maximum number of events in order to make a credible Championship, supporting all the stakeholders with the aim of saving the jobs of everyone in our sport.
Now even if the situation has not yet become completely clear with regards to COVID-19 MXGP starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and with the calendar announced MXGP will concentrate a very intense championships into three months for all classes.
The season will resume with a triple race in Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia, Riga and Kegums, with the first event scheduled on the 8-9 of August, followed by a mid-week special on the 11-12 of August, and the final Latvian stop concluding on the 15-16 of August. The Latvian circuit will undergo changes for each event, providing the riders with three completely different racetracks. As it stands, in Latvia there will be a total of 1,000 spectators permitted, with a promise that if the situation improves, numbers will be increased.
The updated calendar will unfortunately see the cancellation of the MXGP of Czech Republic, the MXGP of Sweden and MXGP of Finland from the 2020 MXGP calendar with all being postponed to 2021.
The MXGP of Germany, previously as TBA, as well as the MXGP of Indonesia and Asia scheduled to be held in November have been also postponed to 2021 while the MXGP of Emilia Romagna changed the venue hosting a double-race in Faenza – MXGP of Italy and MXGP of Emilia Romagna – and an additional race in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia have been included together with a triple race in Lommel, Belgium as the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders, MXGP of Limburg and MXGP of Lommel.
The 2020 MXGP Calendar then foresees the MXGP of Trentino scheduled at a later date and the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina as penultimate and final event respectively. The MXGP of Russia and the MXGP of Portugal are part of the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar as TBC for the moment depending on the ongoing national conditions.
Unfortunately, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France has been postponed to 2023 due to the high restrictions for COVID-19 which forbid mass public gatherings in France. Infront Moto Racing are now working with Steve Dixon to bring the 2020 Monster Energy FIM MXoN to Matterley Basin (UK); the event, which is nearly three months away will conform to the outdoor event guidance regulations.
From September onwards, at almost every event spectator number limits will be in place, but organisers hope that by then the situation will be much better, and they will be able to welcome larger crowds. Every country has different protocols concerning the COVID-19 restrictions, therefore prior to each event we will inform all the stakeholders, media and fans concerning the specific restrictions they will need to follow.
With many events running consecutively one after the other, in order to provide the riders with a better recovery period, the MXGP and MX2 race action will be concentrated into one day, with free/timed practice taking place in the morning and the main races starting from 1200 into the afternoon. Whereas the day before each event the European Championship and/or the Women’s World Championship will be run.
At the Monster Energy FIM MXoN the participants will take points for the MXGP and MX2 World Championships, Infront Moto Racing and FIM are working on the regulations keeping in mind the format, the principle and the soul of the MXoN to be maintained.
As always, fans will be able to follow all the race action of each MXGP, MX2, European and Women’s Championship race on the MXGP-TV.com.
2020 MXGP Calendar
MXGP Points Standings
Herlings, J.NED KTM 94
Gajser, Tim SLO HON 85
Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 68
Desalle, C. BEL KAW 60
Paulin, G. FRA YAM 58
Coldenhoff, G. NED GAS 56
Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 53
Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 47
Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 42
Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 39
Evans, M. AUS HON 34
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 31
Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 26
Jacobi, Henry GER YAM 23
Bogers, Brian NED KTM 23
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Team HRC ready to start their engines in MXGP
After a break of what will be five months by the time of the next gate drop, Team HRC are set to resume the MXGP season on August 9th at the Latvian track in Kegums, an hour south of Riga. In what is a much-changed calendar from the before the COVID-19 outbreak, this new schedule looks set to include multiple rounds at the same venue, midweek races, and an all-new one-day format.
This is a major step forward for a campaign where reigning world champion Tim Gajser was on the podium at the only two rounds held so far. With two moto wins out of the four races, the Honda CRF450RW rider was in a strong position before the postponement of the season and he’ll be looking to come back where he left off in Kegums, for what is scheduled to be three races in seven days.
Tim Gajser
“I was really surprised to see the new calendar, especially to do three races in Kegums and also three races in Lommel, in the deep sand. It is how it is though, so I know I need to work hard in the deep sand between now and then and try to get as ready as possible. I’m just looking forward to going racing again after such a long break. I miss the races, the weekends at the race tracks so I’m excited to get back to it. I’m not sure how this one-day format will work completely but it will mean that track time is much more critical and we need to be ready to work on bike setup quickly and efficiently. Thankfully I know I have a really good team around me so I’m confident we can cope. Really though, I am just happy that they have released a calendar and we are going racing in one month’s time.”
