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Moto Wrap | Dirt Track | Dakar prep | Tough One | Roof of Africa

November 30, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Billy Bolt wins last ever Tough One event

The Tough One Extreme Enduro first ran in 2005 and was run the final time over the weekend, with Billy Bolt taking a historic win as a result.

Held in the Nantmawr Quarry on the Welsh/English border, the location is renowned for brutal climbs in both directions, slick logs and a relentless pace.

Bolt took the win on his TE 300 two-stroke from David Knight, who’s won the event six-times, with Mitchell Brightmore taking third place in the Pro class.

Billy Bolt – P1

“Had a rough week last week hence my lack instagramming but it ended off on a good note with a win at the Tough One yesterday. Very nice to add my name to the winners list for such an iconic race. Back to Spain today to get to work ready for super enduro this weekend let’s go!”

2021 Tough One Results – Top 5

Pos	Rider	Team	Time
1	Billy Bolt	Rockstar Husqvarna	1:57:50
2	David Knight	CCC Manhattan KTM	1:59:41
3	Mitch Brightmore	Husqvarna	2:07:56
4	Jack Spencer	Beta	2:08:23
5	Jack Price	GasGas	2:08:29

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Wade Young wins 2021 Roof of Africa for Sherco

Wade Young has taken the 2021 Roof of Africa win for Sherco Factory Racing, ahead of TT Racing riders Travis Teasdale and Matthew Green in the gold class.

Wade Young – P1

“Long cold days in the mountains but super happy to get the win the Motul Roof of Africa 2021. #TeamSherco Great way to end the season! Thanks to the race organizers for another outstanding event. See you next year!”

Travis Teasdale – P2

“Roof of Africa is done and dusted. I had a great race winning the time trial and day three was my highlight. The course was extremely wet and really hard to navigate your way through the mountains. I am happy to end my season on the podium and looking forward to the next season already.”

Matthew Green – P3

“Third at the Roof of Africa. What a feeling. Super happy to get another Gold Roof under the belt and bring home some silverware while at it. Huge thanks to everyone directly and indirectly involved with my racing. Days like today are just unforgettable! Riding in the most insane mountains during a thunderstorm with some of yours best mates is something not many will experience. Went out today with the intention to just have fun and I can definitely say I achieved that! Racing the Roof at the highest level definitely puts you through a lot of emotions and I think that was quite evident today when I crossed the finish line. Today marks the end of the 2021 racing season and it is impossible to thank everyone for everything they have done for me but just know I really do appreciate each and everyone who helps. The biggest thanks has to go to my incredible parents. If you know me well you know how much they do for me. It’s been a wild ride. And I’m walking away with the biggest smile on my face. Thank you!”

2021 Roof of Africa Results

Pos	Participant	Team	Total
1	Wade Young	Sherco Factory Racing	13:40:31
2	Travis Teasdale	TT Racing	14:09:25
3	Matthew Green	TT Racing	14:53:58
4	William Slater	TBR Suspension	15:47:44
5	Blake Gutzeit		16:17:16
6	Luke Walker	McLarens Yamaha Racing	17:11:58
7	Tristan Tamsen	TT Racing	17:52:16
8	Chayse Orsmond		18:32:01
9	Heinrich Aust	Rockstar Energy Huqvarna	19:14:35
10	Andrew Houston	Peak Yamaha	21:53:26

Daniel Milner joins Fantic D’Arpa Racing Team for 2022

Australia’s Daniel Milner has revealed that he’s joined the Fantic D’Arpa Racing Team for 2022, to compete the EnduroGP and Italian Enduro championship, pursuing a long standing personal goal.

Daniel Milner

“Excited to be racing for Fantic Racing on the Fantic D’Arpa Racing Team for 2022 in the EnduroGP and Italian Enduro. This has been a goal of mine for years, so getting this opportunity to help grow this brand and team was a no brainer. Also, getting Scott Lillis along side me will make it way easier to push to chase our dream and goals. Bring on 2022.”

Factory Honda signs Wilson Todd for 2022

Three-time Australian Champion Wilson Todd has signed with Factory Honda for 2022, after hitting the MX2 age limit in Europe, having spent the last two years racing in the highly competitive MX2 World Championship.

Wilson Todd

“I enjoyed my time in Europe and I was proud of the results we achieved against the factory team. I finished as high as fourth in a race, and we had a top five overall finish and several top tens. There is an age limit in the MX2 class and I turn 24 before next year’s championship starts which makes me ineligible. I was faced with some hard decisions and in the end the best decision for me was to come home and race. My focus is to win the MX2 and SX2 Australian Championship, but I hope to do a race or two overseas through Yarrive’s contacts and team internationally.”

Todd has proven to be one of the best Australian riders. In the past seven years he has won three championships and finished runner-up twice. He has also proven himself on the world stage. Tony Hinton, Honda Australia’s General Manager of Sales welcomed Wilson Todd to Honda’s Factory Team.

Tony Hinton

“Wilson Todd completes an impressive line-up for Honda. Wilson is a welcomed surprise as he was achieving great results overseas in the World MX2 Championship and we were unsure if he was going to return. He proved competitive against the world best this season and we are fortunate to have him racing our new 2022 CRF250R in next year’s Australian Motocross and Supercross Championship.”

2022 marks Wilson’s first year with Honda and the Queenslander is looking forward to racing with the championship winning team. Wilson still hopes to compete overseas and will patiently wait to see if there are any opportunities to do some racing in America next year in between the Australian Motocross Championship.

Ryder and Rogers with WBR Yamaha for 2022

The WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Team will head into 2022 with two young prospects to contest the Pro MX and Australian Supercross Championships in the MX2 division. In keeping with their role of developing the up coming riders within the Yamaha ranks, Levi Rogers and Ryder Kingsford will spearhead the team in 2022 and both have been a part of Yamaha’s emerging talent for several years.

Rogers moves across from the Yamalube Yamaha team and looks forward to the new surrounds and environment to continue progressing in his career. Rogers has proven to be fast, as fast as anyone on his day, with plenty of rides in his rookie MX2 season in 2021 showing he is capable of mixing it with the biggest names in the MX2 class.

Working with the Whitten family at WBR Yamaha, Rogers will be looking to cash in on his undoubted speed and turn that into results both at a state and national level. At just 18 years of age, Rogers has time on his side and is out to make his second year in the MX2 category memorable for all the right reasons.

Levi Rogers

“2021 was my first year in MX2 and while there was speed and some good results, there was some mistakes which I need to reduce to be a contender at each and every round. I’m thankful Yamaha were keen to keep me on board and that Travis and Nathan from WBR Yamaha offered me a great opportunity for the new season. “We already have a few plans in place and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a new year with the team. Their bikes have been proven to be good, we have a great group of sponsors on board and hopefully we can get a full season completed. I’m excited for 2022 already.”

Joining Rogers will be young Yamaha sensational Ryder Kingsford. Like Rogers, Kingsford has been a long-term product of the Yamaha Junior Racing program and after a strong 2022 season where he finished in second place in the inaugural MX3 championship, he makes the move to not only the WBR Yamaha team, but also steps up to the MX2 division.

Kingsford is equally skilled at motocross and supercross, having both style of tracks at his disposal in his own back yard in Goulburn. He has already won multiple Australia junior championships in motocross and supercross and is eager to make the big leap into the professional ranks.

Ryder Kingsford

“I know stepping into the MX2 class is a big decision to make but Yamaha and WBR were happy for me to take it and I thank them for showing the faith in me when I could have stayed another year in MX3. Getting the support of the team at WBR Yamaha is awesome and we have already had a successful couple of days testing and I feel right at home on the bike and with the team. We plan on doing as many events as possible before the start of the Pro MX Championship in March so I’m well prepared for what’s to come.”

Dylan Long has also been an ambassador for the WBR Yamaha dealership since his retirement from full time racing a few years ago, but the racing bug has bitten again and Long will compete in a range of activities for WBR Yamaha included selected rounds of the Pro MX and Australian Supercross Championship.

Romain Febvre injury update

Romain Febvre underwent successful surgery on his right leg that he broke at the Paris Supercross last weekend; the factory Kawasaki rider will rest for a few weeks before starting preparation for the 2022 season.

Together with several other leading MXGP riders and seasoned Supercross specialists, Romain Febvre entered his last race of 2021 on Saturday; it was a unique and additional opportunity to race in a one-off Supercross event inside his home country of France after recently celebrating his second place in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship.

Feeling comfortable on the track laid out in the Paris la Defense Arena, Romain posted the third fastest lap time during the Superpole to confirm his fastest time from Friday practice. Fifth in the first of the three races Romain made a great start in the second sprint race, pushing his fastest lap time and was a challenging for second position behind Marvin Musquin when he crashed spectacularly on the finish jump!

After being transferred to the hospital Ambroise Pare at Boulogne Billancourt where he had further examinations, Romain underwent surgery and was treated for a double fracture of the tibia and fibula of the right leg. Following successful surgery Romain remains positive for his full recovery.

Romain Febvre

“Not the way I wanted to finish the season for sure! I was happy with my riding, didn’t took any risks, and I felt more and more comfortable with the track when I had this crash. In my career I already recover from injuries, I know what that means and for sure I will be back stronger.”

Kevin Horgmo joins F&H Kawasaki Racing Team

The F&H Kawasaki Racing Team has secured its first new signing for the 2022 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship as Norwegian Kevin Horgmo, this year’s EMX250 series runner-up, moves up to the GPs.

For the fifth year in succession Team F&H will be officially representing Kawasaki in the MX2 World championship next season and the exciting Norwegian talent joins the Dutch squad with high expectations from both team and rider.

One of most talented riders from Scandinavia, Kevin was at the sharp end of a tense battle for the FIM Europe EMX250 title this summer, eventually ending the series as runner-up with two overall victories, three moto wins and six podiums.

The MX2 World Championship will not be an entirely new experience for Kevin as he already raced a few GPs this season, with a twelfth position as best result in Czech Republic. After battling for race wins, podiums and the title he now moves to the GPs more experienced and mature. Kevin has already started working with Marc De Reuver, who will again be the coach to the F&H riders next season.

Kevin Horgmo

“I’m really excited to join F&H Kawasaki Racing Team; the KX250 is a completely new bike for me but already after the first test I feel so comfortable on it. To be a member of a team like this is what I feel I’ve been missing in the past; the team has everything I need to succeed so now it’s up to me to perform! It will also be good to work with Marc as a trainer; for sure I will learn a lot from him!”

Maxime Renaux signs with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP

Yamaha welcome reigning FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion Maxime Renaux to the premier MXGP class in 2022, the 21-year-old Frenchman joins the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team, where he will campaign a YZ450FM in the FIM Motocross World Championship for the next two years.

Renaux has been with Yamaha for more than a decade and has worked his way up the Yamaha Racing pyramid, ever since he was a young star-on-the-rise on a YZ85. In 2015, the young talent celebrated three EMX125 wins aboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 and eventually won his first World Title with an impressive victory at the Junior 125cc World Championship in El Molar, Spain, in that same year.

After the 2016 and 2017 seasons were marred by injury, the determined Frenchman entered the lower capacity premier class, MX2, as a wild card in 2018 and instantly showed great potential.

At the age of 18, Renaux completed his first full-term in MX2 in 2019 where he managed to steer his YZ250F to a maiden podium finish on his way to seventh overall in the final classification. The following year, in 2020, the Yamaha ace quickly established himself as a title threat. He eventually finished third in the MX2 World Championship after celebrating his first-ever Grand Prix race and overall win at the MXGP of Italy in Faenza.

After many notable performances throughout his first two years in MX2, Renaux was drafted into the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team and substantially improved his riding and racecraft. In his debut season as a ‘Factory’ Yamaha rider, the ‘959’ took his YZ250FM to 24 top-three finishes, 10 race wins, 14 podium finishes and five Grand Prix wins on his way to title glory in the 2021 FIM MX2 World Championship.

After the Paris Supercross at the end of November, the French star will step up to the premier class, where he will join seasoned MXGP riders Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff under the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP awning.

Maxime Renaux

“I’m really excited for the new challenge and the next chapter, to move to MXGP. I know it’s going to be an all-new challenge, and it is the most important part of my career because once you reach MXGP you are at the top, there is no class to move forward. I feel ready for it, and I am really looking forward to making this experience a good one, and a long one. I have tested the bike, and I feel already really good and really comfortable. I’ve been riding a 450 in the past, so it’s not a new bike for me, but it is the first time on a Factory YZ450FM, and I already feel super ready for it, so now we will spend the winter testing and developing the bike to suit me as best it can, so that we are ready for next season. I’m looking forward to everything.”

Toby Price to headline KTM’s Dakar efforts in 2022

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Matthias Walkner, Toby Price, and Kevin Benavides are fired up and focused on success as they enter the final phase of preparations ahead of next January’s Dakar Rally. The three-man team of former Dakar Rally winners will be joined by newly retired MotoGP rider Danilo Petrucci, who will make his Dakar debut at the 2022 event.

With just over one month to go before the highly anticipated start of the 2022 Dakar Rally, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are currently completing their final period of testing before packing their bags and heading to the start of the famous race, early in January 2022.

Matthias, Toby, and Kevin will all compete on the latest version of the KTM 450 RALLY – a bike developed in close cooperation between KTM Technologies, KTM’s R&D department, KISKA, and KTM Motorsports over the last two years.

Toby Price showed impressive pace at the 2021 Dakar Rally, but was frustratingly forced to retire following a crash on stage nine, which caused a year of disruption for the Aussie. Following three separate surgeries, Price has largely stayed away from competition, spending time on his bike at home in Australia during the second half of the season, before joining the team later in the year to test and develop the new KTM 450 RALLY.

Contesting the Rallye du Maroc in October, he put in five solid days of racing, also taking the time to further improve the set-up of the new machine through the Moroccan dunes in preparation for the Dakar. Happy with his own performance, and that of the bike, Toby will be looking to make amends for his 2021 Dakar disappointment and claim his third title at the 2022 event.

Toby Price

“I’m really looking forward to Dakar 2022. This year’s race didn’t go too well for me, crashing out on stage nine. I was sitting in a good place, so it was tough to have to retire. The plan for the next one is similar to those I’ve had in the past to be honest – make it safely to the rest day in a solid position, stay in contention, and try to let the days come to me. On the days that we need to push, we’ll really go for it. It’s easy to make a plan, but the rally is always changing day-by-day, you have to be able to adapt. I’m feeling really good now, and the work on the new bike is definitely going in the right direction. All being well we should be in the mix, and I can’t wait to go racing again with the Red Bull KTM team!”

Joining the team in Saudi Arabia, former MotoGP star Danilo Petrucci will be riding for KTM Factory Racing and making his competitive rally debut at the Dakar. Swapping his KTM RC16 for a KTM 450 RALLY, the likeable Italian will take on the world’s toughest rally hoping to complete the event at his first attempt.

Danilo has already had time to test his Tech3 KTM Factory Racing rally bike alongside the team and has undergone intense road book training, under the watchful eye of KTM’s Rally Sport Manager Jordi Viladoms, in order to be ready to face the incredibly challenging navigation required for rally racing.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News | Rally | Flat Track | Arenacross | X-Trial | 2022 Calendars

November 8, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Kurt Nicoll another World Vet MX title at Glen Helen

Kurt Nicoll has taken his Champion MX SXF450 KTM to victory at the Dubya World Vet MX Championships held at Glen Helen Raceway, marking his sixth World Vet Pro title. On Saturday he topped the 50+ Pro class, winning both motos, and taking the overall over Ty Davis and Kevin Barda.

Sunday saw Nicoll again win the Pasha 125 cc 50+ Pro class, with consistency proving key, with two second places netting the overall. This time winning from Peter Murray and Barda.

Kurt Nicoll

“A fantastic weekend at the Dubya World Vet MX Championships! Perfect Weather and a brutally bumpy Glen Helen Raceway made for a superb event. I picked up my 6th World Vet pro title, on my perfect 2022 Champion MX SXF450 KTM! Thanks to everyone that supports this old guys passion to still win!”

Liam Everts’ season ended by injury

It’s been revealed that Liam Everts’ injury, sustained on Saturday is worse than originally expected. An MRI has revealed a fractured shoulder blade, putting an early end to his 2021 season as a result.

Liam Everts shared on Instagram:

“Yesterday during timed practice a had a little crash what resulted in a little break in my shoulder blade this is my season over one race earlier then I would of hoped I’d like thank all my sponsors and family for this year. Motivated for 2022.”

Ben Novak prepares for 2022 with Honda after heart surgery

Honda Australia’s MX 3 rider Ben Novak is recovering following his third open-heart surgery. The young New South Wales rider has endured a heart condition since birth which has hampered his career and ultimately pushed him to make the decision to get it corrected ahead of the 2022 season where he will battle the MX2 riders with Factory Honda.

Ben Novak

“It’s been tough, my health has never been 100%, I suffer from something called Tetralogy of the Fallot and we always knew there would come a time for me to have another surgery. As I have gotten older it’s been harder to perform at my best and racing in MX2 next year requires me to be stronger and fitter than ever before. I will never complain about it but it’s been harder on the bigger bikes and in longer races, especially in the heat. I worked around it for so long, but I noticed it more this year and my parents and I thought it was best to get the surgery ahead of next year. I am confident this will help improve my stamina, my muscle recovery and growth. It’s been a hard two years for everyone in racing and this wasn’t an easy decision, but we felt it was the right one. I really appreciate Honda sticking by me.”

Tetralogy of the Fallot is a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth, it causes oxygen-poor blood to flow out of the heart and in the rest of the body. Symptoms include but aren’t limited to shortness of breath and difficulties in exercising.

Ben’s first surgery was at 11 days old, followed by his second open heart surgery at 15 months. The championed motocross racer hopes this will be his last surgery as he plans to take on the nations best in the MX2 class next season.

Ben’s journey with Honda goes back five years and he has achieved some fantastic results. This year was his first full season in MX3, and he achieved podium finishes in the Australian Motocross Championship.

Ben Novak

“The positives are we were competitive, I missed out by two points in the overalls, and I won some state championship races. I know where I need to improve, and I am positive we will return stronger next year.”

Honda Racing Australia’s Yarrive Konsky applauds Ben’s efforts through adversity and believes the young champion is capable of so much more.

Yarrive Konsky

“We haven’t seen the best of Ben; he has achieved great results for Honda, and we will standby him through his recovery. He proved to me that he has the will to push hard, and his commitment is unquestionable. We have realistically set goals for Ben next year in his first season in MX2 and we will continue to work with him to achieve them.”

Thibault Benistant misses Mantova double-header

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Thibault Benistant will not participate in the final two rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Mantova, after sustaining an injury to his left knee.

The decision to withdraw the 19-year-old Frenchman from the final two rounds of the season was taken by Yamaha in consultation with the team. Benistant will be assessed by a knee specialist in Lyon, France. Once the full extent of the injury is understood, a program for his recovery and return to racing will be implemented.

Daniel Sanders retains third after Abu Dhabi Stage Two

Stage Two of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge proved a long one, with riders facing 470 km in total, including a timed special of 333 km, encompassing tough navigation through dunes, alongside faster tracks that required speed and concentration.

Daniel Sanders claimed third at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage Two

Putting in a strong ride through the desert, Aussie Daniel Sanders defended his overall position in the top three to end the day just three-minutes behind leader Matthias Walkner. The result cements that standing for a second day, while third for the stage was an improvement on Stage One’s fourth place finish.

Daniel Sanders – P3

“Day two went ok for me, but not as well as I’d hoped. I found it hard to get into a good rhythm early on – I had a couple more scary calls with some drops as I’m still learning how to read the terrain here in the desert. I had a couple of crashes too – one gave me quite a knock and I ended up in a hole in the dunes. I had to dig the bike out a little and that cost me some time. I got to the refuel and managed to get some food and water into me, recharged and felt a lot better after that. For the second half of the stage, I felt a lot better and managed to find a good pace. The terrain suited me better too, with more tracks and plateaus. I finished third-fastest today, which puts me in a good spot for tomorrow.”

See the report here:
Daniel Sanders third at Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage Two

Bryan Miller wins WA Flat Track Championship at Pinjar

Former Kiwi 500 cc solo rider, Bryan Miller beat a big and very talented field of Flat Track riders to claim the Western Australian Flat Track Championship title at Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway on Saturday evening.

Bryan finished second in his first heat then won his next three rides to go into the all important championship decider as the second highest point scorer, behind South Australian competitor, Sean Chapman who won all his qualifying heats. Bryan rode with plenty of grit and determination to go on and win the Final to claim the title race.

Bryan displayed plenty of raw talent, determination and some spirited aggression during his five rides. At times he had to be prepared to rub shoulders and muscle his way forward in a brilliant display of riding.

Sean Chapman finished a credible second place in the hard fought final race beating home the defending champion, Matt Marson who also rode very well all night long and didn’t do too much wrong.

With nine riders across the track in each heat, it was tough going into turn one requiring some brave manoeuvres and aggressive riding.

The point scoring system made it critical to be consistent and finish in the top four in each heat to ensure riders accumulated sufficient points to advance directly into the A final without having to compete and finish either first or second in the B final to advance further.

Perfect start to X-Trial season in Andorra for Toni Bou

The first round of the FIM X-Trial World Championship held in Andorra la Vella saw Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou clinch the victory.

Toni Bou kicked off the 2021 X-Trial season with a rip-roaring triumph at the Poliesportiu de Andorra in Andorra la Vella to become the first leader of the 2021 championship.

The action got underway with the first qualifying round, where riders had to overcome a total of six sections with Toni Bou making several mistakes to finish fourth on seven penalty marks.

In the second round, where just the top riders in each group would make the cut for the final, the Repsol Honda Team rider stormed back, delighting the Andorran spectators with a fine display of riding skills, finishing the round with a clean sheet to grant the champion direct access to the final round.

In the final, against one of his toughest rivals Adam Raga, Toni Bou once again pulled it off, cleaning all six sections for 0 points compared to Raga’s 11, thus sealing the win at the Andorrean season opener.

In two weeks the Repsol Honda team and Toni Bou will once again be back in action for the second and final trial of the shortened X-Trial World Championship at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on Sunday 21 November.

Toni Bou – P1

“I’m very happy with this victory. After 20 months without participating in X-Trial the sensations were strange today. To be back competing in front of the fans and, on top of that with an Andorran crowd that was incredible. We know that Barcelona – which is also my home trial – will be very tough and that’s why it was so important to win here today. At the start, I managed to pick up some points and I made some mistakes. But on both the second lap and the final one, things went spectacularly, not only because I didn’t pick up any marks, but also because I was feeling very comfortable with my riding and felt confident and aggressive. I am very pleased with my riding, but above all with the team. I want to thank them for all the work they have done this last month after winning the outdoor world championship, to get the bike ready for the indoor championship.”

Toni Bou topped the Andorra podium – 2021 X-Trial Round 1 Andorra

X-Trial 2021 Rider Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Team	Man.	Points
1	BOU Toni	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Montesa	20
2	RAGA Adam	SPA	TRRS Factory Team	TRRS	15
3	BUSTO Jaime	SPA	Vertigo Factory Team	Vertigo	12
4	GRATTAROLA Matteo	ITA	Beta Factory Racing	Beta	9
5	FAJARDO Jeroni	SPA	Sherco Factory Team	Sherco	6
6	GELABERT Miquel	SPA	Gas Gas Factory Team	Gas Gas	4
7	MARCELLI Gabriel	SPA	Montesa Factory	Montesa	2
8	MARTYN Toby	GBR	TRRS Factory Team	TRRS	1

2022 Australian Arenacross Series Calendar

The inaugural 2022 Australian Arenacross Series powered by Protraxx calendar has now been released, with the series aimed at amateurs who want to have fun right through to professional racers, while offering a carnival-like atmosphere for spectators and families.

The 2022 Australian Arenacross Series powered by Protraxx will feature four rounds at four spectacular venues.

2022 Australian Arenacross Series Calendar

The 2022 Series fires into action at Victoria’s Bacchus Marsh on January 29, before heading North to Swan Hill on February 12, Albury/Wodonga on February 26, and the Grand Finale at South Australia’s Renmark on March 12.

The Australian Arenacross Series will introduce fans to a mash of MX racing on manicured tracks, freestyle action, pit party fun, big extreme rides, trade stands and food trucks and plenty of family entertainment.

The Series is brought to you by nationally recognised motorcycle track building company, Protraxx who build Australia’s Supercross stadiums, national events and club tracks.

Josh and Jess Proctor, owners of Protraxx, wanted to fill the gap between Motocross and Supercoss, providing riders with an opportunity to race and give fans some sensational on track action, with a fun and safe track for your average rider all the way to the seasoned pro.

Register now through the official Australian Arenacross Series powered by Protraxx website at www.australianarenacross.com.au for additional information.

2022 Australian Arenacross Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Bacchus Marsh	Jan-29
Round 2	Swan Hill	Feb-12
Round 3	Albury/Wodonga	Feb-26
Round 4	Renmark	Mar-12

ProMX Championship Calendar expanded to eight rounds in 2022

The much anticipated 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores (ProMX) Calendar has now broken cover, featuring an expanded Championship of eight rounds of racing over eight separate weekends across the THOR MX1, Pirelli MX2 and Maxxis MX3 classes.

The gate will drop on the 2022 ProMX Championship at the iconic Wonthaggi track in Victoria, for round 1 on March 27th. Building on the huge fan attendances and incredible racing from the inaugural Championship opener this year, Wonthaggi is set to be nothing short of a spectacular launch for the 2022 ProMX Championship.

Round 2 of the Championship will see ProMX partner with the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) presented by MXstore in Mackay QLD, on April 10th, as part of the ultimate off-road racing weekend, treating fans, industry and riders alike to a show stopping weekend of off-road racing.

The Championship then moves to Wodonga in VIC, on May 1st, before heading to the city of Churches and the Gillman racetrack in SA on May 29th. Maitland NSW, will again host the ProMX Championship Round 5 on June 26th, before a new and exciting venue in Coffs Harbour, NSW, will host Round 6 of the Championship on July 24th.

The chase for the Championship will then heat up with two weekends of back to back racing in the sunshine state of QLD, with Queensland Moto Park (QMP) hosting the penultimate Round 7 on August 14th. The Champions will then be crowned at the Grand Finale of racing at Coolum for Round 8 of the Championship on August 20th and 21st.

Peter Doyle – Motorcycling Australia CEO

“There has been significant investment in the ProMX Championship to help elevate the sport of Motocross in Australia. The new initiatives we were able to introduce such as an international TV package and the addition of the Maxxis MX3 Class to help the next generation of the sport chase their racing dreams, has seen great reception from the riders, fans and industry alike. Our goals and commitment to the ProMX Championship remain the same in 2022 and this is to further develop a strong platform for the long term success of Australian Motocross on a national level and to provide a pathway for future champions.”

2022 ProMX Championship Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Wonthaggi, VIC	Mar-27
Round 2	Mackay, QLD	Apr-10
Round 3	Wodonga, VIC	May-01
Round 4	Gillman, SA	May-29
Round 5	Maitland, NSW	Jun-26
Round 6	Coffs Harbour, NSW	Jul-24
Round 7	Queensland Moto Park	Aug-14
Round 8	Coolum, QLD	August 20-21

12-round Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship calendar for 2022

The 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing series will kick off and conclude during the holiday weekends that signify the proverbial beginning and end of summer, starting with Memorial Day, in May, and finishing over Labor Day, in September.

AMA MX Rnd Starts JK MX Ironman — AMA Pro Motocross – Image by Hoppenworld

The 12-round championship will once again travel to 10 different states on its journey to crown a pair of AMA National Champions, extending the legacies of the world’s most storied venues into the series’ fifth decade.

The battle for the Edison Dye and Gary Jones Cups will begin in a familiar place, on May 28, from the heart of the industry in Southern California for the Fox Raceway I National.

The first month of the season will also feature the iconic Hangtown Motocross Classic, on June 4, in Northern California, followed by the annual mile-high visit to Colorado on June 11 for the Thunder Valley National.

The sport’s Father’s Day tradition at the High Point National will signify the first East Coast round on June 18 in Pennsylvania.

After the first of two breaks in action over the course of the season, the world’s fastest riders will return to the track on July 2 for one of the biggest Independence Day traditions in all of sports, the RedBud National in Michigan.

AMA Pro Motocross – Image by Hoppenworld

The halfway point of the 2022 season will descend on the famed sands of Massachusetts’ The Wick 338 for the Southwick National, on July 9, while the second half of the championship gets underway on July 16 in Minnesota with the Spring Creek National. A second foursome of events will conclude with a return west on July 23, where the scenic Pacific Northwest is home to the Washougal National.

The championship’s final break in action will precede a four-round stretch run to end the season, beginning on August 13 with New York’s legendary Unadilla National.

A trip just outside the nation’s capital awaits on August 20 with the Budds Creek National in Southern Maryland, followed by the penultimate round on August 27 in motorsports-crazed Indiana for the Ironman National. The summer will draw to a close where it began, in Southern California, on September 3 with the Fox Raceway II National.

2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship Calendar

Round	Event	Location	Date
Round 1	Fox Raceway National I	Pala, CA	May-28
Round 2	Hangtown Motocross Classic	Sacramento, CA	Jun-04
Round 3	Thunder Valley National	Lakewood, CO	Jun-11
Round 4	High Point National	MT Morris, PA	Jun-28
Round 5	Redbud National	Buchanan, MI	Jul-02
Round 6	Southwick National	Southwick, MA	Jul-09
Round 7	Spring Creek National	Millwille, MN	Jul-16
Round 8	Washougal National	Washougal, WA	Jul-23
Round 9	Unadilla National	New Berlin, NY	Aug-13
Round 10	Budds Creek National	Mechanicsville, MD	Aug-20
Round 11	Ironman National	Crawfordsville, IN	Aug-27
Round 12	Fox Raceway National II	Pala, CA	Sep-03

2021 24MX GetzenRodeo run-down

It was all systems go for the final stop of the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Germany’s 24MX GetzenRodeo. For a one-day race there was a lot packed in.

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Of course the major highlight was the race to become the first FIM Hard Enduro World Champion between Billy Bolt and Manuel Lettenbichler, with Bolt grabbing that honour. But there was much more going on too. Here’s our run down of the extra bits you may have missed in Germany…

The Fight For Third

Naturally eyes were focused on the outcome of this year’s title bout between Billy Bolt and Manuel Lettenbichler. But the fight for the final step of the podium was heating up too. Mario Roman knew he was in with a shout of taking third from his Sherco Factory Racing teammate Wade Young and delivered his best ride of the season.

Wade struggled early on and had to dig deep to get back to fourth to claim third overall in the championship.

Busy Top Five

It was great to see Husqvarna, KTM, and Sherco take their place on the final championship podium. All three manufacturers enjoyed a race win this season. Add in Beta and there were four manufacturers inside the final top-five standings, too. Sherco grabbed the lion’s share thanks to Wade Young and Mario Roman with third and fourth.

Sehr Geil Bavaria

How cool was Mani Lettenbichler’s riding kit for 24MX GetzenRodeo! Acknowledging the importance of his home race, FOX Racing pulled out all the stops to design a truly Bavarian set of riding kit. We liked this a lot and hope to see more in the future.

Morning Qualifier

Places were limited for the GetzenChamp race, with only 15 spots available. That alone made it an intense battle for track position during the two-hour morning qualifier. At the chequered flag it was TTR’s Kevin Gallas who grabbed the final spot with Rigor Racing’s Matt Green just coming up short. However, the young South African was his usual upbeat self and was quickly found cheering trackside for everyone that afternoon. Top work Matt!

Grit & Determination

A tip of the hat goes to GASGAS supported rider Michael Walkner for a heroic ride. Michael reported that a collision with another rider at the start of the GetzenRace resulted in a heavily injured thumb. Not only racing on to qualify, he placed an impressive seventh in the GetzenChamp race to secure seventh overall in the championship.

Olszowy joins TTR for 2022

Some welcome 2022 team news emerged from GetzenRodeo with TTR Squadra Corse signing young Hard Enduro talent Dominik Olszowy. Olszowy produced some great performances this year, most notably fourth at his home race HERO Challenge. By joining a highly professional team like TTR Squadra Corse it will be exciting to see him grow as a rider.

Hard Enduro Live

24MX GetzenRodeo was a feast of Hard Enduro action, with over two hours and 37 minutes of live coverage aired on Red Bull TV and you can still watch the 24MX GetzenRodeo full replay on Red Bull TV here (link).

2021 Hard Enduro Standings

Pos	Rider	Man	Points
1	Billy Bolt	Husqvarna	104
2	Manuel Lettenbichler	KTM	104
3	Wade Young	Sherco	83
4	Mario Roman	Sherco	76
5	Jonny Walker	Beta	66
6	Alfredo Gomez	Husqvarna	63
7	Michael Walkner	GASGAS	46
8	Teodor Kabakchiev	Husqvarna	36
9	Taddy Blazusiak	GASGAS	29
10	Dominik Olszowy	KTM	24

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto Wrap | Flat Track TT | MX | TrialGP | Rally | Speedway | ISDE

August 24, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Todd Waters wins King of Capricorn 2021

Todd Waters has won the 2021 King of Capricorn over the weekend, with a consistent performance across the top two steps of the podium in the day’s races leaving him 20-points clear of runner-up Kirk Gibbs. Aaron Tanti completed the podium in third, with fourth through sixth a close affair between Jesse Dobson, Jai Walker and Levi Rogers, with a single point separating each rider, on 149, 148 and 147 respectively.

Todd Waters – P1

“Super fun weekend at the King Of Capricorn MX over the weekend. Taking out the overall in both the two-stroke and the King of Capricorn classes. Huge thanks to Mike Ward for pulling off the largest cash prize purse in Australian MX together with the RADMX Rockhampton Motocross, you guys rock.”

Kirk Gibbs – P2

“My Terrafirma Honda worked well all weekend and I felt competitive. My biggest setback were my starts. The format included 9 races, 5 of which were 3 lap sprint races. I got one out of nine holeshots. I definitely made life hard for myself all day and I know what I need to practice on. I really felt strong, and I could have made some aggressive passes, but I could have taken myself down as well. As much as I wanted to win the overall, I am glad I won the final race comfortably and I am in one piece to fight for the Queensland titles this coming weekend in MacKay.”

Kobe Drew claimed the Prince of Capricorn title, winning the class on 169-points, ahead of Jack Mather and Jett Burgess-Stevens, with Jake Cannon and Jet Alsop completing the top five.

2021 King of Capricorn Top 10

Pos	Rider	Total
1	Todd WATERS	213
2	Kirk GIBBS	193
3	Aaron TANTI	176
4	Jesse DOBSON	149
5	Jai WALKER	148
6	Levi ROGERS	147
7	Jayce COSFORD	112
8	Ricky LATIMER	103
9	Noah FERGUSON	93
10	Lochie LATIMER	87

2021 Prince of Capricorn Top 10

Pos	Rider	Total
1	Kobe DREW	169
2	Jack MATHER	147
3	Jett BURGESS-STEVENS	141
4	Jake CANNON	128
5	Jet ALSOP	110
6	Blake HAIDLEY	106
7	Liam OWENS	102
8	Charli CANNON	90
9	Jack WILLIAMS	78
10	Frederick TAYLOR	70

2021 International Six Days of Enduro returns to Italy

The 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro will kick off in Lombardy / Piedmont on Augusta 30, marking the 11th time Italy has hosted the event, with only Great Britain holding a better record.

Italy’s long association with the ISDE – originally titled the International Six Days Trial (ISDT) – began in 1931 when the town of Merano had the unique honour of hosting the event in back-to-back years. The Italians triumphed on home soil on the first of these occasions before giving way to the British who won the main two trophies when the ISDE returned a year later.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati — The ISDE returns to Italy in 2021 for the 11th time – Image by Dario Agrati

It wouldn’t be until 1948 that the event would return to Italy, in San Remo, followed by Varese in 1951. 17-years later it would reconvene in San Pellegrino Terme, before heading to Camerino in 1974.

1981 was the next time that Italy would act as the host to the freshly named ISDE. Isola d’Elba was the venue for this memorable edition, and home nation won both of the new team classes – namely the now established World Trophy and Junior Trophy competitions.

Five years later as San Pellegrino Terme accommodated the ISDE for a second time and was the scene of the 1986 celebrations as once again the host nation won both the World and Junior Trophies.

After an extended break, Italy was back in charge of delivering another notable running of the ISDE in 1997. Brescia being the last venue where the Italians achieved home wins in both the World Trophy and Junior Trophy categories. The beautiful island of Sardinia was the host in 2013, which marked the tenth time that the ISDE had been held on Italian soil.

Eight years later, and after having been postponed twelve months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FIM International Six Days of Enduro is returning to the Italian heartland of Enduro and to some of the best off-road terrain in Europe. Lombardy / Piedmont will once again welcome riders from across the world for six demanding days in the saddle from August 30 to September 4, 2021.

Leszno defeat Lublin 48-42 at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium

Polish racers Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Krzysztof Kasprzak were the last-heat heroes as they secured Grudziadz’s spot in the 2022 PGE Ekstraliga and sent Zielona Gora down.

Grudziadz spent most of the season bottom of the table, but they stormed to a last-gasp 48-42 victory at home to Czestochowa on Sunday, which saw them leapfrog Falubaz for seventh spot and drop one of Polish speedway’s superpowers into the First Division for next season.

Pawlicki has endured a mixed campaign for Grudziadz, but delivered when it mattered most, top-scoring on 13 points.

He led Kasprzak to a 4-2 in heat 15, parting Lions pair Leon Madsen and Bartosz Smektala on turn two to send the home fans into raptures, while KK nipped past Smektala on bend three to break Zielona Gora hearts.

This was after Nicki Pedersen and Kenneth Bjerre raced to a 4-2 of their own over Jonas Jeppesen and Mateusz Swidnicki in heat 14, with Jeppesen just snatching second on the line to send Grudziadz’s relegation fight to the last heat.

Kasprzak has endured a tough couple of seasons, but lifted himself for Grudziadz’s biggest match of the year, delivering 10 paid 11.

Triple world champion Pedersen roared back into action with 11 points after his racing ban for remonstrating with a referee was put on hold by the Danish Sports Confederation. His contribution was telling for a team that has relied on him heavily all season. His compatriot Bjerre collected nine paid 10.

Madsen was Czestochowa’s top scorer on 10 paid 11, while Smektala scored eight and Freddie Lindgren registered four.

Grudziadz’s triumph throws the future of Zielona Gora’s big guns for 2022 into serious question as the club faces its first season out of the top flight since 2006.

Local hero Patryk Dudek may be forced to move away from his boyhood club for the first time in his career in search of PGE Ekstraliga action, while SGP regulars Max Fricke and Matej Zagar may also seek pastures new.

In the day’s other match, Lublin secured second spot in the PGE Ekstraliga table and booked a play-off semi-finals showdown with Gorzow.

Leszno defeated Lublin 48-42 at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium. But with the visitors taking the bonus point, the reigning champions will now face a tough semi-final showdown with table-topping Wroclaw as they bid for a fifth straight league title.

Aussie icon Jason Doyle impressed for Leszno on 13 paid 14, while Emil Sayfutdinov tallied 10 and World Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey added eight paid 10. Jaroslaw Hampel was Lublin’s top scorer on nine.

Max Fricke on the podium at SpeedwayGP Challenge

Polish racer Pawel Przedpelski admits he’s in dreamland after crowning the week he became a father by booking his place in the 2022 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series alongside Max Fricke and Patryk Dudek. The Torun icon topped the GP Challenge podium to take his place in the SGP World Championship for the first time next year.

Przedpelski tied on 12 points with Aussie champion Fricke, but triumphed in a run-off to win the meeting, while Fricke secured his SGP status for next year – regardless of where he finishes in the SGP 2021 standings.
Meanwhile, former world No.2 Dudek bagged third place on 11 points to earn an SGP World Championship comeback after just a season away.

Victory capped a week Przedpelski will never forget after he welcomed daughter Rozalka into the world along with partner Michalina on Tuesday.

Pawel Przedpelski

“I can’t believe it. This week couldn’t have been better for me. On Tuesday my daughter came into the world. That was unbelievable. Today I got into the GP, so it is like a dream. It cannot be real. It is a beautiful day.”

Przedpelski stormed to 11 points from his opening four rides to put himself within touching distance of qualification. He found himself at the back in race 18 behind Dudek and Jan Kvech, but Przedpelski powered past Slovakian racer Jakub Valkovic for third going into bend three to snatch the point that sealed his spot on the sport’s biggest stage.

Fricke endured a difficult start, fighting his way past former Belle Vue team mate Dan Bewley for third in heat four as he finished behind Przedpelski and Andzejs Lebedevs.

The Victorian ace racked up 11 points from his remaining four rides, rounding them off by winning a ferocious battle with compatriot Chris Holder to take victory in race 19 and seal a podium place.

But the Zielona Gora and Indianerna star is still targeting qualification via the SGP 2021 top six – even with his spot for next year secure.

Max Fricke

“It definitely takes the pressure off, knowing that I am in the championship next year. But hopefully we don’t need this place. That’s the aim of the game. Now I can go out and focus on every GP and try and put in the best possible results to finish off the year.”

Dudek raced to two seconds and a third in his opening three heats. But he delivered a flawless finish, winning races 13 and 18.

Dudek’s fellow Polish star Janusz Kolodziej could have sealed a spot in SGP 2022 with second place in heat 20. But the Leszno man was left languishing at the back after a nightmare start and first turn, sending Dudek through.