Tim Gajser on the podium at round one earlier this season – Bavo Image
For his Aussie team-mate Mitch Evans, this break has allowed him to recover from the shoulder injury which he sustained in Valkenswaard at round two, and with a further five weeks until the first moto, he’ll be hoping show the speed that saw him finish third in the first moto of the year in Great Britain.
Mitch Evans
“I’m happy to see the new calendar come out. It looks like it should go ahead finally, at least I’m optimistic that it should be getting back racing soon. The one-day format will be a new thing for the MXGPs, but for me it is just like racing in Australia where we have practice and qualifying in the morning and then two motos in the afternoon, so I should feel at home with it. At the moment, with my injury, I’ve had one day back on the bike and I did some flat-track riding. I’ll do this for the first month and then see the surgeon at the end of July and then hopefully get the all-clear to start racing after that. Obviously, it’ll mean I’ll only having one week to really get ready on a normal track, to see how my shoulder feels before we go racing in Latvia, so I’m not sure if I’ll be 100% by then, as we’ll have to see how the shoulder keeps progressing. Hopefully it holds up well and feels good when I’m riding and then we’ll make a decision before that weekend. I’ve never had an injury like this, with this much time off the bike so it’s been tough. I’m really happy to be back on the bike though and getting back into normal training and with an exact date in mind, to build towards and see the rest of Team HRC, the fans and the MXGP paddock again.”
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans
Austin Forkner injury update
Austin Forkner had a major crash in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross finale at Salt Lake City and this week revelead just how series his injuries were. The 21-year-old Missouri native had to have his spleen removed and also lost a third of his pancreas along with numerous other injuries to internal organs, including major bruising to his liver and kidneys. Forkner said it was by far the most painful thing he has have ever experienced and that the fist five or six days I was in hospital were horrible. He opens up about the injuries in this social media post.
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Jesse Dobson joins Serco Yamaha
Only days after Jesse Dobson was officially released from his contract with RecoveR8 KTM the talented 23-year-old Queenslander has confirmed he will race under the Serco Yamaha banner for the remainder of the 2020 season, competing at the Australian Motocross Championships on the teams’ YZ250F in the MX2 division Dobson will join current Serco Yamaha Team member Aaron Tanti to form a strong team for the 2020 racing season.
Jesse Dobson
“2020 has been a crazy year already but I’m glad to have found a home for the remainder of the year. I have test rode the bikes and met everyone in the team and racing can’t happen fast enough for me as I’m desperate to fly the Serco Yamaha flag and be surrounded by a great race team. This year I hit the reset button a little on my career and knew I had to change a few things to reignite my racing. This lead me back to the MX2 class and now to Serco Yamaha and I have a really positive vibe about it all and look forward to being apart of such a successful and long established team.”
Jesse Dobson
Dobson comes into the Serco Yamaha fold to cover the loss of Dylan Walsh. The logistics of running a New Zealand based rider during a season interrupted by Covid-19 proved too much and both parties agreed to move on and explore other avenues.
“First of all, I would like to thank Dylan (Walsh) for his efforts during the start of the year and racing the New Zealand Motocross Championships with our support. When the Covid lock down came and international travel proved difficult, we acknowledged that it would be difficult to continue and Dylan has since left to explore options in the US,” explains Serco Yamaha owner, Gavin Eales. “We then assembled a bit of a list of the available riders and Jesse Dobson was the stand out. He has great speed and experience, is Queensland based and very determined to get his career back on track. Our initial test with him proved successful so now we are full steam ahead with him and hoping to get some local racing under our belts before the Australian Motocross Championship kicks off in the coming months.”
2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships Entries Open
Entries are now open for the 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships to be held at Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia, on September 26 and 27, 2020.
The Championships will be run by the Keyneton Motorcycle Club and held at Mungeree Homestead, “Hogan Family Property”, Survey Road, Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
The 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships will offer competition in all classes and returning in 2020 is the Mini Trial, a support class on a shortened course of 10 sections, with 3 laps each day – for all riders aged 4 to 9-years-old on mini wheeled bikes.
Camping is available to competitors and officials at the venue from 8am Thursday 24th to Monday 28th September. Please contact Tyler Hogan on 0429 665 240. Showers available with a gold coin donation.
COVID-19 requirements and restrictions will be in place, please refer to supplementary regulations for further information.
YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup’s Postponed Till October 2020
Due to the existing COVID-19 pandemic, Yamaha Motor Europe, Infront Moto Racing and FIM Europe have agreed to postpone the 2020 YZ 125, 85 and 65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were scheduled to take place at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France on the weekend of September 27th to a later date, which is likely to be in October. The exact date and location of the event will be announced when more information is available.
A record 286 young riders are signed up to the 2020 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup across the YZ65, YZ85 and YZ125 classes. This year, the number of national championships bLU cRU riders will participate increased from 17 to 21 as Yamaha continues to expand its pool of talent across the continent.