Kolodziej had to make do with fourth spot on 10, although it could still be enough to secure his place in SGP 2022 in the event Fricke finishes in the 2021 SGP World Championship’s top six.

Kolodziej’s 10-point haul was matched by German ace Martin Smolinski in fifth. The Bavarian roared to victory in his opening two heats, before finishing second to Przedpelski in heat nine. But third places in his final two rides saw him fall short of a remarkable SGP comeback – just 15 months after recovering from serious hip and nerve injuries, which could have ended his career.

Latvian international Andzejs Lebedevs missed out on nine, while 2012 world champion Chris Holder, Dan Bewley, Jevgenijs Kostigovs and Jan Kvech all collected eight points.

John Darroch tops WA State MX Round 4

Round 4 of the WAMX Senior State Championship ran over the weekend, with John Darroch taking a double win for the MX1 Pro victory, ahead of Charlie Creech and Stuart Eardley-Wilmot, with Luke Davis and Brendon Bayliss completing the top five.

In the MX2 Pro Class, Daniel Pajewski took the overall win ahead of Evan Browne, with each rider taking a win a-piece. Cody Chittick was third overall with a consistent 4-3 result.

Kayden Minear topped the MX3 class going 1-1, ahead of Deacon Paice (2-2) and Jordan Minear (3-3).

In the Veterans class Luke Few swept all three races for the win, ahead of Aaron Chircop and Trevor Unstead. Kara Cats meanwhile won the Womens class, ahead of Hannah Stewart and Che’Ebert.

WAMX Round 4 Final MX1 Pro Results

Pos	Rider	Total	R1	R2
1	JOHN DARROCH	50	25	25
2	CHARLIE CREECH	44	22	22
3	STUART EARDLEY-WILMOT	38	20	18
4	LUKE DAVIS	36	16	20
5	BRENDON BAYLISS	34	18	16
6	STEVEN POCOCK	29	15	14
7	AUSTIN RIDLEY	27	12	15
8	CODY HEGGS	27	14	13
9	CHRISTOPHER RUTTICO	25	13	12
10	MARIO D’ERCOLE	21	10	11
11	CHRISTIAN SILVESTRO	19	9	10
12	MICHAEL ZAWADA	17	8	9
13	JYE CORMACK	11	11	–

AORC Rounds 9 & 10 in South Australia cancelled

The AORC management team have now officially cancelled Rounds 9 and 10 of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore, due to the continuing COVID-19 state border closures and lockdowns.

AORC Rnd Dungog Daniel Milner — Daniel Milner – AORC 2020, Round 3 – Dungog

The AORC management team worked closely with their South Australian counterparts and host club Keyneton MCC, but under the current regulations, with border closures and extended lockdowns in several states, it is not possible for the Kingston SE round to proceed.

The AORC management understand riders were very keen to hit the track, but with the current state restrictions, the health and safety of competitors, teams, officials and fans are paramount.

Despite this, the South Australian Off-Road Championships which were to run alongside the AORC will still proceed for South Australian riders at a yet to be confirmed new venue.

The AORC management team thanked Keyneton MCC for their significant work in preparing for the AORC rounds as well as the wider enduro community for their support and understanding during this difficult time.

Under-16s Speedway Championships cancelled due to Covid

South Australian Sidewinders Under Sixteen Speedway Club have cancelled of the 2021 Australian Under 16’s 125cc Speedway Solo and Under 16’s 125cc Teams Championships due to COVID-19 State lockdowns and border restrictions. The Championships were to be held at Wingfield, South Australia on September 24 and 25.

Meredith Sterry – South Australian Sidewinders U16 Speedway Club Secretary

“In view of the Country’s current Covid 19 situation, and in particular the issues in NSW, along with the subsequent lock downs and border restrictions, we feel it would not be possible to conduct the event in the manner in which it deserves to be run.”

The Club and MA will work together in regard to next year’s Championships and to find a suitable date which will be announced in the near future.

2021 Australian ATV National Championships cancelled

The Cretive48 have, in consultation with Motorcycling Australia, cancelled the 2021 ATV MX Nationals to be held at Kilcoy, QLD, October 16-17 due to current global pandemic of COVID 19 and the restrictions, lockdown and quarantine laws that vary from State to State that have resulted from this crisis.

Mitch Van Vliet

“We had big plans for the 2021 ATV MXN and the event was looking to be the biggest and best nationals yet. After the crazy year we had in 2020 it was looking promising for the event to go ahead 2021, but with the uncertainty and ever-changing laws from State to State the safest thing we could do at this point in time is cancel the event. We had some great sponsors lined up and for the first time we were planning on having the event Live streamed for the ATV World to tune in to see just how fast us Aussie are. I am still very passionate about growing the sport and plan on giving all ATV racers the most professional events that continue to get bigger and better every year. We are currently in negotiations with Motorcycling Australia in regards to the 2022 and 2023 ATV MX Nationals and will be making an announcement in the near future regarding those events. In the meant time please stay tuned to the Facebook page and instagram for any updates.”

FOX Racing teams up with Australian Supercross Championship

The Australian Supercross Championship have entered into a naming rights partnership with global motocross apparel giant FOX Racing, with the FOX Australian Supercross Championship to boast a complete rebrand and all-new look.

Domestically, FOX have held a strong partnership for the best part of three decades with Australia’s successful racing outfit, CDR Yamaha, with a large collection of number one plates going to the Craig Dack run operation.

Mikey Rangel – FOX’s Global Director of Marketing

“The team at FOX is beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Australian Supercross Championship. The work Adam & the crew have done to drive a premier race experience through this series is admirable. We’re eager to kick off further collaborative efforts to celebrate Supercross in Australia with our activations on-site, presence in the domestic marketplace, and through FOX’s global platforms.”

FOX Racing teams up with Australian Supercross Championship

Adam Bailey – AUS SX Holding

“To say that we’re excited to be partnering with a global and iconic brand like FOX is a massive understatement. FOX is synonymous with dirt biking, globally. Their ability to build and market a brand is second to none and their designs and products they have built over the years are etched into some of the most memorable moments in Motocross and Supercross. We can’t wait to see what we can do together, with Supercross in Australia.”

Following a tumultuous two years which has been plagued by the Covid-19 pandemic, sports fans across the world have demonstrated their thirst for the return of actions sports. The 2021 FOX Australian Supercross Championship was scheduled to kick off in Queensland on October 16 and conclude in Victoria in late November, with events also confirmed in SA, WA and NSW. The current Covid-19 outbreak however has put this on hold until further notice.

‘It’s obviously been a tough period for everyone and for Supercross fans it’s been no different. We felt like as a Championship we were hitting our straps in 2019, culminating with 35,000 fans inside Marvel Stadium, so it was a huge shame to miss out on backing that up in 2020.

An official schedule for the 2021 FOX Australian Supercross Championship is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Adrien Metge wins 2021 Rally dos Sertões

The third round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship took place in Brazil on a route between Tamandaré and Tibau do Sul, offering a diverse challenge over stony and sandy terrain, rolling tracks and magnificent landscapes.

It was also a difficult route because of logistical issues created by the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, and as a result few riders were able to participate, while the last stage was cancelled after torrential rain inundated the region.

Adrien Metge (Yamaha) led the motorcycle category from the Prologue to the end of the rally. However, the Frenchman experienced GPS issues on the first stage and over-speeding cost him a 16-minute time penalty and he finished the section in ninth. The Yamaha rider then went on to win all the stages, with the exception of the last one, that fell to Gregorio Caselani (Honda).

Adrien Metge wins 2021 Rally dos Sertões

On SS6, Metge almost didn’t finish when his engine gave signs of weakness and gave in at the end of the special. Fortunately, team-mate Tulio Malta – who had started far behind after experiencing a problem on stage five – was able to tow him to the bivouac.

Jean de Azevedo (Honda), for his part, made a comeback at the handlebars of a Honda and demonstrated that he had lost none of his ability to finish second overall, ahead of Bissinho Zavatti (Honda), Tulio Malta (Yamaha) and Gregorio Caselani (Honda).

Ricardo Martins (Yamaha) fell on the fourth stage and was forced to retire with fractured ribs.

With all the aforementioned riders registered in Rally2, Metge won Rallye dos Sertões and the Rally2 category, while the victory in RallyeGP went to Caselani.

2021 Rally dos Sertões Results

Pos	Rider	Nat	Man	Time
1	Adrien Metge	FRA	Yamaha	31:13.3
2	Jean Azevedo	BRA	Honda	31:47.2
3	Bissinho Zavatti	BRA	Honda	32:03.2
4	Tulio Malta	BRA	Yamaha	32:11.1
5	Gregorio Caselani	BRA	Honda	32:06.3

Speedway of Nations Semi-Final line-up revealed

The line-ups for the 2021 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Semi-Finals in Daugavpils on September 17 and 18 have been revealed.

Poland, Sweden and Denmark have all been drawn into a stacked Semi-Final 1 on Friday, September 17 with the nations boasting 15 FIM Speedway World Cup titles between them. They’ll battle for places in the Monster Energy SON Final in Manchester on October 16 and 17.

They are joined in the meeting by 2020 finalists, the Czech Republic, plus the USA, Slovenia and Finland.

Hosts Latvia take their place in Semi-Final 2, which sees them come up against reigning champions, the Motorcycle Federation of Russia.

Their national heroes FIM Speedway Grand Prix world title contender Artem Laguta and double European champion Emil Sayfutdinov have won all three Monster Energy SON world championships since the competition was launched in 2018 and will hope to make it number four in Manchester.

They will be determined to deliver a big performance in neighbouring Latvia as they also take on 2019 SON bronze medal winners Australia, Germany, France, the Ukraine and Italy.

The top two teams after 21 heats in each Semi-Final will automatically join hosts Great Britain in the Monster Energy FIM SON Final in Manchester.

The third and fourth-placed countries in each Semi-Final will then face off in the Final Qualifier, with the teams that triumph also taking their places at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium.

SEMI-FINAL 1 LINE-UP:
- Poland,
- Denmark,
- Sweden,
- Finland,
- Czech Republic,
- Slovenia,
- USA.
SEMI-FINAL 2 LINE-UP:
- Motorcycle Federation of Russia,
- Australia,
- Latvia,
- Italy,
- Ukraine,
- Germany,
- France.

Toni Bou finishes Andorra TrialGP 1-3

Toni Bou sneaked the win by the narrowest of margins in the first of the two TrialGP World Championship trials held this weekend in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra, before finished the fifth round on the third step of the podium, retaining the overall championship lead.

Toni Bou - Andorra TrialGP 2021 — Toni Bou – Andorra TrialGP 2021

The difficulty level of the twelve Andorran sections made for a closely-fought trial on the first day of competition at the Andorra TrialGP, filled with tough, highly-demanding sections. In addition, several riders were further penalised for exceeding the maximum time limits.

Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou fought neck and neck against long-term arch-rival Adam Raga for the triumph throughout the two laps of the Andorran course. Bou and Raga constantly traded places at the head of the table, but in the end it was Toni Bou who claimed the win, in spite of finishing on 46 marks, the same number as his rival. The tie-breaking factor proved to be the total time taken in completing the route, with the Repsol Honda Team rider finishing one minute ahead. Another fine result sees Toni Bou continue to top the championship leaderboard, now holding a thirteen-point advantage in the general standings.

The second trial of the Andorra TrialGP turned out to be an arduous task for the Repsol Honda Team riders. Andorra, while always a gruelling event for riders, also usually makes huge demands on the bike due to the high altitude of the sections and the high temperatures. Day 2 proved a struggle for all the competitors over the two twelve-section laps of the Sant Julià de Lòria course.

And it was Toni Bou’s turn to struggle in Andorra. Right off the bat, in section two, he picked up a puncture, before committing several errors which would eventually cost him the lead and rob him of a potential tenth win in Andorra. The Repsol Honda Team rider had to settle for third place in the end, but Bou keeps hold of the overall championship lead with an eight-point advantage over pursuer Adam Raga, winner of today’s trial.

Competitors will get little rest in this week with the forthcoming sixth trial of the 2021 TrialGP World Championship to be held next weekend in Cahors, France.

Toni Bou

“This weekend was really complicated. Finishing first and third is a great result, considering that we struggled so much. Despite all the problems, the team has worked hard and I am very grateful for that. Now we just have to work to recover the good feelings on the bike and be in the fight for the win in France next week.”

2021 TrialGP or Andorra Results

Source: MCNews.com.au

News

Moto News | Vegas to Reno | Short Track | Speedway | Enduro | MX

August 17, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

All ProMX events officially on hold due to national restrictions

The ProMX Management Team has today stated that all remaining ProMX events scheduled are currently on hold due to the current national landscape around COVID-19 State Border Restrictions.

The ProMX Management has added they will continue to work tirelessly on plans to ensure that the remaining rounds of the Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores are run as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. More information will be released to competitors, teams and fans in the coming weeks outlining the remaining rounds of the Championship.

ProMX Management acknowledged how difficult this period is for teams, competitors, and host clubs, thanking them for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.

2021 ProMX Championship on hold due to Covid – Image by RBMotoLens

2021 Penrite ProMX Championship Calendar

Round	Date	Location	Status
Round 5	25-Jul	Wodonga, VIC	Postponed/On Hold
Round 6	8-Aug	QMP, QLD	Postponed/On Hold
Round 7 & 8	14-15 August	Coolum, QLD	Postponed/On Hold
Round 9 & 10	4-5 September	Gillman, SA	Postponed/On Hold

Vegas to Reno

Ricky Brabec has finished runner up at the 2021 running of the Vegas to Reno event, with the Dalton Shirey and Jacob Argubright duo taking top honours as a team in the longest one-day off-road race held in the United States.

The 800-kilometre race, which kicked off near bustling Las Vegas, covered part of Nevada’s wild west, passing through mining towns such as Goldfield, Tonopah and Mina before crossing the finish line in Carson City. The race served as a fine day for training and preparation in the build-up to the forthcoming 2022 Dakar Rally.

Although Ricky had previously won the Vegas to Reno on three occasions, this edition of the arduous race proved to be a hazard-filled slog, as Johnny Campbell – organiser of the team’s logistics – accurately pointed out.

Ricky, who completed the course in less than eight hours, kept up a swift pace in spite of a minor crash early in the competition, with no serious physical consequences, but enough to merit two unplanned stops for the Monster Energy Honda Team rider.

This effectively ruled out any chances for Brabec – riding the entire race aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY alone – of challenging for the top spot.

Ricky Brabec – P2

“It was a tough race this year in the Las Vegas to Reno. I got away from a good second-placed starting position, but I hit a rock early on and it caused a lot of pain in my foot throughout the rally. I pushed hard the whole race, but I crashed once and had to change the wheel towards the end. I kept my team busy, who supported me through the unexpected setbacks. Congratulations to Dalton and Jake, who rode well. Thanks to the JCR team, Honda, HRC and Monster Energy for their support – I’ll be back next year to reclaim the number 1!”

2021 Vegas to Reno Rally Results

Pos	Rider	Man	Time
1	Shirey/Argubright	Husqvarna	7:44’10
2	Ricky Brabec	Honda	7:53’53
3	Hintz/Hunter	KTM	8:03’26
4	Zane Roberts	Beta	8:07’45
5	Jeff Trulove	KTM	8:12’31
6	Joseph Wasson	Beta	8:19’35
7	Gregory Pheasant	Honda	8:36’17
8	Jim Herrero	Yamaha	8:45’13

2021 AJMX latest victim of Covid with postponement

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club in consultation with Motorcycling Australia, have made the tough decision to postpone the 2021 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships (AJMX) due to COVID-19 pandemic impacting Australia.

KTM AJMX U — 2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club have put in significant work in recent months to ensure the Championship could go ahead, however with current State Government border restrictions and lockdowns across the nation it is not currently possible to hold the Championships which were to be held at Rockhampton, September 28-October 2.

The event sees the best junior racers from across the country attend the five-day Championships, but the safety of competitors, families, teams, and officials are paramount. The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club thanked riders, families, and event sponsors for their understanding.

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club is monitoring and evaluating the evolving State border restrictions in an attempt to reschedule the Championship with an announcement to follow in the coming weeks.

Higlett set for AORC return on Beta 430

ISDE Winner and former Australian Off-Road Championship Champion Fraser Higlett will return to AORC aboard his new red beast, the Beta 430 when racing gets back on track.

The 21-year-old Queenslander, who finished third in the E3 class last year is chomping at the bit to get back racing in the national Championship.

The dream team of Beta and Higlett came together after John Hafey, who previously worked at Husqvarna moved to Beta Motors Australia as the National Sales and Marketing Manager.

Fraser Higlett

“We’ve been together since I started racing and he moved to Beta and the opportunity came up to start a racing team with Beta in Australia, and we made it happen. The bike is awesome I honestly can’t fault anything about it. The thing is unreal. Dead set, I hopped on it with full stock suspension, and I felt comfortable straight away. I’ve never been able to do that straight away on a new bike.”

Higlett has spent the past few months training hard and competing in his state off road series, but it is the AORC where he wants to rumble. He missed the first two rounds of the Championship earlier this year, but is determined to make an impact when the Championship resumes.

“This year I will be competing in the E2 class on the 430 Beta. I’ve just always sort of liked the 430 in the class which seems to be the obvious choice. The E2 class is a really competitive class in the AORC and we will see where we end up. It’s the first year on a Beta so we are not expecting massive things, but I personally feel there is a lot of potential this year and hopefully we can get on the podium in the AORC E2 class. That would be the ideal goal. Top three in E2 would be an awesome thing for me in the first year on the Beta, that’s what I’m aiming for. We just need this COVID to go away… I’d like to compete in the ISDE again. Beta is a really close-knit supportive family environment and I hope there is an opportunity to go overseas. But first I want to see how I go in Australia and then see what opportunities are available.”

36 champs crowned at AMA Amateur National MX Championship

The Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship held Aug. 2-7, saw hundreds of the USA’s top motocross racers descend on the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., and when the dust cleared, 33 riders claimed AMA No. 1 plates in 36 classes.

Among them was Yamaha rider Levi Kitchen, who earned AMA championships in 250 Pro Sport and Open Pro Sport, one of the most competitive classes at this year’s event, as well as winning the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award, which is presented annually to the amateur motocross racer with the most promising professional career.

Here’s the full list of winners and their score-cards.

Open Pro Sport: Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-1-1)
250 Pro Sport: Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-1-2)
450 B: Chase Prince, Petersburg, Tenn., Honda (3-1-1)
450 B Limited: Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu, Ariz., Husqvarna (1-3-2)
450 C: Brennan Schofield, Canada, Yamaha (3-2-5)
250 B: Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Yamaha (1-1-1)
250 B Limited: Matti Jorgensen Jr., Pompano, Fla., KTM (2-3-1)
250 C: Brandon Bollino, Essex, Ill., Yamaha (2-2-1)
250 C Limited: Nico Long, Scottsdale, Ariz., KTM (1-1-2)
250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited: Gabe Holland, Winterville, Ga., KTM (1-1-2)
Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C: Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna (1-2-2)
Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C: Caden Braswell, Shalimar, Fla., KTM (5-2-1)
125 C: Keegan Rowley, Channahon, Ill., KTM (3-1-1)
Women: Sophia Phelps, St. George, Utah, Kawasaki (2-1-1)
Supermini 1 (12-15): Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., KTM (1-1-1)
Supermini 2 (13-16): Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill., Kawasaki (4-2-2)
65cc (7-9): Elliott Bowsher, Cornelius, Ohio, GASGAS (2-1-1)
65cc (10-11): Vincent Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna (3-1-1)
85cc (10-12): Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (1-1-1)
Girls (11-16): Kyleigh Stallings, Austin, Texas, Husqvarna (1-1-1)
125cc (12-17) B/C: Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna (2-1-1)
College (18-24): Justin Cokinos, Hanover, Mass., GASGAS (1-2-2)
Junior (25+): Heath Harrison, Salisbury, N.C., Honda (1-2-2)
Vet (30+): Broc Peterson, Delta, Ohio, (1-1-2)
Senior (40+): Edward Walston, Pinetops, N.C., KTM (2-3-1)
Senior (45+): Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., Husqvarna (1-1-1)
Masters (50+): Keith Johnson, Carver, Mass., Kawasaki (2-1-1)
Mini-E (4-6) Jr.: Talon Hinson, Clovis, Calif., KTM (1-2-2)
51cc (4-6) Shaft Dr. LTD: Carter Schutte, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (1-1-1)
51cc (4-6) Limited: Kannon Zabojnik, Rowlett, Texas, Cobra (1-1-3)
51cc (7-8) Limited: Sawyer Gieck, Alpine, Wyo., Cobra (2-1-1)
65cc (7-9) Limited: Tayce Morgan, Lehi, Utah, GASGAS (1-2-5)
65cc (10-11) Limited: Carson Wood, Zephyrhills, Fla., GASGAS (2-1-1)
85cc (10-12) Limited: Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, KTM (2-2-1)
Mini Sr. 1 (12-14): Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (3-2-2)
Mini Sr. 2 (13-15): Thomas Wood, Cairo, Ga., KTM (1-2-1)

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing re-signs Jeremy Martin

Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. has confirmed that Jeremy Martin will return with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team for the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season.

The two-time 250MX Champion returned to the team this season and has shown strength as a title contender and a lot of perseverance coming back from injuries. He boasts back-to-back overall victories in the 250 class and looks to keep building on his success with the team.

Jeremy Martin – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“I’m really excited to be back with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing for 2022. I haven’t had the year I was hoping for, so I’m very grateful to do what I love and have another opportunity to race my butt off for some championships next year. The team and I have had a lot of success together over the years, and we look to build on that.”

2021 Australian Senior Track championship moved to Queensland, October 2-3

Due to COVID-19 State border restrictions the 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships have been moved to the weekend of October 2 and 3, at Mick Doohan Raceway, Banyo, Queensland.

Mildura Solar Australian Senior Track Championships — 2019 Australian Senior Track Championships

The Championship were scheduled for September 4 and 5, however due to extended State lockdowns and border restrictions the event has now been moved. The North Brisbane Junior MCC will host the Championships with a full fields of 10 Championship classes expected following the success of the Track Championships held at Tamworth, NSW earlier this year.

Classes of competition will include:

Pro 250 100cc to 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke (MX)
Pro 450 250cc 2-stroke & 450cc 4-stroke (MX)
MX Open 500cc 2-stroke & Over 300cc 4-stroke (MX)
250cc Slider Up to 250cc
500cc Slider Up to 500cc
Slider Open Unlimited 460cc and over
Pro Open Women Unlimited (MX)
Sidecar Up to 1100cc
ATV Open Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke
ATV Open Women Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke

Jarred Brook who earlier this year had success at Tamworth will be hoping to repeat his 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships results (the last time the Championship was held) where he swept the competition in the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes.

2021 Australian Junior Track joins Covid postponements

The Gunnedah Motorcycle Club have been forced to postpone the 2021 Australian Junior Track Championship due to COVID-19 border closures and restrictions.

Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship Somersby — Australian Junior Track Championship

The championship was slated to be held September 17 and 18, however with current border restrictions and their impact on riders and family’s ability to attend the Championship, the tough decision has been made to postpone the two-day championship. The Gunnedah Motorcycle Club and Motorcycling Australia are currently working together to find an alternative date to allow the Championship to run, with further information to follow in the next week.

2021 Australian Trial Championship postponed

Due to the COVID-19 border restrictions and State lockdowns the 2021 Australian Trial Championship, which were to be held in Queensland, October 2-3 at the Western District Trials Club, have been postponed.

With nation-wide State border restrictions and lockdowns continuing the Western District Trials Club, for the health and safety of competitors and officials, have decided to postpone the Championship. An alternative date is being sought.

Barcia and Mosiman miss Unadilla due to injuries

GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia did not line up at the Unadilla MX National laast weekend after suffering a big practice crash during the recent break from racing. His 250MX teammate, Michael Mosiman, also endured a practice crash during the time off and will joined Barcia on the sidelines.

Barcia, Round 6 overall winner in the 450MX class, suffered a pretty big crash last week during a routine practice session. After consulting with his doctor, the New York native took the rest of this week off and will be re-assessing for future races.

Justin Barcia

“I’m definitely disappointed to say I won’t be heading to Unadilla this weekend – I’m a New York guy and it’s one of my favorite races – but I want to make sure I’m going there to win and if I’m not able to do that, I need to take my time and get back to 100%. I’m definitely going to miss the whole team there, all the supportive fans and of course being on the gate and racing for those wins but I’ll see everyone very soon.”

Barcia celebrating winning Round 6 prior to his injury

As for Mosiman, the 250MX class front-runner experienced a separate practice crash while preparing for the Unadilla National. Despite being pretty banged up, Mosiman hopes to return to racing at Budds Creek for Round 9.

Michael Mosiman

“I am super bummed that I’m not going to be able to race Unadilla, I was looking forward to it and felt really good. I feel like I’ve got a lot of momentum at my back right now but I’m going to take the time to heal up 100% and be right so I can race at the front of the pack. I’ve already missed a race and I’m out for the championship so it’s better for me to race at 100% than to go and try to salvage at less than that. We’ll come back stronger hopefully very soon.”

Zmarzlik makes the Swedish SGP win number four in 2021

World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik overcome his early setup struggles to claim his fourth FIM Speedway Grand Prix win of 2021 at the Swedish SGP in Malilla on Saturday. The Pole collected five race points in his opening four heats to leave himself at risk of a disastrous exit before the semi-finals.

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But Zmarzlik won his final heat, his semi and then the final, which saw him defeat Artem Laguta and home hero Fredrik Lindgren to top the podium and extend his SGP World Championship advantage over Laguta to three-points.

Riders were forced to get to grips with changing track conditions following heavy rain in the afternoon. Zmarzlik admits he and his team worked hard in the pits to perfect their bike setup, and he was delighted to get it right when it mattered most to follow up his Malilla triumph in 2017.

Bartosz Zmarzlik

“I am very happy because it was the second time I have won in Malilla. For me it is unbelievable. I love racing here. The start of the meeting was not so easy for me. It was very hard to find the setups. In every ride, I changed something – the ignition, jets and sprockets; every time it was different. I feel for my fifth race it was a little bit better. I changed it for the semi-final and had good speed. Before the final, I changed it again, but only a little bit. Then it was good. But I am very happy with today’s result – I won and I did everything I could. Again it was a good night, but now I am focused on the next round. Keep your fingers crossed for Togliatti and I will see you soon.”

Zmarzlik will be keen to continue his incredible form at the Togliatti SGP on August 28, but his nearest rival Laguta will also have his sights set on a big night in his home country.

The Russian-born rider topped the heat score chart with 14 race points tonight, but Zmarzlik got the better of him when it mattered most in the final to take 20 championship points, leaving Laguta with 18. Zmarzlik leads the standings on 121, with Laguta close behind on 118. The world #7 was still pleased with his night in Sweden, though.

Artem Laguta

“It’s an absolutely great feeling to be in the top three and drinking the champagne – it’s something special. I am very happy about that. It was a tough competition and I knew it was going to be very tough in Malilla. After the first race, we swapped the bike and that was a good choice. We worked hard to get the best speed from the bike. The whole team put a lot of effort in and the bike was working very well. Bartek and I are so very close and we know it’s going to be a fight until the end. There is no room for mistakes. I will be focused with the whole team to score as many points as we can, to get the best speed from the bikes and to get to finals. That’s the major thing. Thank you to my team and my sponsors. I am very happy and I will see you in Togliatti!”

Third-placed Lindgren was content with his night, but admits top two Zmarzlik and Laguta have too much speed for the competition currently.

Fredrik Lindgren – P3

“I feel pretty good. I think I executed this meeting really well. I was feeling fast all night. It was just a shame I couldn’t make it happen in the final. Again, Zmarzlik and Artem Laguta were too strong. Congratulations to both of them. They are one step ahead of the rest of us at the moment. I finished in third place, but overall I am very happy. I wish I could have won. It didn’t happen this time. But I thought I rode really well in pretty tough conditions early on after the rain.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

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August 9, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

GYTR YJR success continues in Tasmania, WA and Queensland

Despite the various state and regional lock downs, racing has continued in some area and when there is a race, you know that the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team will be there flying the Yamaha flag. With New South Wales holed-up at home, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland in snap lock downs, its been left to the Western Australian and Tasmanian riders to head line the team at their recent state championship events.

Tasmania

The Apple Isle has been able to sneak in a couple of state rounds to keep their racing going and have now just one more state title round remaining for the 2021 season. The duo of Angus Pearce and Jay Jennings are in the box seat, leading their respective championships after recent good form.

Pearce is looking good for victory in the 13-16 years Lites class after dominating the last two rounds. Pearce took three from three at Smithton and backed that up with identical results from Cambridge, meaning he has won six races on the trot and has extended his lead out to 41 points over his nearest rival.

Jay Jennings is also in a good position after the Cambridge round and leads both the 10-12 years 65cc class and the 9-11 years 85cc class. Jennings dominated the day at Smithton, winning all his races and cement his position at the top of the championship chase. Any consistent round at Cambridge on the weekend saw him consolidate that position despite not feeling 100%.

Jay now holds down a 35-point lead on his YZ65 and a 36-point lead on his YZ85.

“The last two rounds have been good for both the riders, and we are now really well placed in all classes with just one round to go,” said Team Manager, Brody Jennings. “Each track provided a different challenge for the riders with Smithton being wet and technical while Cambridge was dry and fast. We just need to finish the last round as strongly as we have contested the previous two rounds and we should be able to secure some more state championships for YJR.”

Western Australia

The WA guys have also been in action with plenty of local racing over there to keep the team of Jake Rumens and Deegan Fort motivated. The weekend just gone saw the running of round four of the Western Australian Motocross Championship and the riders again showed good speed and skill on a wet track.

Jake Rumens come out swinging on his YZ85 to take the round victory with 1-1-2 results and close in on the 12-14 years 85cc class lead. Rumens came into the round in second place but needing to win races to claw his way back to the top and he was able to make that happen and now just sits one point from the class lead.

He was also able to put some consistent races together in the 13-15 years 125cc class, finishing fifth in all three races and now moves to fourth in the championship.

Deegan Fort also double up on the weekend contesting both the 10-12 years 65cc and the 9-11 years 85cc class. Across the six races he contested, he finished with five, second place finishes and one fourth, giving him second place in both divisions. But the battle for the state championship is far from over with three riders duking it out for 85 class honours, while Fort sits in second on the 65cc, 24 points from the championship leader.

Peter Strickland

“Another good weekend for both riders and families in cold and damp conditions. It was far from perfect out there, but they battled away and finished up with some good results that has them looking pretty good in the championship. The boys and the team will keep on it for the remainder of the year and make the most of the racing we have in WA as we can see how fast things can change in other states.”

Queensland

The opening round of the Queensland Motocross Championship got underway at the Coolum circuit recently, but no sooner had it started, it was shut down when South East Queensland went into a snap lock down. Practice was completed but no racing held. Mackay is the next round on the schedule while MQ look at a new date for the Coolum round.

But, a round of the Queensland Off Road Championship was able to be ran recently and the young guns of Harley and Drake Hutton contested the event. Harley took the class win in the 85cc J1 category while younger brother, Drake, finished second on his 65. Old man Kirk also took the win in the Masters Over 45 class.

Harley leads the 85cc class by 28 points over his nearest rival while Drake hangs onto a narrow seven-point lead in the 65cc division.

Sebastian Bühler wins Hungarian Baja 2021

The Hungarian Baja was staged in the Lake Balaton region around the small town of Várpalota, with the overall victory falling to Sebastian Bühler (Hero) in the motorcycle category despite two special stages being cancelled. Other standouts were Junior rider Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) who was classified in seventh and, in the female category, Mirjam Pol (Husqvarna) 11th ahead of Margot Lloberat (KTM) the second Junior – and Sarah Khuraibet (KTM).

The first day of the fourth round of the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup was somewhat epic… just like the second. Event organisers decided to start the motorcycles after the cars and riders duly encountered unusual difficulties over the damaged and rutted terrain, with banners and signs torn off and cars being delayed. They also had the added hazard of overtaking the slowest of the four-wheel entrants in the dust.

Used to getting up at dawn on Saturday morning, riders were able to sleep in because their departure was at 11.45hrs! Torrential rain had fallen in the area the day before the race began, so riders encountered very damaged ground after the passage of the cars. Riders incurred numerous penalties because, despite the road book, they found themselves racing on bad tracks.

The FIM jury decided to cancel the last special on Saturday for safety reasons as cars had become lost in SS5 and the departure of the motorcycles had been delayed with some riders running the risk of not arriving at nightfall.

A similar decision was taken on Sunday to cancel the last stage (SS7) for safety reasons and to avoid cars and motorcycles overtaking in the dust. Victory, therefore, fell to Sebastian Bühler (Hero).

Sebastian Bühler

“This morning, the track was broken after the cars passed twice yesterday. We still had to manage the banners but I managed to stay focused and gain a little time, despite destroying my rear tyre in 86 km. I’m happy with this performance because I was able to improve at each stage.”

Stefan Svitko (KTM) climbed on to the second step of the podium and Joachim Rodrigues (Hero) was third.

Stefan Svitko

“I didn’t feel comfortable attacking on increasingly destroyed ground. So I managed to finish. Our goal was to train and ride the bike for miles for the next rally.”

After entering the Baja at the last minute, Mathieu Doveze (KTM) finished fourth.

Mathieu Doveze

“This is my second Baja. I’m here to learn and store as much information as possible. With the rally bike, it was complicated on this broken ground, you had to stay focused but it was a good exercise.”

Graham Jarvis undergoes successful knee surgery

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Graham Jarvis is recovering well following knee surgery, required after he injured himself on day two at Romaniacs. Breaking the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his left leg, Jarvis travelled to Madrid in Spain where he underwent an ACL reconstruction and is now resting at home awaiting a green light so he can proceed with his rehabilitation.

Topping the first full day of offroad competition in Romania, Jarvis looked set to battle it out for the overall win as he chased an incredible seventh Romaniacs victory. With just 40 minutes of racing to go before the finish of the second day, and having successfully navigated through the toughest part of the course, Graham twisted his knee on a high-speed section, forcing him out of the event and requiring him to undergo the needed surgery.

Graham Jarvis

“I guess there are always positives and negatives with injuries like this, but I’m doing all I can do at this time. I managed to get surgery pretty quickly – in Madrid, Spain, on the Tuesday after Romaniacs – so that’s a real positive. Thankfully, there wasn’t much swelling, so I didn’t have to wait for things to settle down before visiting the surgeon. Now I’m just resting and keeping my leg elevated as much as possible. It’s a little uncomfortable, but as soon as I can I’ll start the rehab. It’s going to be a long time before I’m back racing – but it is what it is. I’ll be doing all I can to make sure when I do return, I’m as strong and fit as I can be. Right now I’m just taking things day-by-day. It goes without saying that I’m hugely disappointed, it was one of those silly little accidents. The support I’ve received has been incredible. From the team, from Husqvarna, and from fans all around the world – it’s been amazing. Thanks to everyone, and I look forward to being back racing as soon as I can.”

Red Bull Romaniacs 2021 Recap

Round four of this year’s FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs was one to behold. A full week of pure Hard Enduro action and passion, it will be one to remember for a long time to come. With so much happening in such a relatively short space of time, here is a quick look back at some of the bits you may have missed…

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Reading through the results sheet of the Gold class and it’s clear to see the growing number of manufacturers present with KTM, Beta, GASGAS, Sherco, and Husqvarna all in the mix. KTM topped the class thanks to Manuel Lettenbichler’s win, but Sherco were arguably team of the week with both Wade Young and Mario Roman second and third, respectively. A fourth from Jonny Walker was also Beta’s best ever result at Red Bull Romaniacs.

Making it two Gold class finishes in a row, Sandra Gomez (GASGAS) continues to push the limits for women in Hard Enduro. Last October she became the first female competitor to complete Gold at Red Bull Romaniacs, and this time she smashed it. Finishing an incredible 29th overall, she also stayed clean on penalties.

The much-anticipated marathon stage proved a hit during this year’s race. Between Offroad Day 2 and Offroad Day 3, competitors got back to basics by spending a night in the forest at a makeshift campsite. With no outside assistance from their teams and support crews allowed, they had to take care of all mechanical maintenance, while recharging body and mind for the following day.

Pol Tarres on his T7 in the 2021 Red Bull Romaniacs

Another little piece of history was made when Pol Tarres powered his adventure bike to a Bronze class finish. It was captivating, to say the least, watching Pol wrestle his 200kg twin-cylinder Yamaha Tenere 700 through the Carpathian Mountains.

While the top stars of Hard Enduro ultimately filled the top placings, they were pushed all the way by some rising stars of the sport. Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) took it to them throughout the week. Placing second in Tuesday’s Time Trial qualification was a sign of things to come. Never outside of the top 10 all week, third on Offroad Day 3 secured him an eventual eighth overall. With Michael Walkner (GASGAS) and Dominik Olszowy (KTM) ninth and 10th, the young guns are closing in.

One of the week’s most impressive rides came from Canada’s Trystan Hart (KTM). Making his Red Bull Romaniacs debut, he quietly chipped away at things. Settling into the race and adapting to the incredibly long and steep, descents and climbs, Hart placed seventh. As the 2020 winner of Red Bull TKO in the USA, expect him to be a rider to beat when we visit there on August 13-15 for round five.

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round five at Red Bull TKO in the USA on August 13-15.

Source: MCNews.com.au

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July 19, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

2021 Australian Classic and Post Classic MX Championships Cancelled

The 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships hosted by Heaven VMX, originally set for July in Nowra, NSW that had been postponed due to concerns around COVID-19 have now officially been cancelled for 2021.

Due to the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19 across the country and the uncertainty in the current climate the Heaven VMX Club in consultation with Motorcycling Australia made the tough decision to cancel these events.

Kenneth Swan – Heaven VMX President

“The Heaven VMX club is passionate about the great sport of Vintage Motocross. The planned 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships was intended to be an opportunity to extend our arms to, and share our passion with, all VMX racers from around Australia. Bring the whole VMX family together for a VMX Festival of Fun. When the Heaven VMX Club of NSW does run this event, we want to do it at the right time when all VMX racers from around Australia are safe and happy to travel and give it every chance to be the amazing event we have planned.

2021 Australian Classic and Post Classic MX Championships cancelled

“Therefore for 2021 for the Heaven VMX Club, have made the difficult decision to cancel the Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships. With this news we are equally as disappointed as everyone is, we hope you understand though as this should be a truly national event for all our competitors.”

The Heaven VMX Club thanked all those riders that had already entered and supported the events. Over the next 2 weeks, all entry fees taken to date will be refunded through Ridernet and refunds will be finalised by July 31.

Australian Speedway Under 16’s 125cc Solo & Teams nominations open

Motorcycling Australia ihave opened nominations for the 2021 Australian Speedway under 16’s 125cc Solo and Teams Championships. The Championships will be held at South Australia’s Sidewinders U16’s Speedway Club, September 23-25.

Supplementary regulations for the Championships can be found here (link). Nominations can be submitted by filling out the following form here.

Two New Zealand Oceania Speedway Sidecar rounds announced for 2022

FIM Oceania, Speedway NZ (SNZ) and Motorcycling NZ (MNZ) have revealed that competitors will be set to battle out the 2022 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship over two rounds on January 29th, 2022, at Moore Park Speedway, Christchurch, New Zealand and Oreti Park Speedway, Invercargill New Zealand on February 5th, 2022.

The FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship heads to New Zealand in 2022

This will be the first time the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship has been hosted on New Zealand soil, and over two rounds. With both host tracks sporting a rich history in Motorcycle Racing.

Moore Park speedway was founded and named after the late Ronnie Moore, and Oreti Park Speedway, Invercargill has strong ties to Burt Munro.

The final round of this FIM Oceania Championship finishing in Invercargill the week before the annual pilgrimage to the South for the Burt Munro Classic, which is always a talked about two wheel event.

Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania President

“FIM Oceania was very pleased to be working with Speedway NZ and their host tracks, Moore Park & Oreti Park Speedways for what is sure to be an amazing 2022 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship. It is excellent to have this FIM Oceania Championship conducted in New Zealand and we encourage motorcycle racing fans from across New Zealand and Australia to get along and not miss a minute of this speedway action. There is a long history of excellent competition and hard fought battles between the Aussies & Kiwi riders across many motorcycle races over the years. I am sure in January 2022, there will be two rounds of sensational speedway racing.”

Speedway NZ will be seeking Expressions of Interest from New Zealand based riders for the event over the next six weeks before finalising the qualification process for NZ representation.

Motorcycling Australia and ACU have been delegated 8 of the 16 spots in the rider line-up, for what promises to be an action packed international event.

Maciej Janowski tops Czech Speedway GP Round 1

Polish star Maciej Janowski was elated to end his Prague struggles as he topped the Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix round-one podium on Friday evening.

‘Magic’ delivered a dream start to his season when he overhauled Emil Sayfutdinov at the start of lap three to win the final. Great Britain racer Tai Woffinden was third, while Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren was fourth after hitting the tapes.

Despite Sayfutdinov cruising through to the final after topping the heat score chart on 12 race points, it was Janowski who got the verdict when it mattered most to top the World Championship.

It’s the first time he has qualified for a Prague final since his SGP debut season in 2015, when he finished third. Janowski had reached the semi-finals at Marketa Stadium three times in seven appearances going into Friday night, so he was delighted to triumph at the opening round of SGP 2021.