2020 will mark the fourth edition of the highly popular YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup and the second edition of the YZ85 and YZ65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were introduced at the start of 2019.
As was the case in 2019, the top three finishers of each SuperFinale race, as well as two wildcard riders, will automatically be invited to the bLU cRU Masterclass at the end of the year. The winner of the 125, 85 and 65 categories in the Masterclass will have the fantastic opportunity to earn support from Yamaha Motor Europe next year, following in the footsteps of last year’s winners: Latvian Mairis Pumpurs, who won the YZ125 class and now races for the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team, as well as our 85cc and 65cc winners Dex Kooiker from The Netherlands and Freddie Bartlett from Sweden, who now have added support from Yamaha Motor Europe.
2020 Lima Half-Mile Postponed
Due to COVID-19 regulations in the areas surrounding Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH, the promoters of the Lima Half-Mile have had to postpone its doubleheader race dates scheduled for Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 2020.
American Flat Track is working closely with the promoter, Allen County Fairgrounds and the local health officials to help secure a date that will accommodate its current schedule and provide the best experience for its fans, competitors and staff.
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More Speedway GP events cancelled
Due to ongoing global health concerns and crowd restrictions in Russia and Germany in light of COVID-19, the 2020 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and 2020 Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix have been cancelled.
The events were scheduled to take place at Anatoly Stepanov Stadium on August 29 and Teterow’s Bergring Arena later this year respectively.
Following discussions with the Anatoly Stepanov Stadium and Bergring Arena, we are pleased to announce that both the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and the Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will return in 2021.
The Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, May 22, while the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix’s timing will be announced at a later date.
Czech Republic National series
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing restarted their engines with two ‘warm-up’ appearances in the initial rounds of the 2020 Czech national motocross series where current MX2 FIM World Championship leader Tom Vialle celebrated a victory and a runner-up podium finish.
The MX2 crew of Vialle and Rene Hofer (with EMX European Championship rider Liam Everts also in competition) travelled to the Czech Republic for the first two rounds of six in the domestic contest. The events at the Dalecin and Kaplice circuits were some of the first in Europe to take place after wide international lockdown restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Vialle flew to a 1-1 set of moto wins at Dalecin on his works KTM 250 SX-F while Hofer was also fast to gain 2nd place overall at the hard-packed opener. The Frenchman and Austrian had last competed at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard on March 8th.
Rene Hofer
A week later at Kaplice Vialle ran MX2 Grand Prix rival Jago Geerts close for victory: the gap was less than a second between the two riders in the second moto. Vialle lifted the red plate again on the podium thanks to a 2-2 scorecard as Hofer rode securely to 5th position overall (having qualified fastest) and Everts made the top ten with 10th spot.
The Czech outings helped both 18-year olds get back into a race groove ahead of the MXGP series reconvening in Latvia on August 9.
Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle
“A pretty good weekend again and I’m happy with the week we’ve had here in the Czech Republic. The track was really good for passing, even if there were a lot of lappers from pretty early in the race and there was only really one line: you had to be patient and ended up losing some time, so that made things tricky. I had the best lap-time in both motos and had a great feeling on the bike. In the end it was good training. Now we’ll have a small break before working in Belgium this next month and then the GPs start again!”
Czech Republic MX2
Czech Republic MX2 Championship standings
Tom Vialle, KTM, 94 points
Rene Hofer, KTM, 76
Richard Sikyna, KTM, 74
Jago Geerts, Yamaha, 72
Michael Sandner, KTM, 60
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Yamaha to host Facebook Live reveal of 2021 Motocross Range
Yamaha Motor Australia has announced it will present the 2021 Yamaha motocross range during a special Facebook Live event at 10 am on Friday, 10 July.
YMA will present all the MX models from the YZ65 through to the YZ450F allowing viewers to get a close look at the full range just hours after the international embargo is lifted.
Viewers can interact with the live stream via the comments sections and will be encouraged to ask questions and generate further online discussion about the new releases.
Following the broadcast, a copy of the presentation will be hosted on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page.
An event has been set up on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page, allowing people to register their intention and receive a reminder when the stream is about to go live.
Click Facbeook logo below for the event page or click get reminder to be notified when broadcast starts
Eli Tomac arrived in Georgia off the back of a fairly dominant performance in Texas. The Kawasaki rider started on the front foot overnight in Atlanta by recording the fastest lap in qualifying and then also won his Heat race ahead of the 450 Main.
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen was second fastest in qualifying and had won the other Heat ahead of Jason Anderson and Justin Brayton. The 450 Main looked likely to be shaping up as a Tomac versus Roczen showdown…
Roczen scored the holeshot aheead of Davalos and Friese while a slow-starting Tomac was in seventh place sandwiched between Wilson and Brayton.