Maciej Janowski

“For the last couple of years, I have been struggling on this track. But today I felt great and my team was working great. The bike was so quick and I really enjoyed racing. I want to say thanks to my team. I love you guys. We found a good setup from the beginning and that was very fast. I used good lines on the track. I got good points and I rode very well. So I am very happy and that’s a great start to the Grand Prix series. The season is long; we have 11 rounds. We need to be smart and fast like today. Tomorrow is a different day. We will try to focus on the same things as tonight and I hope tomorrow I can show the same speedway.”

Double European champion Emil Sayfutdinov was content with second spot as reached his first SGP podium since 2019.

Emil Sayfutdinov

“It was very good. I felt good from the start and I was happy around the track because I had good speed. I would like to say thanks to my team, who have been working very hard. That’s the next goal, so we will just concentrate on that. It is always a different day and a different track. Today I will try to relax, have a good sleep and then we will see.”

Woffinden was pleased to pick up third place on the Marketa Stadium track where he won three SGP rounds on the bounce between 2013 and 2015.

Tai Woffinden

“We salvaged a third, which was pretty good. I started the night okay with a second and a win. The next two races were really bad and we were just trying to find the setup. We were chasing it all night. I needed to win my last race to make the semi, which I did. I needed to finish first or second to get into the final, which I did. If Freddie hadn’t touched the tapes, I wouldn’t have been on the podium. We learned a lot today for tomorrow.”

Australian Max Fricke finished eighth with nine-points, while Jason Doyle was 12, on five.

Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 1

Maciej Janowski 20
Emil Sayfutdinov 18
Tai Woffinden 16
Fredrik Lindgren 14
Artem Laguta 12
Bartosz Zmarzlik 11
Leon Madsen 10
Max Fricke 9
Martin Vaculik 8
Robert Lambert 7
Matej Zagar 6
Jason Doyle 5
Jan Kvech 4
Anders Thomsen 3
Oliver Berntzon 2
Krzysztof Kasprzak 1

Artem Laguta claims Speedway GP Round 2 victory

Triple FIM Speedway of Nations world champion Artem Laguta admits the Prague rain clouds had a golden lining as he stormed to victory in Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix round two on Sunday.

Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 2

The sport’s biggest stars returned to Marketa Stadium for an early-afternoon start after Saturday’s event was postponed due to heavy downpours in the Czech capital.

A rare afternoon round proved lucky for Laguta as he collected the second SGP victory of his career – following up his triumph at the 2020 season opener in Wroclaw.

Laguta raced past fellow SON winner Emil Sayfutdinov to hit the front, with Friday’s round-one winner Maciej Janowski joining him for second and Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren rounding Sayfutdinov for third on the final corner.

Heavy rain followed by bright sunshine meant track conditions changed drastically for speedway’s biggest stars. But Laguta made the most of them to move up to second place in the World Championship on 32 points – just six behind leader Janowski.

Artem Laguta

“I am very happy today. It was a good day for me. It was a good meeting and I made good starts today. I am very, very happy with the win. Now I am looking forward to the next meeting. But Speedway Grand Prix is always very hard. There was a lot of rain on Saturday, but it went today and the track was okay. It was very hard with grippy starts, but for me it was no problem. I want to say thank you to my team and thank you to my family – they are my life. I am very happy. Thank you.”

Janowski admits the bike which fired him to victory in Friday’s first round didn’t have the same impact today. But a change of equipment saw him bounce back with a very handy second place – meaning he has dropped just two championship points from a possible 40.

Maciej Janowski

“They were two completely different days. After four heats I changed my bike. My first bike that I used on Friday lost some energy, so we changed and then everything was much, much better. It could have been better, but I am happy with what we got. Second place in the second GP sounds good and I scored good points – that’s the most important thing. We had a very hard day, but I am happy with how it finished.”

Lindgren has made a habit of scraping into semi-finals and taking full advantage of the opportunity. He turned eight race points in the heats into a very useful 16 championship points with third place.

The Swede is now fourth in the World Championship on 30 points and was pleased to make his mark when it mattered once again.

Fredrik Lindgren

“Today was a big battle all the way through. I never really felt I had good speed. I was making decent starts and had good track craft, but I was struggling a bit and really had to scrape through to the semis. In the semi we found a bit more speed in the bike and I was very happy I made it to the final. In the final I just gave it everything I had. It was a big battle and a big blast around the outside on the last corner to make it on to the podium. I am happy with that.”

Round 2 saw Jason Doyle in sixth, claiming 11-points, with Max Fricke in 11th for six. Doyle and Fricke are now ninth and 10th in the standings respectively.

Next up for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix stars is Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland rounds three and four at the legendary Olympic Stadium on July 30 and 31, as Janowski bids to extend his series lead in his home city, with Laguta and Tai Woffinden also lining up on their Polish home track.

Speedway GP Round 2 Results

Artem Laguta 20
Maciej Janowski 18
Fredrik Lindgren 16
Emil Sayfutdinov 14
Bartosz Zmarzlik 12
Jason Doyle 11
Martin Vaculik 10
Anders Thomsen 9
Tai Woffinden 8
10 Leon Madsen 7
Max Fricke 6
Matej Zagar 5
Krzysztof Kasprzak 4
Jan Kvech 3
Robert Lambert 2
Oliver Berntzon 1
Petr Chlupac 0
Daniel Klima DNR

Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 2

Maciej Janowski 38
Artem Laguta 32
Emil Sayfutdinov 32
Fredrik Lindgren 30
Tai Woffinden 24
Bartosz Zmarzlik 23
Martin Vaculik 18
Leon Madsen 17
Jason Doyle 16
Max Fricke 15
Anders Thomsen 12
Matej Zagar 11
Robert Lambert 9
Jan Kvech 7
Krzysztof Kasprzak 5
Oliver Berntzon 3

DuQuoin Mile Cancelled Due to Weather

Due to the significant level of rainfall in the area, the 2021 DuQuoin Mile has been cancelled. Progressive AFT will continue its season with the Port Royal Half-Mile on Saturday, July 24 at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Penn.

Fans who have purchased advanced tickets for the DuQuoin Mile will receive information on refunds and ticket credits from Track Enterprises in the coming days.

2021 Capricorn XTreme – Grassroots Enduro Round 3

Round Three of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship has been run and won, despite the challenges to organisers and promotors of the national series, Grassroots Enduro Australia, who spent the week leading up to the race contending with Covid lockdowns and heavy rains.

A brand new venue located at Mount Morgan, eight hours north of Brisbane in Queensland saw 176 Hard Enduro nutters register for the Capricorn X-Treme.

Riders were meant to compete in the prologue in order to determine their starting positions for race day, with Juniors racing a two and a half hour event on the same day as the prologue. However 80 mm of rain preceeded the event, which saw the access road washed out, with the go-ahead only coming through 6 pm the day prior to racing.

2021 Capricorn XTreme – Grassroots Australian Hard Enduro

As such the the prologue was abandoned and Juniors race moved to the morning of race day. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ladies classes raced on the 45 km track over a six hour time limit, while the Juniors track was eight km in length, with a reduced two hour limit.

The Pro/Gold class was won by Rob Nowak (KTM), a veteran of the Hard Enduro scene in Australia with international race experience such as RBR, Erzberg and Sea to Sky. Runner up went to Wade Ibrahim (KTM), who won round two, leaving him in a strong position on the points chart.

Sherco rider Chris Perry rounded out the top three with a solid performance and backing up his third place at the previous round.

In the Silver class Chris Dark took the win ahead of Trent Tucci, with just a minute separating them, while Frank Fee completed the podium.

Mac Vonthien won the Bronze category by a handy seven-minutes over Robert Brosig, while Adam DeCaria claimed the final podium positon.

Ebony Nielsen won the Ladies, ahead of Cheyenne Jones and Zeena Gadsby, with Amy Davidson a more distant fourth.

In the Junior class, Brody Reed took the win ahead of Toby Page, as the only two riders to complete five laps. Third placed Michael Blake completed four.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News | MXGP | Lima Half Mile | Snowshoe GNCC | ProMX | EnduroGP

June 29, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Webster to move up to MX1 with Honda Racing Australia in 2022

Kyle Webster has signed a long-term contract with Honda Racing Australia, which will see the current MX2 points leader move up to the MX1 class from 2022.

Kyle Webster

“It’s a dream to race for Factory Honda and I am proud to extend my relationship with them long-term. Honda continues to prove they have race and championship winning bikes, the new CRF450R has already won a World Championship so I am pumped to move into the MX1. We have come close, but I haven’t won it. This is my first full season of racing with Factory Honda and so far, things are going to plan. We will keep our heads down and maintain our focus for the rest of the season. We have a great program this year, we are winning races and I am working hard to keep that momentum going. There are 10 moto’s to go so I am focusing on each race as it comes, as moto two on the weekend was certainly a reminder of the unpredictability of the sport.”

Webster has endured his fair share of ups and downs throughout his career, where an overall National MX2 Championship has eluded him thus far. With a 34 point lead in the current MX2 Championship after three rounds, Webster isn’t ready to let his guard down just yet.

Capricorn X-Treme takes over as AHEC Round 3

Grassroots Enduro Australia has replaced the postponed Tasmanian Insane Ride Event with the Capricorn X-Treme as Round 3 of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship, after Covid restrictions prevented almost half of the 220-rider line-up from attending the event.

The Capricorn X-Treme is located in Mount Morgan, just 30 kms from the city of Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia and will be held this weekend, July 3-4.

Day One will feature an eight-kilometre track for the prologue for all classes, with the Juniors racing a two and a half hour hard enduro to complete the day. Day Two will feature a 45 km track, where the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ladies classes will battle the terrain and elements during a four-hour hard enduro event. A pony express format means riders can do as many laps as they like with the allocated time, with completing a third lap seen as a pretty big challenge.

Victorian-based Wade Ibraham and Chris Perry are travelling 3800 km to defend their first and third places respectively, while Queensland’s Ruben Chadwick will be defending his second place in the championship.

Australian National Classic & Post Classic MX Championships postponed

The Heaven VMX hosted 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships, set for July has been postponed due to concerns around COVID-19 in NSW and the ensuing lockdown.

Pre 1995 Class to be recognised in Post Classic Motocross and Dirt Track Racing for 2018 — Post Classic Motocross

New Championship dates will be announced shortly. All current entries will carry forward to the new dates. If once the new dates are announced, if any entrant is unable to attend, a full refund will be provided.

Gillman to host ProMX Final in September

The ProMX Round 3 at Gillman which was postponed from May 30 due to the SA Government border restrictions will not be possible on the tentative rescheduled date due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Sydney.

ProMX in consultation with host club – Motocross Riders Association (MRA), have revealed a new date of Sunday September 5, for this round of ProMX in South Australia. Further communication to advise teams and riders about Gillman round entries will be announced in the coming weeks.

Silk Way Rally 2021 at a glance

After the opening round in Kazakhstan, the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship moves east with the second round starting in the Siberian city of Omsk. The route crosses Mongolia from west to east over a course of 5,000km, including more than 3,000km in special stages through Siberian forests, across mountainous plateaux, steppes and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, before reaching Ulan Bator on July 11.

Silk Way Rally Stage barreda — Silk Way Rally

This is the first day of the traditional Mongolian festival of Naadam and a national holiday in the ‘Land of the Blue Sky’. Twenty-four riders, including 10 in RallyGP are scheduled to attend administration and technical checks in Omsk on June 30 and July 1.

Amongst them is the Yamaha team of recent Kazakhstan Rally winner Ross Branch, from Botswana, and his team-mates Adrien van Beveren and Andrew Short.

Sam Sunderland (KTM) was injured after a violent crash on the last day in Kazakhstan and he misses out on this occasion, with KTM fielding only one motorcycle for the Austrian rider Matthias Walkner.

Team Husqvarna has entered both Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes, while Daniel Sanders will ride in the colours of the GasGas team.

Sanders will be jumping in at the deep end of rally competition, the Silk Way represents just his fourth competitive rally outing. Signing for GASGAS Factory Racing earlier this year following a stand-out ride at the Dakar, the 26-year-old will be looking to continue gaining more experience, and work on his speed and navigation skills as he takes on the grueling 10-day event.

Daniel Sanders

“I’m really looking forward to the Silk Way Rally, it’s definitely looking like it’s going to be hard, both physically and mentally. I’ve been getting in the miles since Kazakhstan, so I’m really happy with how the bike feels and I think we’re in a good place with the settings heading into this second round of the championship. Looking at the terrain it really does look like a real mixture, and the stages are long – even when the specials aren’t too bad, there is often some lengthy liaisons to cover, and that can really prove tiring. My strength is definitely racing in sand, so I hope we see plenty of that when we hit Mongolia. Up to then, my plan is to get through the first week safely and then push on towards the end. With the added points awarded at this race, it’s important to get a good safe finish, so that’s my number one goal.”

Hero continues with the three-rider line-up of Franco Caimi, Joachim Rodrigues and the young Sebastian Bühler.

Among the 14 Rally2 riders are Carlo Cabini (Honda) and the returning Aldo Wrinkler (KTM), who has been absent from the rally scene for many years and will accompany his son Andrea on the Silk Way Rally adventure.

Cairoli bounces back to MXGP of Great Britain win

The MXGP of Great Britain saw rain forecasted for the entire day, but this did not stop a healthy crowd of British fans from making the trip to Matterley Basin to enjoy some of the most exciting racing of the season so far.

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In MXGP all eyes were on Antonio Cairoli who bounced back in incredible fashion, following an unlucky GP in Orlyonok, going 1-3 in the races to secure his sixth GP win in Matterley Basin. Joining him on the podium was Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings who put together another solid day to get himself on the podium.

MXGP

In the opening heat it was Jorge Prado who grabbed the Fox Holeshot with Jeremy Seewer and Cairoli closely behind. Though Cairoli wasted no time as he jumped into the lead, while Gajser was fighting further down the order.

On the opening lap it was Cairoli, Prado, Glenn Coldenhoff of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing and Herlings, with Seewer, Gajser and Pauls Jonass just behind.

A few laps later, Gajser had managed to get around Seewer and was closing in on the back of Herlings, while Seewer was coming under more pressure from Jonass. And so was his teammate Coldenhoff, who lost two positions in one lap to Herlings and Gajser as the pair went after Cairoli and Prado.

On his return to MXGP racing, Arminas Jasikonis had a tough opening heat, as he eventually pulled into the pits to retire from the race.

With 2 laps to go Cairoli stretched out his lead to 8.731 seconds over Prado, with Herlings, Gajser and Coldenhoff completing the top 5, as Romain Febvre from Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team chased down Jonass.

In the end it was Cairoli who secured his first race win of 2021, with Prado second and Herlings third.

In race two it was Febvre who grabbed the second Fox Holeshot, though much like in the opening heat, Cairoli was quick to get out in front.

The opening lap was exciting, with Prado taking the lead from Cairoli and then Febvre doing the same as Gajser got himself up into third.

Seewer then lost a position to Herlings who took 5th from the Swiss. Prado also lost another position, this time to Gajser as he got up into second and then it was game on as the Slovenian rode patiently behind Febvre for most of the race.

Gajser worked away at the gap lap by lap and towards the end of the race he was right on Febvre’s tail. Cairoli kept up with the leaders and at one point it looked like both Gajser and Cairoli were in for the chance of stealing the race win from Febvre.

The last two laps of the heat were intense, as Gajser and Febvre traded positions, with Gajser eventually able to make a pass on the Frenchman stick, on the final lap, and edge out slightly to take the chequered flag.

Cairoli topped the podium, with Gajser second and Herlings third. Febvre ended up fourth overall just 2 points off the podium.

Heading into the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Tim Gajser continues to lead with 93 points, as Jeffrey Herlings sits second in the championship standings just 15 points behind and Romain Febvre is third a further 5 points back.

Antonio Cairoli – P1

“Actually, I enjoyed race two more because it was nice with all the passing, and it was nice to be back battling. In the first race I had a really good start and immediately after a few corners I made my way into first place and then pushed as fast as I can. Of course, I was disappointed with last week. I was really not happy about this mistake; we lost a lot of points but of course today was very good and I really enjoyed the track. I ran short of breath during the second race in the last 4 laps, the guys were pushing hard. It was easy to make a mistake, so I thought let’s bring it home and make this 93rd GP victory happen.”

Tim Gajser – P2

“I always enjoy coming to England and racing here at Matterley Basin. The weather meant that they didn’t rip the track so much, so in the first moto there weren’t many lines and it wasn’t easy to pass on so I just had to settle for a fourth place. I felt I could have challenged for the lead but I didn’t want to push too hard and I thought that in race two it would be easier. I got a better start in second race and although there was a lot of passing and action going on, I stayed calm and focused on finding good lines and working my way to the front. When I was in second place, I couldn’t stay too close to the leader for a long time because the roost was hard and I wanted to make sure I had clear vision for near the end of the race. When I saw the two-lap board come out, I knew a couple of places where I could make my move and on the last lap I used a really good outside line and took the lead. I’m really happy with how I’m riding and how everyone in the team is working together to improve each weekend. I can’t wait for Maggiora and I hope to continue this run of results. A big thank you to everyone!”

Jeffrey Herlings – P3

“It’s our goal this year. We used to go out and try to win but I just want to be on the podium, and it has shown in the past that when you are on the podium almost every weekend you can keep close to the championship. First race was alright, the second race same, nothing impressive, I just don’t have the speed yet, I can do a good lap, but I still struggle with race speed. I’m not far off but I don’t want to throw it away in the beginning. I just want to keep racing and get better and improve week by week.”

Romain Febvre – P4

“A lot of guys were fast today and with a bad start in the first race it was not so easy to come back through the pack; my jump out of the gate was good but I was maybe too far inside and after the first corner I was outside the top ten. I came back strongly to seventh, but then the speed was similar with my rivals and it wasn’t possible to make the difference. I changed my gate pick for the second race and my start was much better as I got the holeshot and for sure that made life much easier! There was one section on the track where I didn’t find the best line; that is where Tim passed me as I didn’t know which one he would choose. We exchanged the lead several times during the last two laps and in the end he won; it’s always frustrating to lead all the race apart from the last two laps but that’s it; we’ll continue to work before Maggiora next weekend.”

Jorge Prado – P5

“Today was good in some ways but a bit negative with that second moto. I was struggling with the track from the morning and how flat it was. I knew the start would be important for me. I had the holeshot but made a small mistake and Tony came past. That was actually pretty good because he was riding really well: I could stay behind him and he pulled me along. Physically I felt strong in the second moto, which is positive for the next few races, but I didn’t have the feeling with the bike or the set-up. It was too difficult for me to turn, open the gas and go with the others when they were full-on. I was too slow, even taking some risks. So, we need to look at that. We will keep working. It will come. I’m in the right place.”

MXGP of Great Britain Overall Results

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	R1	R2	Total
1	Cairoli, Antonio	ITA	KTM	25	20	45
2	Gajser, Tim	SLO	HON	18	25	43
3	Herlings, Jeffrey	NED	KTM	20	18	38
4	Febvre, Romain	FRA	KAW	14	22	36
5	Prado, Jorge	ESP	KTM	22	14	36
6	Jonass, Pauls	LAT	GAS	15	15	30
7	Seewer, Jeremy	SUI	YAM	13	16	29
8	Coldenhoff, Glenn	NED	YAM	16	12	28
9	Watson, Ben	GBR	YAM	10	11	21
10	Lupino, Alessandro	ITA	KTM	12	8	20
11	Van Horebeek, Jeremy	BEL	BET	6	13	19
12	Olsen, Thomas Kjer	DEN	HUS	7	9	16
13	Vlaanderen, Calvin	NED	YAM	4	10	14
14	Strijbos, Kevin	BEL	YAM	9	5	14
15	Tonus, Arnaud	SUI	YAM	11	2	13
16	Bogers, Brian	NED	GAS	8	4	12
17	Sterry, Adam	GBR	KTM	3	6	9
18	Jacobi, Henry	GER	HON	0	7	7
19	Simpson, Shaun	GBR	KTM	5	0	5
20	Van doninck, Brent	BEL	YAM	0	3	3
21	Östlund, Alvin	SWE	YAM	2	0	2
22	Locurcio, Lorenzo	VEN	KTM	0	1	1
23	Guillod, Valentin	SUI	YAM	1	0	1

MXGP Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Total
1	Gajser, Tim	SLO	HON	93
2	Herlings, J.	NED	KTM	78
3	Febvre, Romain	FRA	KAW	73
4	Cairoli, A.	ITA	KTM	65
5	Prado, Jorge	ESP	KTM	61
6	Seewer, Jeremy	SUI	YAM	60
7	Lupino, A.	ITA	KTM	54
8	Jonass, Pauls	LAT	GAS	50
9	Olsen, T.	DEN	HUS	43
10	Coldenhoff, G.	NED	YAM	42
11	Van Horebeek, J.	BEL	BET	39
12	Tonus, Arnaud	SUI	YAM	31
13	Vlaanderen, C.	NED	YAM	29
14	Strijbos, K.	BEL	YAM	28
15	Watson, Ben	GBR	YAM	22
16	Van doninck, B.	BEL	YAM	21
17	Tixier, Jordi	FRA	KTM	19
18	Sterry, Adam	GBR	KTM	17
19	Östlund, Alvin	SWE	YAM	16
20	Simpson, Shaun	GBR	KTM	14
21	Bogers, Brian	NED	GAS	12
22	Jacobi, Henry	GER	HON	7
23	Watson, Nathan	GBR	HON	4
24	Locurcio, L.	VEN	KTM	3
25	Brylyakov, V.	MFR	HON	2
26	Guillod, V.	SUI	YAM	1

Todd Wilson eighth in British MXGP – Beaton 12th

In MX2, Maxime Renaux was determined to make up for lost ground in Orlyonok and he did just that with a win and a second to secure his career second overall victory.