Jason Anderson and Justin Barcia then both demoted Tomac further down the field over the first couple of laps. The move by Barcia seemed to light a fire under Tomac who then upped his aggression in response.
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
A lap later though Tomac got caught up with Baggett in a left-hander. The Kawasaki man made a move up the inside that Baggett was not expecting, the two got tangled up and both hit the deck, Tomac rejoining the race way down in 14th place.
As the race approached the half-way mark Roczen was nine-minutes clear of second placed Davalos who in turn had two-seconds on Justin Hill. Friese was fourth, Barcia fifth and Anderson sixth. Tomac was working his way back up the field and working on taking tenth spot from Justin Brayton.
Tomac got Brayton then pushed past Stewart, Friese and Plessinger to move up to seventh place behind Cooper Webb with four-minutes remaining. Both Webb and Tomac passed Justin Hill to move up to fourth and fifth respectively.
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia had worked his way past Tomac earlier on and streaked his way through the field to a hard fought second place finish
Justin Barcia had worked hard to force his way through the field during the middle part of the race and on the run to the flag had a three-second buffer over third placed Davalos. That second place somewhat of a triumph for Barcia.
Up front though it was Ken Roczen all on his lonesome. Taking the chequered flag 13-seconds ahead of Barcia, despite backing off considerably on the last two laps and just cruising home.
Ken Rozcen – Image by Hoppenworld
Webb and Tomac fought hard over fourth place all the way to the flag but it was the Kawasaki man that won that battle to score 19-points that sees Tomac tied with Roczen at the head of the points table ahead of Monster Energy AMA Supercross Round Ten at Daytona Beach next weekend.
Chad Reed scored a 15th place finish to add eight-points to his season tally which now stands at 39-points, and ranks him 17th in the standings.
The win for Roczen made it a double for Honda in Atlanta as Sexton had won the earlier 250 SX East Main.
Ken Roczen – P1
“These wins just keep getting sweeter and more fun each time! I’m so happy with how tonight went and stoked to have the red plate again. The last couple weekends have been tough but I’ve managed to minimize the damage, which was huge for us because it put us in a good position for a situation like today. With all the chaos, we made up seven points in one night and now are tied for the points lead again. The battle continues for the championship.”
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia – P2
“What a crazy race. I started middle of the pack and made lots of passes in the beginning. I kind of got into a groove in the middle and was behind a couple guys waiting for some mistakes to capitalize on something. They started falling apart a little and I was able to move into second towards the end and just rode really solid. The track broke down a lot. It was the roughest supercross I’ve ridden in a while, but all in all, I felt really good and the bike was solid. I can’t thank the whole team enough for making good changes on the bike all day and always believing in me.”
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb – P3
“That was probably the hardest race I’ve ever had. I was way back and just put my head down and tried to do the best I can. I got a few gifts from the guys ahead of me but man, it was painful. I knew it wasn’t going to be fun or easy, but that’s racing. It’s a long way out but the only thing keeping me going is this championship, so we’ll do whatever we can.”
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac – P4
“The main event didn’t go as planned, but the good news is we live to fight another day and line back up next weekend at one of my favorite tracks, Daytona. There are still positives to take away from today; we were fastest qualifier, won our heat race, and we never gave up in the main event, and battled hard all the way to the very end to salvage as many points as possible. We are going to put this race behind us and be ready to rock next week in Daytona!”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Eli Tomac
200
2
Ken Roczen
200
3
Justin Barcia
177
4
Cooper Webb
176
5
Jason Anderson
151
6
Malcolm Stewart
137
7
Adam Cianciarulo
128
8
Justin Hill
127
9
Justin Brayton
116
10
Dean Wilson
113
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Chase Sexton claims the Atlanta SX win and lead
RJ Hampshire scored the holeshot from Chase Sexton and Shane McElrath when the third round of the 250 East AMA Supercross Championship got underway on Saturday night in Atlanta.
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
McElrath and Sexton started tussling for position after a few laps and their battle allowed Hampshire a little breathing space. After the first few thrusts from McElrath, Sexton then stepped his pace up a gear to stretch away and close on to the tail of McElrath once again.
Jeremy Martin, Garrett Marchbanks and Jordon Smith were fourth, fifth and sixth with ten-minutes remaining. Sexton finally made a move past Hampshire with eight-minutes left on the shot clock. Hampshire is well known for making hard passes and taking no prisoners, Sexton returned the favour with a very fair but forceful pass for the lead when Hampshire opened the door.
Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
The leaders were now encountering a lot of lapped traffic and at this point of the race it was working somewhat in the favour of Sexton. Jeremy Martin went down out of fourth place and was relegated back to tenth place by the time he was up and running again.
Sexton continued to pull away from Hampshire, the Husqvarna man then lost touch with Sexton and was getting pressured by McElrath in the latter stages of the race. Hampshire held on for that second place though with McElrath finishing in third place at the flag.
Sexton the clear victor and extends his 250 SX East Championship lead to five-points over McElrath.
Chase Sexton
“HOTlanta was a good one! Honda Racing US sweep with Ken Roczen and I taking both heat and main wins! I’m super thankful to be apart of a great team and to have the people behind me that I do! Fans were awesome all night as well! You guys are great.”
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld
RJ Hampshire – P2
“Each week we’re going to continue to get better. Getting those holeshots felt good and we had a good flow out there. I want to win but I also want to be in this thing [championship] a few weeks from now, so we’re going to continue to fight week in and week out.”
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
Shane McElrath – P3
“I felt really good during the day, even in the Heat race. We made a few bike changes for the Main that we thought was going to be good, which was kind of my call. I was struggling with the track quite a bit, but I’m learning a lot. It was tough to get third. I felt like I should have been able to win, but I was struggling with a lot of things. So we’ll work on those this week and we won’t make those same mistakes twice.”
Shane McElrath – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordan Smith – P4
“Honestly, I am happy with today’s performance. I would have liked to be closer to those front three guys battling for a podium position at the end, but after last week’s rough ride I am just happy to be back up towards the front of the pack where I belong. I just need to work on cleaning up a few things and we’ll be right where I expect us to be. The last time I raced Daytona was in 2018 and I won at the iconic track, so I am excited to get back down there and try to do it again.”
Joradn Smith chases Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX East Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Chase Sexton
75
2
Shane McElrath
70
3
RJ Hampshire
61
4
Garrett Marchbanks
53
5
Jordon Smith
47
6
Jeremy Martin
44
7
Jo Shimoda
44
8
Josh Hill
41
9
Enzo Lopes
36
10
Joey Crown
31
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Strong Aussie showing at MXGP opener in Great Britain
The first round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) season has concluded at Matterley Basin, with Jeffrey Herlings and Jago Geerts taking the overall victories in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively, as sunny weather on Sunday set the stage for a fantastic day.
Aussie Mitch Evans kicked off the season on form, claiming third in Race 1, while a more challenging Race 2 still saw him in the top ten, with seventh. This leaves Evans in fifth overall heading to Round 2.
Mitch Evans
“It was a good weekend, excluding the start of that second moto. Everything else went really well. In the first moto I had a good start, avoiding some of the early race carnage and made my way into second for a little bit. Unfortunately, I struggled with my breathing a bit because of my chest infection and finished third. I felt a lot better in the second moto although I had to push throughout the race because of the bad start. I used a lot of energy to get around guys as fast as I could and I hit a bit of a wall with eight minutes to go. Overall it was a good weekend though, I’m happy with my MXGP debut and now I get ready for Valkenswaard next weekend.”
Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
In MX2 top Australian was Jed Beaton in fourth overall, with second in Race 1, and sixth in Race 2. Fellow Aussies Nathan Crawford and Wilson Todd took 14th and 17th overall respectively, at the season opener.
Jed Beaton
“It was a good weekend for me. Fourth overall is a great result for the first Grand Prix, although I’m a little disappointed to miss the podium because of a small crash in the second race. In the first moto I had a good start, found some nice lines and came from eighth to second, which was great. I felt good and, yeah, it was good to get that result in the books. Second moto, it took a while to settle into a rhythm and then I just washed the front wheel out in a corner, losing a few places and I finished the race in sixth. For the upcoming rounds I just need to be a little more patient. Overall, it’s been a great day and there are plenty of positives to take into round two next weekend.”
Jed Beaton
Nathan Crawford
“Qualifying was a really challenge – especially for me coming from Australia. I’ve never race in condition that cold, windy and rainy. It was definitely something that I hadn’t been through before, so it was quite a shock. We tried to prepare for it and did our best in the tough conditions. In race one I got a mid-pack start, but made some good passes on lap one. I was hovering around 10th position and then had a big crash and after that I was just surviving and trying to get through the race. In race two it was an OK start, but not great – so I set about battling my way through and ended the race in 10th place. The second trace was definitely better for me and that gives me something to build on.”
2020 MXGP Standings after Round 1
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
47
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
38
3
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
38
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
35
5
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
34
6
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
32
7
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
32
8
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
30
9
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
23
10
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
21
11
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
13
12
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
13
13
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
13
14
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
13
15
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
12
16
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
11
17
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
11
18
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
9
19
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
6
20
Guillod, V.