Mattia Guadagnini placed second overall during what was his second Grand Prix as a factory KTM rider and Ruben Fernandez continued his podium streak to finish third.

MX2

In race one, it was Renaux who took the Fox Holeshot as he edged out ahead of Isak Gifting and Mathys Boisrame. Thibault Benistant was keen to move forward as he got himself into third, with Jed Beaton getting off to a fantastic start in fourth as he pushed Benistant.

Meanwhile Geerts struggled down the order as he was 12th, though he managed to get back up into 7th by the end of the race.

Benistant remained one of the fastest riders out on track as he was pushing to catch Boisrame and Renaux, while also fending off Beaton. Beaton then crashed out of 4th and eventually came into pitlane before retiring from the heat.

Benistant then crashed also, dropping from 3rd to 5th. At that point Renaux had pretty much controlled the race but things got interesting behind him as Fernandez and Guadagnini were having a strong fight for third.

Guadagnini was applying the pressure as he clocked fast laps, lap after lap, though Fernandez was able to respond and that’s when the pair caught up with Boisrame who was second. Fernandez went after Boisrame and was able to make a pass on the corner before the finish line, for the perfect photo finish.

Renaux was the race winner, with Fernandez and Boisrame 2nd and 3rd.

In race 2, it was Simon Laengenfelder who secured the Fox Holeshot. Though he didn’t hold the lead for long as Guadagnini and Rene Hofer were quick to jump into P1 and P2. Fernandez didn’t have the best start as he began the race in 11th.

Guadagnini then edged out from the rest of the field as Boisrame went after Hofer with the pair having a close battle. Hofer did a great job of fending off the Frenchman, though some laps later Boisrame was able to find a way through into P2, before making a mistake and crashing. He re-joined to eventually finish in 7th.

Jago Geerts was another rider to crash and had to restart from the back.

Race 1 winner, Renaux was keen on getting back in the action and chase a podium spot as he worked his way up the order as he caught up with Roan Van De Moosdijk and then Hofer.

5.929 seconds separated Renaux from Guadagnini, as Geerts finally found his way up into the points. And as Renaux was looking like he was working away at the gap to the race leader, Guadagnini responded quickly to keep the gap healthy.

In the end it was the #101 of Guadagnini who won his first ever MX2 race, while Renaux was second and Hofer third.

A 1-2 result gave Renaux the overall win, while Guadagnini got his first taste of a World Championship Podium and Fernandez made it two in a row with a 3rd overall.

With Tom Vialle not lining up for today’s races due to injury sustained during the week, Ruben Fernandez has taken the championship lead, five-points ahead of Maxime Renaux who is second and Mathys Boisrame who sits third on the same points (74).

Maxime Renaux – P1

“I had really good races, we worked with the team to make progress on the starts, and I actually took the Fox Holeshot in race one so I’m happy about that. I had some consistent races, so I’m very happy about the weekend.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P2

“It’s amazing. I just felt really good and really enjoyed racing here, really like the track and also good feeling on the bike, didn’t’ get the best time this morning but I did a good start and first race. I know the start is important and I took a good start, I was second and passed for the lead in the first lap. I just enjoyed the racing, I made my race, and I got the win, so I’m really happy about that. It was an amazing weekend.”

Ruben Fernandez – P3

“I’m happy. To get the red plate is just awesome. I didn’t expect it so just to have it is unbelievable. The day started well with pole position, but I made my races really difficult with two bad starts. In the first race I was able to get second place after a last corner pass on Mathys Boisrame and also, I had a good battle with Mattia Guadagnini and I felt the pressure from behind so I knew I had to push. In race two, was difficult with the start and then I made a mistake on the first lap. I got sixth in the second race, and I was expecting more. It was a tough day but I am on the podium and with the red plate so just have to keep working.”

Mathys Boisrame – P4

“I took a great start in the first moto and rode a strong race but at the end I lost a position in the last corner. I had a good start in the second race too but I made a small mistake which cost me several positions and a podium result. I tried to pass Hofer for many laps but there were not so many ruts as usual so it was difficult to pass him quickly and then I made that mistake after passing him. My riding was good but I am still making little mistakes; I learnt that again today but the final result is not so bad. I got good starts and the bike is really strong so now I must avoid those mistakes and continue to work.”

Roan van de Moosdijk – P5

“My reaction at the gate was not good in the first race so I got closed down and I didn’t really find my rhythm all moto. I went a bit more outside on the gate for race two, got a better start and could turn better at the first corner. I could follow the leaders but it’s never easy to pass here so I’m satisfied with my result in the end. I was involved in a crash with another rider during the week but luckily I only had a little muscle pain from it and the physio confirmed everything is OK. I never raced Maggiora where we race next weekend but of course I know my home GP track at Oss where we go two weeks later; I raced many times there in the Dutch championship and I did some tests there earlier this year so I’m really excited about that GP.”

Wilson Todd – P8

“Eighth overall for the British GP, slowly getting back up to speed and fitness. Hopefully start a little further up the field in coming weeks!

Jed Beaton – P12

“As soon as I went out for the first lap in practice I felt great on my bike. I loved the track and then in race one things were going really good. I got into fourth and was just biding my time, finding some good lines and letting the track dry out before making a charge. Unfortunately, I caught a bump wrong and had a pretty big crash. I hit my head and my bike was too bent up to continue. It’s a real shame as up until that point I felt awesome out there. In race two I lined up to give it a good go and finished eighth. Not where we want to be but it’s early in the season and there’s a long way to go. My starts were good so despite the crash there are some positives to take away from this weekend.”

MX2 of Great Britain Overall Results

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	R1	R2	Total
1	Renaux, Maxime	FRA	YAM	25	22	47
2	Guadagnini, Mattia	ITA	KTM	18	25	43
3	Fernandez, Ruben	ESP	HON	22	15	37
4	Boisrame, Mathys	FRA	KAW	20	14	34
5	Van De Moosdijk, Roan	NED	KAW	13	18	31
6	Laengenfelder, Simon	GER	GAS	15	16	31
7	Benistant, Thibault	FRA	YAM	16	12	28
8	Todd, Wilson	AUS	KAW	11	10	21
9	Hofer, Rene	AUT	KTM	0	20	20
10	Boegh Damm, Bastian	DEN	KTM	10	5	15
11	Geerts, Jago	BEL	YAM	14	0	14
12	Beaton, Jed	AUS	HUS	0	13	13
13	de Wolf, Kay	NED	HUS	6	6	12
14	Haarup, Mikkel	DEN	KAW	12	0	12
15	Gifting, Isak	SWE	GAS	0	11	11
16	Adamo, Andrea	ITA	GAS	3	8	11
17	Mewse, Conrad	GBR	KTM	4	7	11
18	Hammal, Taylor	GBR	KAW	9	1	10
19	Rubini, Stephen	FRA	HON	0	9	9
20	Dickinson, Ashton	GBR	KTM	7	2	9
21	Sandner, Michael	AUT	KTM	8	0	8
22	Florian, Lion	GER	KTM	5	0	5
23	Facchetti, Gianluca	ITA	HON	0	4	4
24	Pancar, Jan	SLO	KTM	1	3	4
25	Polak, Petr	CZE	YAM	2	0	2

MX2 Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Total
1	Fernandez, R.	ESP	HON	79
2	Renaux, Maxime	FRA	YAM	74
3	Boisrame, M.	FRA	KAW	74
4	Van De Moosdijk, R.	NED	KAW	67
5	Guadagnini, M.	ITA	KTM	66
6	Hofer, Rene	AUT	KTM	54
7	Laengenfelder, S.	GER	GAS	53
8	Vialle, Tom	FRA	KTM	50
9	Benistant, T.	FRA	YAM	48
10	Beaton, Jed	AUS	HUS	37
11	Geerts, Jago	BEL	YAM	33
12	Todd, Wilson	AUS	KAW	33
13	Pancar, Jan	SLO	KTM	26
14	Adamo, Andrea	ITA	GAS	26
15	Haarup, Mikkel	DEN	KAW	24
16	de Wolf, Kay	NED	HUS	23
17	Boegh Damm, B.	DEN	KTM	20
18	Rubini, S.	FRA	HON	19
19	Florian, Lion	GER	KTM	13
20	Gifting, Isak	SWE	GAS	12
21	Mewse, Conrad	GBR	KTM	11
22	Hammal, Taylor	GBR	KAW	10
23	Dickinson, A.	GBR	KTM	9
24	Sandner, M.	AUT	KTM	8
25	Teresak, Jakub	CZE	KTM	5
26	Facchetti, G.	ITA	HON	4
27	Brumann, Kevin	SUI	YAM	3
28	Polak, Petr	CZE	YAM	2
29	Petrashin, T.	MFR	KTM	1

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News | Ruprecht tops EnduroGP D2 | Whale wins OKC Mile II

June 22, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Team Australia now taking MXoN applications

In 2021 Montova, Italy will play host to the year’s edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN). Commencing on 26th September, Motorcycling Australia (MA) has called for all interested competitors to submit their applications to join Team Australia.

MXoN Multiple Kyle Webster JB MXON — Kyle Webster – Team Australia – 2019 MXoN

There are three classes available for riders to nominate for: MX1, MX2 and Open. Riders are advised that they can nominate for more than one class. Applications must be submitted by no later than COB Friday 16th July.

If you’re interested in being selected as part of the team grab the application form here (link).

Zach Osborne out till 2022 for extended recovery

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team have confirmed that reigning 450MX Champion Zach Osborne will miss the remainder of the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in order to fully recover from an ongoing back injury.

Osborne, who sustained the back injury mid-way through the 2021 AMA Supercross Championship, worked hard to get himself ready for the opening round of the outdoor season but he unfortunately re-injured himself at the second round in Colorado. Upon further review with the team, Osborne made the tough decision to sit out the rest of the season to fully recover for 2022.

Zach Osborne

“I’m bummed to say the least. This injury has been a big setback with no clear path to 100% but I feel I’m on a good path now and I just need to give my body the time to heal itself. Myself, along with the team, made the decision to pull the plug and be ready for 2022. It was a tough decision in an already-trying year but I believe I can be back to 2020 form with this time away to heal up. Thanks to my team and fans for the support through this!”

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team will return to racing this Saturday, June 19 in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.

Jonte Reynders dominates Bakers Beach Tasmanian Enduro

Sherco hotshot Jonte Reynders has completed an ideal build-up for the 2021 Hattah Desert Race by dominating the latest round of the Tasmanian enduro series at Bakers Beach, north-east of Launceston, on July 19.

The 24-year-old was a class above on his Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team 300 SE Factory two-stroke, easily winning the three-hour event ahead of great rivals Kyron Bacon and Seton Broomhall – even after an extra fuel stop!

Jonte Reynders

“I’m rapt with the result on a circuit that was quite difficult, but I made it a little hard for myself – just when I had a decent lead I made a silly mistake of refuelling when I didn’t need to. So I topped up the 300 Factory three times instead of two, which obviously cost me a fair bit of time. But I was able to regroup and take a strong win to extend my lead in the series.”

Five rounds remain in the state title, but Reynders’ focus will now switch to the mainland for the Hattah Desert from July 2-4 where he will be one of the favourites in the open two-stroke class.

He’ll have some exalted guest company in the Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team: Ben Grabham – fresh from his two-stroke-winning heroics at the 2021 Finke Desert Race – on a 450 SEF Factory and Justin Carafa on a 500 SEF Factory.

Nathan Trigg, who lives just up the road from the Hattah epicentre at Ouyen, will also be looking to bounce back from his knee-twisting prologue crash at Finke, which put him out of the main game. Trigg rides a Mallee Motorcycles-backed 450 SEF Factory.

The circuit is 37km long, with the senior riders to complete eight laps.

Daniel Sanders and GasGas ready for Silk Way Rally 2021

The 11th edition of the Silk Way Rally will get underway in less than one month. Setting off from Omsk (Russia), the second town of the Urals, on 1 July, the race will feature 10 varied and technical stages. Crossing Siberia before traversing Mongolia from West to East, the event passes through the famous Gobi Desert before reaching Ulaanbaatar on 11 July.

A total of 5250 km, of which more than 2850 are against the clock, offering the perfect mix of technical difficulty, variety and scenic beauty. From the Altai Mountains to the capital of Mongolia via the Gobi Desert and the endless Mongolian steppes, the 2021 edition of the Silk Way Rally will be quite simply exceptional.

Two years after Sam Sunderland (KTM) in the bikes, who will be the new white tigers to go down in the Silk Way Rally history books at the end of this incredible journey in the land of Genghis Khan?

For its second edition with a bike category, the Silk Way Rally 2021 has once again attracted the major factory teams on what is one of the highlights of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. This second round will benefit from a 1.5 coefficient thanks to its status as a marathon event with over six days of racing.

Silk Way Rally Stage Sam Sunderland — Sam Sunderland – Silk Way Rally 2019

The titleholder, the British rider Sam Sunderland, Dakar winner in 2017, will defend the colours of Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing alongside his Austrian teammate Matthias Walkner.

Their sister team Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing will enter the Argentinian Luciano Benavides and their latest recruit, the American Skyler Howes, one of the revelations of the last Dakar.

Another rider to make a splash in Saudi Arabia with his fourth place, the Australian Daniel Sanders will have the honour of flying the flag for GasGas Factory Racing.

Over at the Monster Yamaha Rallye Team, the Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren will be accompanied by another recent revelation, the Botswanan Ross Branch and ex-Supercross Champion, the American Andrew Short.

The Hero Motorsports team will be pinning their hopes on an eclectic trio of Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodriguez, the Argentinian Franco Caimi and the young German Sebastian Bühler.

The quad category is also back on this 11th Silk Way Rally and promises us a splendid duel between the ever young, five times world champion and ex-Dakar winner, the Pole Rafal Sonic and the Russian Alexander Maksimov, both riding Yamaha Raptor 700s.

Herlings on form at Arnhem International

Jeffrey Herlings took the two moto wins over the weekend at the Arnhem International in Holland to claim the overall from Brian Bogers and Max Nagle, with Cyril Genot finishing fourth overall, just over the podium.

The event served as training for Herlings, between GP events, who admits he’s still working on his starts, with an aim to do better than in Russia.

Jeffrey Herlings

“I really enjoyed myself and it was a good training for the GP. Starts have to be better, but I can get a podium, and I will try and do better than I did in Russia.”

Herlings brought home 40-championship points in the MXGP opener last weekend, after finishing 4-2, and sits second overall in the standings, behind Tim Gajser, who won both races.

Dylan Ferrandis tops High Point ProMX

Images by Jeff Kardas

Following its first break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship returned to action with its East Coast debut from legendary High Point Raceway. The third round of the summer campaign marked the sport’s return to the famed Pennsylvania venue for the first time since 2019 with the GEICO Motorcycle High Point National, where the threat of rain loomed over the afternoon but never really materialised.

In the 450 Class a hard-fought, consistent afternoon was enough to put Dylan Ferrandis atop the podium for the second time this season. In the 250 Class, Jalek Swoll extended the parity in the division and broke through with his first professional victory as Jett Lawrence increased his lead in the 250 Championship.

450 Moto1

Light precipitation was present when the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, where Adam Cianciarulo prevailed with the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Chase Sexton and Christian Craig, who soon gave up the position to Ken Roczen, the championship leader. As Cianciarulo sprinted out to an early lead the Honda teammates engaged in a battle for second place.

As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, the lead trio solidified their hold on those positions as Ferrandis gave chase from fourth. As the minutes continued to tick away the distance between the top three continued to shrink. Sexton soon closed in to within a couple bike lengths of Cianciarulo, but a mistake by Sexton not only caused the Honda rider to lose some ground, it forced Roczen into a mistake when he briefly went down and gave up third to Ferrandis.

With the threat defended, Cianciarulo gradually built a multi-second advantage over Sexton, who in turn built a comfortable margin over Ferrandis. As time ran out on the moto clock with just over three laps to go, Sexton tucked the front of his Honda and went down. As he looked to remount, both Ferrandis and Roczen were able to get by, which placed Sexton in fourth when he resumed.

Out front, Cianciarulo looked to close out his first moto win of the season with ease but was dealt with one last obstacle as a slower rider went down exiting the final corner. With nowhere to go, Cianciarulo ran over the downed motorcycle and fell over.

He kept his Kawasaki running, got up, and pushed his bike across the finish line to win in unconventional fashion. Ferrandis followed five seconds behind in second as Roczen rounded out the podium in third. Sexton recovered to finish fourth as Aaron Plessinger completed the top five.

450 Moto 2

The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off as Justin Barcia emerged with the MotoSport.com Holeshot out of a gaggle of bikes. He was quickly passed by Plessinger for the early lead, while Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo followed through.

Cianciarulo put the hammer down and made an aggressive push that carried him all the way around Plessinger and into the lead. He continued to ramp up the pace and established a multi-second advantage after just two laps. Behind him, Tomac’s first opportunity to run at the front of the field in 2021 saw him surge around Plessinger into second to put the Kawasaki riders at the top of the running order.

As the battle up front took shape the class’ title contenders made moves as well, as Ferrandis worked his way from fourth and Roczen from sixth. Both riders were urgent in their push and successfully moved into third and fourth, respectively. By the time they finished their early charge, the Kawasaki teammates were more than five seconds ahead. From there, Ferrandis and Roczen went head-to-head for third and traded the position before Ferrandis got the upper hand and asserted control of the spot.

Up front, Tomac closed onto Cianciarulo’s rear fender and a battle for the lead ensued. Tomac was able to get by, but Cianciarulo fought back and reclaimed the position. However, Tomac didn’t give up and kept the pressure on. The two came together, which pushed Cianciarulo out of a rut and allowed Tomac to move into the lead for the first time this season.

Once out front Tomac started to build an advantage over his teammate and was soon in control of the moto. As the moto surpassed the 20-minute mark Cianciarulo found himself under pressure from Ferrandis and Roczen in third and fourth. All three riders then duked it out for second and used every inch of the track in search of an advantage.

As the crowd cheered them on, both Ferrandis and Roczen bullied their way around Cianciarulo, who dropped from second to fourth. That thrilling sequence also changed the battle in the overall classification, as Ferrandis moved into control of the afternoon.

For Tomac it was a dominant ride indicative of his three-year championship run. He stormed to his first moto win of the season by 3.2 seconds over Ferrandis, who was able to fend off Roczen for the entirety of the moto.

Although he missed out on a moto win, Ferrandis’ consistency was enough to vault him to the second overall victory of the season and his career via 2-2 moto finishes. Cianciarulo’s drop off the podium in the final moto relegated him to the runner-up spot by a single point (1-4), while Tomac made his first appearance on the podium this summer in third (6-1), which bumped Roczen (3-3) off the podium via tie-breaker.

Dylan Ferrandis – P1

“What a race. I don’t know (what to say), I got a good start and was able to get by Ken (Roczen), which was good because he was so fast today. It was a war (after that). Ken kept pushing me and we were able to come to Adam (Cianciarulo). It was crazy how competitive it was with them. We were going so fast and the track was so difficult. It’s just amazing to get a win here today and get a hold of the red plate again.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P2

“It sure feels good to get that first moto win under my belt. I thought I had a decent sized gap in the second moto, but Eli was flying and caught me a bit off-guard. Fair play to him and the others, they rode amazing. I’m stoked with how awesome my bike has been feeling lately. I honestly believe with a little more endurance, I can be a regular winner this season. Thanks to everyone at Monster Energy Kawasaki for giving me a great bike to ride and always supporting me. We have another break coming up, but I’m ready to build off of this and get back to racing.”

Eli Tomac – P3

“This was a big one for us. I’ve been in a bit of slump these last two races, so to get a win and feel like myself on the bike again is huge. After I got off the gate in Moto 2 and saw I had a good jump, I knew it was going to be a good moto. I was able to catch Adam rather quickly and once I was in the clean air, I rode my own race and started pulling away. This was an exciting race, and I can’t wait to keep this momentum rolling into RedBud. Thanks again to the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki squad for all the hard work this weekend.”