SUI
HON
5
21
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
2
22
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
2
23
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
2
MX2 Standings after Round 1
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
43
2
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
40
3
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
40
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
37
5
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
35
6
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
28
7
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
26
8
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
22
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
22
10
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
21
11
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
21
12
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
15
13
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
15
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
14
15
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
14
16
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
11
17
Todd, Wilson
AUS
KAW
8
18
Harrison, M.
USA
KAW
7
19
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
6
20
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
5
21
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
4
22
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
3
23
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
2
24
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
2
25
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
1
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Courtney Duncan opens 2020 WMX campaign with double wins
Defending Women’s World Motocross Champion (WMX) flying Kiwi Courtney Duncan has begun her 2020 campaign with a double victory this weekend – demonstrating to her rivals that she is a returning force to be reckoned with.
Courtney Duncan
Battling through deep mud and ruts at the season-opening MXGP Great Britain at the popular British circuit of Matterley Basin, 24-year-old Otago motocross queen Duncan bagged the maximum 50 points on offer over the two races on her 2020 Kawasaki KX250. Riding for the England-based Kawasaki Dixon Race Team, she was the first to admit she took some time to warm into her winning ways.
Courtney Duncan
“I’m happy to go 1-1 here at the opener. I felt a little bit rusty. A little bit off the pace but that’s a given, since I haven’t raced in six months. I’m very happy to walk away with the full 50 points and I think we can be proud of that especially given the conditions – they weren’t easy. They were pretty difficult out there with a lot of mud. I’m stoked to get the first round win, I couldn’t ask for more. I can only go up from here. My goal is to just continue to improve and I think I can do that. The more bike time I get on the race bike with testing, I can up the pace. I look at improving each day and each race as it comes.”
Courtney Duncan – Image courtesy of MXGP
During the first race, Courtney Duncan took the holeshot closely followed by Nancy Van De Ven who was flying out of the gate. Van De Ven led the race for two laps, before crashing out, allowing Duncan to run her #1 plate out front, followed by Kiara Fontanesi who made some quick moves in the first laps to move into second. Meanwhile Lynn Valk moved up to third.
The top three stayed the same for the entire race, as Van De Ven tried to fight off Larisa Papenmeier. Papenmeier was able to pass the Dutch rider with two laps to go, to secure her spot in the top four of the race, with Van De Ven finishing fifth.
Larissa Papenmeier – Image courtesy of MXGP
In race two, Duncan got off to another flyer, leading Van De Ven, Valk, Papenmeier and Amandine Verstappen. By lap 4, Papenmeier passed Van De Ven for second securing herself the second spot on the podium, as she remained in the position for the entire race.
From then on there was not much change with the leaders, as Duncan continued to lead Papenmeier, with Van De Ven, Verstappen and Valk rounding out the top 5.
Kiara Fontanesi was making her way back up the chart, following a start in the top 10 and by lap 5 was up in P6 after gradually passing riders each lap. Also doing the same was Mathilde Martinez who finished the race in seventh behind Fontanesi.
Kiara Fontanesi – Image courtesy of MXGP
The top three were Courtney Duncan securing the first overall victory of the season, followed by Larissa Papemnemier and Kiara Fontanesi.
Courtney Duncan
WMX – Race 1 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:54.805
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:11.560
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:17.018
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:31.542
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +1:20.495
WMX – Race 2 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:37.429
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:05.505
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:27.613
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:31.137
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:32.200
WMX – Overall Classification Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 50 points
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 37
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 36
Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 36
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Liam Everts tops EMX125 in Great Britain
Liam Everts secured his first overall victory in the EMX125 class over the weekend, at Round 1 of the MXGP championship held at Matterley Basin in Great Britain.
EMX125 Podium – Image courtesy of MXGP
In the opening race Everts got off to a flying start, followed by Kjell Verbruggen and Maxime Grau. By lap two Verbruggen was in second, as Grau went missing, dropping down to 13th position.
By lap 4, Verbruggen was coming under fire from Rasmus Pedersen and a crash saw the Dutch rider drop down to 35th. Pedersen then moved to third as Kevin Brumann passed for second place.
Finding good rhythm around the British circuit, Everts was able to pull away from Brumann, finishing the race with an impressive 24.122 second lead! Pedersen finished third, while Cato Nickel and Meico Vettik placed fourth and fifth. Local riders, Joel Rizzi and Eddie Jay Wade made the Brits proud with a ninth and tenth place finish.
In race two, it was Brumann who took the holeshot and led the race for four laps, before Everts was able to chase him down on lap 5, with Florian Miot and Grau in third and fourth.