Ken Roczen – P4

“Today started off really good. I felt comfortable on the track, but we had a slightly different bike setup so in the first moto it really beat me up. I wasn’t that comfortable out there so I really couldn’t do that much. I still rode okay, but it wasn’t the best and I ended up third. In the second moto I was pinched off and had a really bad start. We did some adjustments to the bike that helped me out and I charged forward hard in the first half of the race and ended up having a good battle with Dylan [Ferrandis]. I ended up with another third place for fourth overall, which is kind of weird, but in the end, I’m okay with it because we rode really well and charged hard. That’s all we can do.”

Aaron Plessinger – P6

“This weekend had some ups and downs. I was really happy with my riding in the first moto. I got a really bad start but had a really good flow going and came back to fifth place. I went into the second moto really confident and got an awesome start, but I couldn’t really find that flow that I had in the first moto, and I dropped back to eighth. The track was really tough. There were some spots that were dry and some spots that were soft. So it was definitely weird, but we have a weekend off and will get back to work and get ready for RedBud!”

Justin Barcia – P7

“It was a little bit of a tough day. I just didn’t jive with the track that much and I never felt super comfortable. I think we’ll go back to California and work on a few things and try to be a lot better for RedBud in two weeks. All we can do is keep level-headed and be better for the next race.”

Marvin Musquin – P8

“In the first moto, the start was decent but the riding was not good enough and the feeling was not good enough so we decided to go back to some old settings on the shock and it shows, it was definitely better in the second moto. I didn’t get a good start but I was able to fight back, attack and race hard to come back to seventh place, so that was a lot better. Overall, I’m obviously not happy because we’ve been working hard and it didn’t pay off for this weekend, so we need to keep going.”

Cooper Webb – P10

“It was a bit of a struggle today. I felt like I put up a good fight in the first moto and ended up seventh. In the second moto, I got tangled on the start and I ended up crashing three times coming through the pack, so that was pretty unfortunate. Now we’ve got a weekend off and all we can do is try to improve.”

Christian Craig – P11

“I didn’t have the best day at High Point. I seemed to struggle to find good lines and had a couple of crashes, but I was able to get through with some points. We’re going to go back to work and look forward to a better RedBud.”

With the win Ferrandis also reclaimed control of the red plate as 450 Class point leader for the second time this season. He currently has a slim three-point advantage over Roczen, while Plessinger, who finished sixth on the afternoon (5-8) maintained his hold on third, 30 points out of the lead.

450 Results & Championship Standings

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Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News | Finke | King of MX | NZ Enduro | TrialGP | MXGP | Rally

June 15, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Yearbury wraps up 2021 New Zealand Enduro Championships

By Andy McGechan

There was probably a small moment in time when Waikato man Dylan Yearbury thought his national title hopes had just flown out the window. But, a never-say-die attitude from the Husqvarna man was enough for him to complete the task he’d set himself when forced to settle for overall runner-up at last season’s COVID-19 pandemic-shortened New Zealand Enduro Championships… and that was to fight back and win it in 2021.

Yearbury (Husqvarna FE350) was in command after the first three of five rounds in this year’s championships, having compiled a 2-1-1 score-sheet from the events in Tokoroa and the Marlborough and Porirua/Upper Hutt regions respectively, and he arrived in the Wairarapa Region for the final two back-to-back rounds at the weekend in a confident mood.

Yearbury finished runner-up to his main title rival Tommy Buxton at round four on farmland near Masterton on Saturday and was still the favourite to go on and wrap it up on similar terrain near Martinborough the following day. But a high-speed crash during Sunday’s fifth and final round very nearly shattered his dreams.

“I had a huge crash and the impact of that cracked the bike’s rear sub-frame. I knew it was risky to carry on with the bike damaged like that, but I didn’t have a lot of choice,” said the 26-year-old Cambridge builder. “The crash was in the day’s first ‘special test’ and it stunned me a bit. I struggled to get a flow going with my riding after that. I went okay, but not brilliant.”

But even when Yearbury is not at his best, he’s still a lot better than so many others in the competition and he managed to end the day at Martinborough third overall of the 65 starters, finishing behind Whanganui’s Seth Reardon and Buxton.

Fortunately for Yearbury, this was easily enough for him to get the job done and he could therefore celebrate winning his first national enduro championships outright. Buxton finished the series runner-up, with Reardon, Oparau’s James Scott and Taupo’s Wil Yeoman rounding out the top five.

Yearbury also added icing to his cake by claiming the over-301cc four-stroke class win. He is current and two-time winner of the parallel-but-separate New Zealand Extreme Off-Road Championships, but never the enduro nationals and that’s probably largely due to his competing overseas in past years.

With COVID putting a crimp on international travel, it’s likely we’ll see Yearbury’s name feature a little more regularly at home.

The various class winners this season were:

Dylan Yearbury (Husqvarna, expert over-301cc 4-stroke class);
Seth Reardon (Yamaha, expert under-300cc 4-stroke class);
Aston Grey (Yamaha, expert over-201cc 2-stroke class);
Wil Yeoman (Yamaha, expert under-200cc 2-stroke class);
Sean Clarke (Husqvarna, expert veterans over-40 years class)
Julia Williams (KTM, women’s class);
Joshua Alexander (KTM, intermediate over-201cc 2-stroke and over 301cc 4-stroke class);
Harrison McClintock (KTM, intermediate under-200cc 2-stroke and under 300cc 4-stroke class);
Phil Gibson (Husqvarna, intermediate veterans 40-49 years class);
George Callaghan (Yamaha, intermediate 50-54 years class);
Phil Skinner (Husqvarna, intermediate veterans over-55 years class).

Bou & Fujinami share TrialGP opener victories

Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou became the first leader of the 2021 TrialGP World Championship after claiming victory in the Italian town of Tolmezzo. Team-mate Takahisa Fujinami finished in seventh place.

Just five weeks ago Toni Bou was lying on a stretcher waiting to be operated on for a left leg fibula fracture. Today, Toni Bou was back in the competition, finishing on the highest step of the podium, having sealed the win at the 2021 Trial World Championship curtain-raiser in Italy.

Without having prepared or trained as he had wished, the Repsol Honda Team rider was nevertheless able to endure the first day of competition held in Tolmezzo (Italy). Despite suffering some discomfort on the second lap of the twelve sections, Bou went on to claim the victory by a mere point ahead of arch rival, Adam Raga.

Takahisa Fujinami, at 41 years of age, claimed victory on the second day of the Italian TrialGP. Toni Bou, runner-up, keeps hold of the overall leadership after the world championship opener.

Five years have gone by since Takahisa Fujinami’s last win in Lourdes, France, in July 2016. Today, Repsol Honda Team’s Japanese rider made his return to the top step of the podium sealing victory number 34 in the Outdoor Trial World Championship.

Elevated temperatures marked the second day of the trial in the Italian town of Tolmezzo, wreaking havoc among riders in the more technical sections. Repsol Honda Team rider, Takahisa Fujinami, gradually improving throughout the day, was however, able to overcome many of the tougher sections, picking up just four marks on an extraordinary second lap to capture the final victory. With this superb result, “Fujigas” now holds third place in the overall standings, eight points behind the leader and team-mate, Toni Bou.

Takahisa Fujinami

“Yesterday, I felt comfortable on the bike, but the results didn’t materialize. In general, these last few months I have trained hard and I have felt very good with the bike. Yesterday, I did not expect to finish seventh, but the truth is that I was close to fifth and with room for improvement. What I did not expect was to be able to win today! I was looking for the win, but not 100%. I’m very happy. At 41, I don’t think anyone was expecting it, not my team, nor Toni, and I don’t think I was. It was terrific to be able to achieve it. I felt like I did in 2004, when I was 24 years old. Thank you very much to the whole team for always supporting me and helping me, this victory is a gift for all of you.”

Despite starting the day somewhat worse for wear after Day 1’s huge victory effort, Toni Bou once again performed well and was able to finish in a more than commendable second position. The Repsol Honda Team rider leaves Italy leading the world championship.

Toni Bou

“First of all, I want to congratulate my partner Takahisa Fujinami. What he has done today at 41 has been incredible. He works a lot and does such a good job with the whole team. As for me, I am happy with the weekend in general. Today in section 6 I hurt myself a bit, I made a mistake with the line and wasn’t able to secure my foot. Even so, I got a very good result. I hope I haven’t done too much damage and hopefully I will be able to recover fully for the second round of the world championship.”

Laia Sanz also showed she’s lost none of her feet-up skills by winning the opening day of the Women’s Trial World Championship at the GP of Italy. Giving her all to secure victory, Laia then placed a strong second on day two to sit as joint leader of the women’s championship ahead of the second round.

Laia Sanz

“Overall, it’s been a great trial for me. It’s been so nice to be back in the trial paddock, and to win on the first day was incredible – it felt so, so good to get that result. It wasn’t easy for me with the non-stop rules, but things worked out really well. The second lap was tough, but I managed to push to the end. I found day two hard. I was already struggling physically a little at the end of the first day, and today, with the heat, I wasn’t at 100%. I made some mistakes on the first lap that really I shouldn’t have made, but I was leading, so I was happy. The second lap was hard, I dropped some extra marks, and Emma was riding well. But there are many positives from this weekend, not least the day one victory.”

Next stop for the TrialGP World Championship will be a one-day-only event in Charade, France, on July 3.

TrialGP Italy Results

Pos.	Rider	Nation	Team	Points
1	Toni BOU	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	37
2	Adam RAGA	SPA	TRRS Factory Team	32
3	Takahisa FUJINAMI	JPN	Repsol Honda Team	29
4	Matteo GRATTAROLA	ITA	Beta Factory Racing	26
5	Jeroni FAJARDO	SPA	Sherco Factory Team	24
6	Jaime BUSTO	SPA	Vertigo Factory Team	22
7	Miquel GELABERT	SPA	Gas Gas	18
8	Gabriel MARCELLI	SPA	Montesa Factory	18

Abestone Hard Enduro next stop for World Championship

The 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship looks to hit its stride for round three at the Italian Abestone Hard Enduro. Despite a difficult start to this year’s championship, due to the Covid-hit Extreme XL Lagares and subsequent cancellation of Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, the fighting spirit of Hard Enduro is very much alive as it regroups for the remainder of season.

Only four weeks out from the Abestone Hard Enduro, all eyes focus towards the Italian event. Injecting a new event into the Hard Enduro scene, taking place in the heart of the Tuscany mountains, the event is set to be both spectacular and exciting. Hard Enduro veteran Michele Bosi and his organising team are hard at work to ensure no stone is left unturned and no trail unexplored, as they work to ensure a race that will undoubtedly put Italy firmly back on the international Hard Enduro map.

With barely time to recover it’s then off to Romania and the incredible Red Bull Romaniacs for round four. An event that needs little introduction, it’s produced some iconic memories during its 17 editions to date. With organisers also planning for a marathon stage, featuring a ‘night under the stars’ for competitors, another show-stopper is on the cards.

From Romania the series heads across the pond to the USA for the Red Bull TKO. North America’s premier Hard Enduro, the Tennessee venue will be one to watch. With a wealth of American talent eager to shine on home soil, everyone will be pushing the limits to win.

Poland’s HERO Challenge in early September brings the series back to Europe for the home stretch. Staged over days there will be a real mix of Urban and Hard Enduro for riders to contend with, plus high-speed elements. The city prologue in the heart of Dabrow Górnicza is sure to become a highlight of the weekend. At a crucial stage in the championship, expect this year’s title contenders to step forward.

Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro plays host to the penultimate round of the series. Staged over three days, it offers a wide array of riding. From Friday’s prologue in the heart of the medieval town of Aguilar de Campoo, to Saturday’s extreme cross-country race around the shoreline of a gigantic lake and Sunday’s intense multi-lap quarry-based finale, it’s a technical masterpiece to excel at.

Ready to provide a truly memorable ending to the inaugural season of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is Germany’s GetzenRodeo. Arguably one of the smallest venues on the calendar, it punches way above its welterweight. As the venue of the 2019 WESS finale, the racing was electric and we’re certain it will deliver another grandstand ending to sign off 2021.

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy on July 10-11.

ProMX set for Gillman, SA return to action at Round 3

The dirt flying action will return to South Australia on July 11 when the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, hits Gillman, following the forced postponement last month of Round 3 of the Championship.

The round was scheduled for May 30 at Gillman but was postponed due to the South Australian Government’s COVID-19 border restrictions only days prior to the event.

ProMX Management Team has now advised the tentative rescheduling of the Gillman round for July 11, 2021, subject to lifting of the SA Government COVID-19 border restrictions. The team will provide confirmation that the round will go ahead no later than June 25.

If restrictions do not allow the July 11 date to occur, a secondary date of September 19 will be considered by the ProMX Management Team and MRA.

Riders and teams are advised to monitor ProMX announcements in the meantime and entries for the event will re-open soon, a further communication will be announced confirming the time.

For the fans who had already purchased tickets, they will be able to use them for entry in July. For spectators wanting to get along to Gillman tickets are available now via www.auspromx.com.au.

Queensland to host 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track

The 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships will fly into action September 4 and 5, at Mick Doohan Raceway, Banyo, Queensland. Originally slated to be held in Canberra, Queensland club North Brisbane Junior MCC will now host the Championships. The club is also hosting the Australian Junior Track Championships July 3 and 4.

The Senior Dirt Track Championships weekend will see Australia’s best dirt trackers fight it out to be crowned Motorcycling Australia’s Senior Dirt Track Champions. Full fields of 10 Championship classes are expected following the success of the recent Track Championships held Tamworth in NSW.

Classes of competition will include:

Pro 250 – 100cc to 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke (MX)
Pro 450 – 250cc 2-stroke & 450cc 4-stroke (MX)
MX Open – 500cc 2-stroke & Over 300cc 4-stroke (MX)
250cc Slider – Up to 250cc
500cc Slider – Up to 500cc
Slider Open – Unlimited 460cc and over
Pro Open – Women Unlimited (MX)
Sidecar – Up to 1100cc
ATV Open – Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke
ATV Open – Women Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke

Jarred Brook who recently had success at Tamworth will be hoping to repeat his 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships results (the last time the Championship was held) where he clean swept the competition in the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes.

Andrew Brook – North Brisbane Junior MCC President

“It’s an honour to host the Championships, we as a committee have worked really hard to get us in this position to hold major meetings and we are very happy that we have secured both the Junior and Senior Dirt Track Championships. We have been doing some fairly major pit extensions which are looking very professional and will be ready in time for the Championships. With the excitement of Australian titles and being so close to the Brisbane, people love to see good riders, and good fast clean action, so we certainly expect a good crowd.”

Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II this weekend!

Images by Scott Hunter

For the first time in 2021, the full power of Progressive American Flat Track will be unleashed on a big Mile racetrack with this weekend’s Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19.

Coming off of the cathartic victory of reigning two-time champion Briar Bauman at the recent Chicago Half-Mile, his title rival Jared Mees will be seriously motivated to counter with a victory (or two) of his own this weekend.

While he built his reputation largely on his Half-Mile prowess – and later his all-around game – Mees has developed into one of the sport’s all-time great Milers in recent years. Since 2016, he’s racked up an astonishing 15 Mile wins, including all three previous stops at Remington Park.

Even though title hopeful Sammy Halbert is out of action while on the mend from injury, Mees’ path to victory will be all the more difficult to negotiate considering this weekend marks the anticipated return of “Mile Master” Bryan Smith.

A tactical genius in high-speed drafting wars, Smith is tied with the iconic Bubba Shobert for third on the all-time Mile wins list at 25. Now picking and choosing his best races and funneling all of his focus and effort into winning those rather than the season-long grind of a championship chase, Smith could be a serious threat at the OKC Mile.

Despite the fact that the OKC Mile is one of the few Miles Smith has yet to conquer, he’s been on the podium in each of his three attempts. Given a sniff of the draft on the final lap, victory #26 could be within his grasp.

AFT Singles

Estenson Yamaha teammates Dallas Daniels and Mikey Rush are separated by just a single point atop the AFT Singles championship order thanks to their consistent excellence. Rush has yet to finish off the podium this year, while Daniels has finished no lower than fourth and holds the slight advantage thanks to his Atlanta Super TT victory.

Both riders are proven Mile experts – Rush in particular – so it would be a surprise if they weren’t among the lead group battling it out for the wins again this weekend.

However, all eyes will be on the class’ all-time winningest rider, Shayna Texter-Bauman. Aggressive, instinctive and intelligent, Texter-Bauman is nearly unbeatable on high-speed tracks when everything is clicking, as evidenced by her record eight-career Mile wins, including one at Remington Park. Should she up that tally to ten, Texter-Bauman would instantly reignite the title pursuit she kicked off in double-win fashion back in March at Volusia Speedway Park.

Even though he’s best known for his legendary TT and ST accomplishments, Henry Wiles was actually the best Miler in the class during last year’s abbreviated schedule with a win and runner-up at the 2020 Indy Mile. The Honda ace could use a similar result this weekend to kickstart his championship campaign.

AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Cory Texter leads the AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines field into the OKC Mile fresh off his second victory of the season at the Chicago Half-Mile.

The championship’s top four ranked riders – Texter, Chad Cose, Dan Bromley and Dalton Gauthier – have put themselves in that position with consistently strong performances.

Oklahoma native Danny Eslick, fresh off of a third place finish at the Chicago Half-Mile, stands confident as he prepares to line up on his home turf.

In its return, the Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile brings back with it the open paddock experience and the return of a rider autograph session to precede Opening Ceremonies both days. Chasing Neon will entertain with its eclectic mix of live party music that ranges from country to classic rock and everything in between. Additionally, the Fan Zone and vendor area will keep spectators fully fed, hydrated, and stimulated all day at the track.

AMA 2021 ISDE Teams revealed

The American Motorcyclist Association have announced the 10 Trophy team riders selected to represent the United States at the 2021 FIM International Six Days Enduro in Italy on Aug. 30 – Sept. 4, 2021.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati USA Australia Italy — Team USA win ISDE 2019 – Image by Dario Agrati

The 10 Trophy riders will compete as the U.S. World Trophy, Junior World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy teams. Every country participating in the ISDE is allowed four riders on its World Trophy Team, three riders age 23 or younger on its Junior Trophy Team, and three female riders on its Women’s team.

The U.S. World Trophy Team last won the ISDE —- the world’s largest annual off-road motorcycle competition – in 2019, giving the U.S. its second ISDE World Trophy title. The U.S. Women’s Trophy team won in 2019, as well, the first time since 2007 the Women’s Trophy team had taken the award.

The 2021 U.S. World Trophy Team includes: Johnny Girroir of Boonville, N.C., GASGAS EC 250F; Taylor Robert of Scottsdale, Ariz., KTM 450 XC-F; Layne Michael of Boonville N.C., Yamaha YZ450F; and Ryan Sipes of Ekron, Ky., GASGAS EC 300 TPI.

Antti Kallonen – U.S. ISDE Trophy Team Manager

“I’m excited to return to ISDE racing after a long, one-year break from it and our motivation is high with lots of fresh faces on our team roster this year. I’m excited to bring a new rider — Johnny Girroir — to the World Trophy team, as [Girroir] has been dominating in our national races here on a 250F. He is new to ISDE, but I have all the confidence he will perform well. With our seasoned veterans and former ISDE overall winners Taylor Robert’s and Ryan Sipes’ guidance, I have no doubt about it. I’m very excited to welcome back Layne Michael, who was part of our championship team in 2016. Since then, Layne has developed tremendously and I’m looking forward to a great performance from him as well. I’m equally excited about our all-new Junior team this year. Our former riders from the past have all aged out and we have some very fast, next-generation riders eager to step in, prove their speed and continue the title hunt in the Junior class. We have some new faces in the Women’s division as well. Brandy Richards will be returning and gunning for the overall victory together with new team member Rachel Gutish, who is no stranger to ISDE and I’m happy to welcome her back. I’m excited to bring new rider Britney Gallegos to the team and work with her and the entire team to have a successful race. I believe we have been able to form three strong teams to defend our World Trophy and Women titles and aim for a Junior title, as well.”

The 2021 U.S. Junior World Trophy Team, made up of riders age 23 and younger, includes: Cody Barnes of Sterling, Ill., Honda CRF250R; Dante Oliveira of Hollister, Calif., KTM 450 XC-F; and Austin Walton of Sparks, Nev., Husqvarna FX450.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati Women Sheets Richards Gieger — USA took out the Women’s competition in 2019 – Image by Dario Agrati

The 2021 U.S. Women’s World Trophy team includes: Brandy Richards of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM 250 XC-F; Rachel Gutish of Terre Haute, Ind., Beta 250 RR; and Britney Gallegos of Monte Vista, Colo., Husqvarna 250FX.