Kevin Brumann – Image courtesy of MXGP
Grau moved up to third, but less than a lap later Miot passed him back to secure third. While the top three stayed the same, Haakon Osterhagen found his way past Andrea Bonacorsi.
It was Liam Everts who took the race win, overall victory and red plate, going into Round 2 as championship leader.
Liam Everts
“I wasn’t expecting when I came here, second race was a bit tough for me but I had good starts during the weekend. I’m super happy to win here after my dad (Stefan Everts) did 14 years ago. This victory is for him.”
Liam Everts – Image courtesy of MXGP
EMX125 Race 1 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 33:17.460
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:24.122
Rasmus Pedersen (DEN, KTM), +0:34.977
Cato Nickel (GER, KTM), +1:23.920
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +1:36.878
EMX125 Race 2 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30:50.463
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:10.584
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), +0:20.625
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), +0:25.385
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +0:26.749
EMX125 Overall Classification
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 50 points
Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 44
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), 35
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), 32
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 31
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Gibbs and Purvis take NZ MX lead at Hawke’s Bay
Altherm JCR Yamaha riders Kirk Gibbs and Maximus Purvis were two men on a mission, storming into the lead of their Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship classes over the weekend in Hawke’s Bay.
Riding their respective Yamahas in the series’ penultimate round at Ngaruroro Raceway, near Fernhill, the two took the upper hand in their title hunts, ahead of the championship wrapping up in Taupo, in a fortnight.
Sunshine Coast-based Gibbs was untouchable in the premier class on his YZ450 – qualifying first and winning three from three races.
Kirk Gibbs took the round win from Cody Cooper and Hamish Harwood, with Kayne Lamont fourth and Brad Groombridge fifth.
The top-notch results give him a five-point lead over defending champion Cody Copper and 29-point buffer over Hamish Harwood in third.
Kirk Gibbs
“It was a really good day for me. I’ll go home and work on some more things that Josh [Coppins – Team Manager] and BT [Ben Townley] gave me to work on. It’s so helpful to have such good people to get information from. I’ll go there with a good mindset and put a couple of good races in and try to bring it home.”
Kirk Gibbs – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis went 2-1-4, with the final race result slightly lower after the 19-year-old Mangakino flyer crashed on the last lap, while in second.
Maximus Purvis and Dylan Walsh were tied on 65-points for the round win, with James Scott third overall, Josiah Natzke fourth and Caleb Ward fifth.
Maximus Purvis
“It definitely feels good to be leading the points going into the last round. I’ve been trying to chip away at it and now I just have to finish it off with some good results at Taupo.”
Maximus Purvis – Image by Clmintiepix
Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh displayed some of the form that saw the 22-year-old crowned the British Motocross Championship’s MX2 winner last year, with a 4-2-1 results’ set on his Yamaha YZ250F.
Dylan Walsh
“Round three was a big improvement for me. We made huge changes during the week on the suspension and it paid off. I was able to get the round win and show what I was capable of.”
Dylan Walsh – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis now holds the MX2 lead on 183-points, with Josia Natzke second on 179-points, with James Scott third overall on 172. Dylan Walsh is currently fourth on 161 points, with Caleb Ward fifth.
MX1 Round Results
Kirk Gibbs (YZ450) – 75
Cody Cooper – 64
Hamish Harwood – 62
Kayne Lamont (YZ450) – 54
Brad Groombridge – 46
MX1 Standings
Kirk Gibbs, 211 points
Cody Cooper, 206
Hamish Harwood, 182
Kayne Lamont, 149
Brad Groombridge, 138
MX2 Round Results
Dylan Walsh (YZ250F) – 65
Maximus Purvis (YZ250F) – 65
James Scott – 58
Josiah Natzke- 53
Caleb Ward – 53
MX2 Standings
Maximus Purvis, 183 points
Josiah Natzke, 179
James Scott, 172
Dylan Walsh 161
Caleb Ward, 143
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AMA Supermoto Championship kicks off in April
The 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association, kicks off 2020 in Primm, Nev., on April 4-5, with the 2020 season to feature two rounds at new venues, including one in Honolulu at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on May 2. The remainder of the schedule includes four events in the United States and Canada. The other new venue is Colorado National Speedway, which hosts Round 3 on May 30.
2020 AMA Supermoto Championship – Image by Steve Alkyer, courtesy DRT Racing
The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, round is sanctioned by the Canadian Motorcycle Association. That round, coupled with the event in Sturgis, S.D., determines the FIM North America Supermoto Championship.
Ken Saillant – AMA Track Racing Manager
“This year’s AMA Supermoto National Championship Series schedule features a great mix of proven venues and new markets for one of motorcycling’s youngest competition disciplines. We’re looking forward to another year of intense supermoto competition.”
Supermoto racing includes a mix of street-style racing and motocross. Riders compete on tracks that feature dirt and pavement sections with jumps and turns. Venues can range from football stadiums to closed-course streets or parking lots. The AMA Supermoto National Championship Series is promoted by DRT Racing.
For more information about the 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series, visit www.drtracinginc.com.
2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series
April 4-5: Primm, Nev.: Anthony Hart Memorial Race
May 2: Honolulu, Hawaii: Aloha Stadium
May 30: Dacono, Colo.: Colorado National Speedway
June 12-13: Austin, Texas: 25th Annual Republic of Texas Rally
July 31-Aug. 2: Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada: 51st Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières (CMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
Sept. 11-12: Sturgis, S.D.: 8th Annual Streets of Sturgis (AMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
Preparations are already underway for the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) that will be hosted in Rivanazzano Terme in northern Italy from 31 August to 5 September. The pre-registration phase that closes on 30 March 2020 is now opened on www.fim-isde.com.
PRE-REGISTRATION CLOSES 30 MARCH
All riders (World Trophy, Junior World Trophy, Women’s World Trophy Teams and Club Teams / riders) must contact their National Motorcycling Federation (FMN) to register. Login access will only be given to FMNs. Same procedure apply for riders wishing to compete in the Enduro Vintage Trophy (Teams and Individuals). Federations have to complete the relevant online form before the pre-registration closing date.
CONFIRMATION OF SELECTED TEAMS ON 15 APRIL
At the end of the first phase, depending on the number of pre-registrations, Club Teams will be informed about the selection of their teams by their National Motorcycling Federation. The National Motorcycling Federation must then pay the relevant 25% deposit of registration fee relating to the number of Club Teams confirmed. At this stage, each National Motorcycling Federation will be asked to fill the detailed information about the team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so.
FINAL ENTRY PHASE FROM 1 MAY TO 30 JUNE
The National Motorcycling Federation must pay the remaining 75% of the registration fee for all Teams as confirmed on 15 April. The National Motorcycling Federation must have fully completed the entry form and details about team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so, and before 30 June.
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Jeffrey Herlings signs new KTM MXGP contract
Four-times FIM Motocross World Champion Jeffrey Herlings has signed a new contract with his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and will remain ‘in orange’ for a further three years until the end of the 2023 MXGP season.
The 25-year-old Dutchman inked his deal on the eve of the British Grand Prix this weekend and the opening round of twenty in the 2020 MXGP series; his fourth in the premier class and eleventh in the FIM World Championship all with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
The association began in 2009 when Herlings was signed to make his MX2 GP debut for the 2010 season as a fifteen-year old. He claimed his first top-three race finish in just his second moto at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria at Sevlievo, celebrated his first podium at Mantova in Italy for round two and then started an incredible seven-year unbeaten streak of wins a few weeks later at his home event at Valkenswaard; scene of his very first 1-1 clean sweep.
Since that initial term in 2010 Herlings has gone on to accumulate 86 Grand Prix victories in two classes and ace titles in 2012, 2013, 2016 (all MX2) and then 2018 (MXGP) with KTM 250 SX-F and KTM 450 SX-F machinery. In that time there have been some astonishing performances – such as the first moto chequered flag in Latvia last summer, taken with a broken foot – and also some tough moments when he conceded likely titles in 2014 and 2015 due to injury. His peerless 2018 MXGP campaign saw #84 own 17 from 19 Grands Prix and classify as runner-up in the other two outings.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Herlings is already the most successful Dutch rider in the history of the sport and is third on the list for all-time Grand Prix triumphs. In 2019 he added the Motocross of Nations Chamberlain trophy to his heaving collection of silverware.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I’m very, very happy. I have been with KTM since 2009 so by the end of this next contract it will be fifteen years together. I’m excited to stay in the orange family and I have been working with Pit [Beirer] and the entire crew since the beginning and I was fourteen. I’m blessed to be able to do it for another three years; four including this one about to start. It is also good to have this done before the weekend and GP1 of 2020. KTM is where my heart is, and they are my family. I’m thankful that they trust in me, and I believe in them, the bike and all the people I work with. I’ll be racing with them until I’m 28 and I’m super-happy, hopefully there many more happy days ahead.”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director
“This contract definitely means a lot to me personally because it was back in 2009 that we gave this young kid and his family our word that we’d take good care of him and he had a great future in front of him: we wanted to be a partner in that. We went through so many ups and downs with Jeffrey and he has collected all of his wins and titles with us – just one brand. It was actually quite emotional to know he could spend his career with just one company. I’m really happy that we could agree everything so early for another three years and I wish him a healthy and strong season and hopefully an even longer association with us when he’s stopped racing.”
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2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