Joining the 10 Trophy riders are 21 Club Team riders, who have qualified through the AMA East and West ISDE Qualifier series in the first six months of the season.

Club Team riders include:

Tyler Vore — Indianapolis, Ind.
Axel Pearson — Panaca, Nev.
Tanner Whipple — Colona, Ill.
Preston Campbell — Murrieta, Calif.
Travis Reynaud — Strafford, Mo.
Anson Maloney — Grass Valley, Calif.
Cade Henderson — Pacelot, S.C.
Josh Knight — Ogden, Utah
Talon Soenksen — Fife Lake, Utah
Anthony Ferrante — Penn Valley, Calif.
Nicholas Swenson — Delano, Minn.
Nathan Ferderer— Bend, Ore.
Grady Faint — Hoschton, Ga.
Joel Tonsgard — Arlington, Wash.
Brian Storrie — McKinney, Texas
Jayson Densley — Fairfield, Utah
Reid Brown — North Plains, Ore.
Mateo Oliveira — Hollister, Calif.
John Beal — Snohomish, Wash.
Cole Martinez — Camp Verde, Ariz.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News Wrap | Ruprecht tops Italian Enduro | Andalucia & Sonora Rally

May 18, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Wil Ruprecht wins Italian Enduro Round 6 in Marche

Australian Wil Ruprecht has topped the sixth round of the Italian Enduro championship (Campionato Assoluti d’Italia Enduro) held in Marche and in doing so extended his championship lead in the Absolute standings.

235 riders turned up for the Fabriano event from all over the world, including a boom in international representation with 13 nations represented.

The 54 km course was repeated four times, featuring three special stages, kicking off with the Scott Enduro Test, before the AIroh Cross Test and finally the Extreme Test.

The overall victory went to Wil Ruprecht, boasting a number of first place finishes across the day’s stages to finish 11.84s ahead of runner up Steve Holcombe.

Steve Holcombe

“I’m happy to be back racing in Italy, I’ve missed races during this recovery period. My performance is undoubtedly satisfactory and above all expectations.”

Brad Freeman completed the top three, 20.92s off leading pace, as the second Beta on the podium, alongside Holcombe, with Ruprecht’s TM claiming top honours.

Brad Freeman

“A fluctuating race in concerning timing, but I am happy with the race pace. Now maximum concentration for the next round of the Assoluti and then we’ll go right into the EnduroGP.”

Theophile Espinasse finished fourth, ahead of Matteo Cavallo, Andrea Verona and Hamish McDonald.

Ruprecht now leads the standings on 100-points, while Brad Freeman is second overall on 84. Third is Matthew Horse on 81.

Absolute Absolutes of Italy Round 6 Results

Pos	Rider	Bike	Total
1	RUPRECHT Wil Paul	TM 300 4T	1:04’01.65
2	HOLCOMBE Steve	BETA 350 4T	1:04’13.49
3	FREEMAN Brad	BETA 300 2T	1:04’22.57
4	ESPINASSE Theophile	BBM RACING	1:04’35.89
5	CAVALLO Matteo	TM 250 4T	1:04’36.01
6	VERONA Andrea	GAS GAS 250 4T	1:04’41.94
7	MACDONALD Hamish	SHERCO 300 4T	1:04’44.63
8	MCCANNEY Daniel	SHERCO 300 2T	1:04’54.59
9	MACORITTO Lorenzo	TM 250 2T	1:05’01.40
10	PAVONI Matteo	TM 300 2T	1:05’32.72

Absolute Ranking of Italy

Pos	Rider	Class	Bike	Total
1	RUPRECHT Will Paul	ST	TM 250 4T	100
2	FREEMAN Brad	ST	BETA 300 2T	84
3	HORSE Matthew	D.	TM 250 4T	81
4	MAGAIN Antoine	ST	SHERCO 250 2T	62
5	VERONA Andrea	D.	GAS GAS 250 4T	59
6	MCCANNEY Daniel	ST	SHERCO 300 2T	57
7	OLDRATI Thomas	IS	HONDA 450 4T	52
8	MACORITTO Lorenzo	B.	TM 250 2T	46
9	HOLCOMBE Steve	ST	BETA 350 4T	37
9	PAVONI Matteo	JU	TM 300 2T	37

Joan Barreda wins the 2021 Andalucía Rally

After 1086 km of special stage, over the hills and plains of Andalusia, victory in the bike class for the 2021 Andalucía Rally went to Joan Barreda (Monster Energy Honda) 03’28 ahead of compatriot Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco Factory) with Honda Monster Energy’s new recruit the Chilean Pablo Quintanilla third at 10’29.

Joan Barreda (Monster Energy Honda) put in a blistering performance to protect his slim overall lead. Opening the road and despite being chased down by Lorenzo Santolino he actually increased his lead over the Sherco rider by 36 seconds to win the Andalucía Rally 2021, his first victory since the Merzouga in 2018, in fine style. It’s an important milestone for Barreda who has struggled for two years with a troublesome wrist injury.

Joan Barreda – P1

“It was a difficult final stage, opening the track from the beginning. It has not been easy at all: we went over the same stretches of very broken tracks that we had already been over in the last few days. I had to keep calm and hold a fast pace because I knew they were chasing me down, pushing hard behind me. In the end, I felt pretty good and I was able to keep up the pace through to the final finish-line. Having such a very good stage has allowed me to win the rally.”

Lorenzo Santolino – P2

“Really happy for me and the team who are improving the bike every race. I learned a lot here and got more confidence with the navigation. Congratulations to Barreda for the win.”

Pablo Quintanilla turned out to be the winner of the final total 185-kilometre special. The new Monster Energy Honda Team signing couldn’t have got his maiden rally off to a better start. Furthermore, the Chilean rider was able to consolidate a brilliant third final position, more than satisfactory after his first kilometres astride the Honda CRF450 RALLY.

Pablo Quintanilla – P3

“We have finished the first race with the team and all I can say is that I am very pleased about it. It was a very hard week, super intense, but very important to be able to get to know the whole team, find some good sensations and get to know the way that the team works. I felt comfortable with the team, on the bike, and I think I have gradually progressed, finishing with a very good stage win. I have to thank all these people who have worked alongside me all this week. Now, we are going to rest a bit and plan the immediate future. I am very happy and motivated about all the things that lie ahead.”

Joaquim Rodrigues and Franco Caimi completed the top five, with 15-seconds separating the two riders, who were 13’50 and 14’05 off the winning overall time.

Joaquim Rodrigues – P4

“Today was difficult day for me as I had a couple of crashes and hurt my hand and knee a little bit. So, I decided to slow down and focus on getting the bike to the finish safely. In the second part I got into a better rhythm and pushed through to the finish line. I am setting a good pace on the bike and the bike is also performing really well so I am happy with the results. I want to thank my team, entire Hero family and all our fans for their support.”

Franco Caimi – P5

“I focused today on improving my feeling and confidence on the bike so I am happy to be at the end and with the way things have gone in my first rally with my new team. I really enjoyed it and want to thank my entire crew for doing a fantastic job through the rally and also our supporters and my new Hero family. Now we will start our work for the upcoming Kazakhstan Rally.”

Andalucia Rally 2021 Final Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat	Gap
1	BARREDA Joan	SPA	10:47’32
2	SANTOLINO Lorenzo	SPA	+3’28
3	QUINTANILLA Pablo	CHI	+10’29
4	RODRIGUES Joaquim	POR	+13’50
5	CAIMI Franco	ARG	+14’05
6	CERUTTI Jacopo	ITA	+22’05
7	PEDRERO Joan	SPA	+23’29
8	BÜHLER Sebastian	POR	+26’04
9	DOVEZE Mathieu	FRA	+38’44
10	GONÇALVES Rui	POR	+40’39

Ricky Brabec dominates 2021 Sonora Rally

The seventh edition of the Sonora Rally once again had Ricky Brabec as the key protagonist. This year’s victory means that Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider has now won more than half of the editions of the Mexican race held to date. Team-mate José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo also finished on the podium behind runner up Skyler Howes.

The 2021 Sonora Rally overall podium – 1) Ricky Brabec, 2) Skyler Howes, 3) Ignacio Cornejo

The five-stage rally, held in the Altar desert in the state of Sonora in northern Mexico, included over 900 kilometres of timed special stages on a total 1,500-kilometre route.

Ricky Brabec not only scooped the final triumph, with wins in two out of five stages, but kept a firm grip on the race throughout, on an error-free ride that included some scorching pace, even in some of the most difficult sections of the course. Brabec, who lined up against some of the factory riders set to participate in the forthcoming Dakar Rally, romped home to a win with a 13-minute gap over the nearest second-placed rival, claiming a third consecutive win in the race, the fourth in total in the rally.

Ricky Brabec – P1

“Sonora rally was great. I year ago we had Covid, so it’s really great to be back here. It was a difficult five days and we made it happen. We are happy to come away with the overall win. Three times in a row is pretty nice. Looking forward to the next rally event and possibly coming back for training later this year. It’s great to have a few factory riders down here including Nacho. Hopefully we did a good job for you guys. See you soon.”

Skyler Howes took runner up, despite some issues with his nav equipment and finished the Sonora Rally just under 13-minutes behind Brabec, but still leading Cornejo by 10-minutes.

Skyler Howes – P2

“Super grateful to be here at my first rally as an official Factory racer for @rockstarhusky. A lot had to come together in a short time, thank you so much to the team for making it happen. Had some bugs with the nav equipment this week but otherwise had a clean rally. Great training and seat time on the new machine and great times with good people. Thank you to my crew Gary, Kelly, Tristan and Gee for coming down and spending a week in the heat with me making sure I was dialled in. Time to head home and gear up for the next one! Next up: Rally Kazakhstan.”

Young Chilean rider Ricky Brabec, made his debut in the rally, improving by the day, adapting well to a somewhat different race format and would eventually snatch a win in the final stage, earning himself third place on the rally’s final podium.

José Ignacio Cornejo – P3

“It was good to get back to racing after the Dakar and there was a feeling of unfinished business after the crash that prevented me from continuing. Here in Sonora I was able to get back up to race pace. In the beginning it was a bit tough, but as the days went by I felt better on the Honda and I was able to win on the last day. I am happy to be able to finish the race, to have done so with a podium finish and to be able to continue improving day by day. It was a great first race of the season. Now, to keep working and try to regain the level I had a few months ago. I have to thank Monster Energy Honda Team, HRC, and also JCR Honda for everything they have done during the race. I am very motivated to continue working and achieving better results.”

2021 Sonora Rally

Pos	Rider	Nat	Cat	Overall
1	Ricky Brabec	USA	Pro	10:32:13
2	Skyler Howes	USA	Pro	10:45:05
3	Ignacio Cornejo	Chile	Pro	10:55:21
4	Kendall Norman	USA	Pro	10:57:44
5	Mason Klein	USA	Pro	11:16:27
6	Justin Morgan	USA	Pro	11:24:26
7	Wes VanNieuwenhuise	USA	Pro	12:47:08
8	Scott Bright	USA	Pro	13:43:08
9	Mike Johnson	USA	Pro	13:58:47
10	Nathan Rafferty	USA	Pro	15:05:32

Manjimup Trail Bike Hub approved in Western Australia

The Trail Bike Hub Manjimup Facebook page has just revealed the project’s approval, with the Commonwealth Government and Manjimup Shire committing to funding the initiative after seven-years.

Manjimup would be a familiar name to many riders due to the Manjimup 15000 Motocross event, which at the Cosy Creek MX circuit has hosted some of the worlds best over the years.

The move marks step one of the Manjimup Trail Bike Hub road plan, with the next step being to develop the Manjimup Adventure Bike Rider Experience, followed by the Trail Bike Tourer Experience, then private property family use facilities. The final stages of the project will be to develop the Single Track Explorer Experience, then the Family Explorer Experience and finally the ATV explorer Experience.

The Manjimup Trail Bike Hub concept is described as aiming to offer a trails focused experience that also caters to all aspects of trail bike riding, from the trails themselves, through to accommodation and related services.

Manjimup Trail Bike Hub – Image courtesy of www.manjimup.wa.gov.au

The Hub will be the first of its kind in Australia, with suggested benefits including high levels of tourism, both interstate and internationally, while using a management system capable of driving demand.

Also mentioned is the inclusion of specialty shops catering to trail bike sales, repair and maintenance, which could make the Manjimup Trail Bike Hub a one-stop-shop for trail riders in the state.

The project is an exciting landmark for Australia, with trail riders around the country increasingly complaining about the lacking availability of riding locations and trails being closed, with many in the community feeling they are being squeezed out by government, councils and local land management services.

Here’s what the Trail Bike Hub Manjimup Facebook page had to share:

“Woohoo, we’ve done it! It’s time to crack a tinnie, charge your champagne glasses and toast the official pending birth of Australia’s first and only Trail Bike Hub. Last Thursday the Manjimup Shire received an announcement by the Commonwealth Government that the funding for this project has been granted. To all of you that have stuck by this seven year dream of mine, I applaud you for your patience. I now trust this news will resonate amongst this great trail bike keen community and within the next year we will have some trails ready to go. To our committee I take my hat off to you all, your diligence and hard work has now been rewarded!

“The Trail Bike Hub Centre can now officially start its planning and design process, the demolition of the existing building can now take place to make way for a new purpose built facility. I will be posting a little down the track for anybody who will be able to lend a hand for a day. This will be part of the fundraising condition as required and our contribution to the grant fund. The proposed date may be the Saturday of the motocross weekend in June.
Watch this space for more to come!”

Manjimup Shire’s Media Release – Funding for Manjimup Trail Bike Hub

The Manjimup Trail Bike Hub is about to kick up a gear with the announcement of $980,000 funding through the Commonwealth Regional Recovery Partnerships program matched to a $576,500 contribution from the Shire of Manjimup. The Hub aims to position Manjimup as the centre for trail bike riding in Western Australia (and Australia), creating a significant new point of difference catalyst for visitation to the Shire district, and the region.

The funding will set the wheels in motion for the trail planning processes, implementation and commercialisation of the funded project primarily for licenced trail and enduro motorbikes on publicly managed roads. An additional stage may be funded by the private commercial sector and subject to future funding, further stages incorporating unlicensed trail bikes may be introduced based on the outcome of trail planning processes, approvals and the success of the existing project.

The completion of funded stages is anticipated to take two and a half years, during which routes on existing trails will be mapped, new trails will be designed and a Trail Bike Centre is built in Manjimup. The project will include extensive consultation with riders and the wider community. An initial Feasibility Report for the Hub, prepared in 2017, outlined that the Manjimup region is the prime location for Western Australia’s first sustainable trail bike hub.

Paul Omodei – Shire President

“We are very confident that this initiative will be hugely beneficial to our region, both socially and economically. This is why the Shire of Manjimup had already allocated funding and resources to undertake the pre-phase project that included a funding contribution from the South West Development Commission to produce a business case that was used in the successful funding application. I would like to thank the Commonwealth Government and the elected representatives Mr Rick Wilson MP and Hon. Nola Marino MP for backing the Shire by funding this project and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to deliver what will be a fantastic regional project.”

The Manjimup Trail Bike Hub Inc. will be the driving force behind the implementation of the Hub. Now that funding has been secured, a call will be put out soon by the Manjimup Trail Bike Hub Inc. for interested trail bike riders and the local community to become a member of the association’s executive committee, which will be the driving force behind implementing the first three stages of the hub.

Jorge Prado talks his second crack in the MXGP class with KTM

Still only 20 years of age Jorge Prado has already tasted victory with the KTM 250 SX-F in MX2 – where he dominated the class to 2018 and 2019 world championships – and the KTM 450 SX-F in what was a typically fast and impactful debut term in MXGP in 2020.

Already Spain’s most decorated motocrosser, Prado set out his stall last year with three wins and eight podium finishes, the second biggest collection of silverware in the class, despite coming into the campaign with limited preparation due to a winter leg injury. Now fit, confident and ready to re-establish his world-renowned starting prowess in MXGP #61 is one of the pre-season favourites.

2020 was your first in MXGP. It’s fair to say there were some ups-and-downs…

Jorge Prado: “2020 was quite a hard season for me because getting injured just before the start of my first year in the premier class didn’t help! It meant I started racing without much training or testing. Despite that, I had some very good moments, especially towards the end when I was getting fit and winning races. At one point I even had some possibilities for the title, so I was quite happy. Overall, I would say that 2020 was good season but I could have done without the two injuries. The best moments were the first podium, the first win on the 450 in Italy and the victory in Spain.”

What was the biggest lesson?

Prado: “Coming into a season from injury is never easy because you need a certain amount of track time to get back to your level. I pushed myself to the limit in that ‘recovery’ phase where I was actually racing to get to 100% as fast as I could and make some good results. So, the lesson was about how I could reach my limits physically.”

Did you feel like you had mastered the KTM 450 SX-F by the later phase of the season?

Prado: “It’s a hard question because I missed that training period. I didn’t get a pre-season. Then we had to stop because of Covid-19 and two weeks before the restart I was injured again with my collarbone! I raced in Latvia for round three with just two weeks on the bike. By the end of 2020 I was finally getting there, and you could see that in my results because I was fighting more and more for first position. I think I learned so much from that period and where I needed to improve. Now I feel like I am getting into my first real off-season of 450 preparation.”

You always seem like a confident guy but did the 12 months of 2020 – from the broken femur to the COVID-19 diagnosis that prematurely ended the season – represent the hardest spell of your career?

Prado: “Yeah, 2020 was one of the hardest of my career. I moved to the 450 class as the 250 champion and with high expectations, at least for myself. I was expecting good results and the injury threw me a bit. The 450 is a very nice bike to ride but if you need to push it for the whole 30 minute plus two laps moto then it is not very easy. You have to be really ready for that. It’s not easy to ride those bikes fast for a long time; you really need good physical condition.”

Who will surprise you in 2021?

Prado: “Hmm, I don’t know. I think Jeffrey [Herlings]! For sure Tony [Cairoli] will be good, also [Tim] Gajser and [Romain] Febvre. Surprises? It’s hard to say but if you look at every year there are always questions about who will be good but, in the end, it is always the same guys at the front. I feel like I am also in the group. Not because other people are saying it but when I see the results. I’m not a guy that really builds myself up but if I look at the results of last year then I have to be honest and say: ‘this year I can fight for those positions again and I need to be ready’. My goal is to fight for the title and that’s it.”

Supercross: it was a career direction for you at one stage. You are still only 20, so how do you feel about it now?

Prado: “Honestly, I am really focused on doing very well and getting the title in MXGP and, watching supercross right now, I feel that it would be something very fun to try. It would be very different. It would not be easy at all to go and get to a position to fight for a title. You not only need to get used to riding supercross at that level but also racing it. I’ve never raced supercross in my life. It would be very hard! I think if I did have the possibility to get there and race then I will want to go, and I would want results. Right now, I’m looking only at MXGP.”

Tom Vialle on MX2 2021 with KTM

In November 2020, and at the culmination of just his second season as an MX2 Grand Prix rider, Tom Vialle became Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s ninth different FIM MX2 World Champion and delivered the 13th gold number plate for the KTM 250 SX-F. For 2021 the Frenchman is hoping to be the brand’s fourth double-champ since 2009!

Still just 20 years old, Vialle is now the de facto team leader in MX2 and will be looking to expand his collection of eight Grand Prix wins, all taken in Red Bull KTM colours.

Even though society was very much in the grip of the pandemic, how was the winter as World Champion?

Tom Vialle: “To become world champion felt like the best thing ever and it really sunk in during a month of holidays where I just stayed in France to be with family and friends; which was really nice. I didn’t do so many interviews or much travelling because of COVID-19. There were a few things we missed like the traditional FIM Awards and the KTM Christmas party in Austria. It was a shame but at the same time it was a very easy and relaxed time before starting to train and think about 2021.”

You must have welcomed the break because 2020 was an intense season of many races in a short space of time and a close duel with Jago Geerts…

Vialle: “Yeah, for sure. The last part of the season was really difficult because it felt like a lot of races, but there was extra pressure because of the COVID situation around the championship. We were doing a lot of testing and I was trying to do things as safely as possible but mentally it was extra weight. It was a good battle with Jago and when he made a couple of mistakes in the middle of the season I kept really focused and did my best.”

2020 must have shown how every mistake and every point counts: it was a close-run contest between the both of you up until the last few motos…

Vialle: “Yes, very much so. The goal was to be world champion and not to win every GP. I knew I had to learn to accept 2nd or 3rd on the podium, lose a couple of points but then focus to win or gain them back the next weekend. It was not easy! It was my first year fighting for the title and it was important not to over-think things. When we came to Lommel [the penultimate triple header] I was already thinking about the championship at this point and being careful to ride a bit more safely.”

So, will you carry #28 or #1 in 2021? And are you ready for a different challenge of defending the crown?

Vialle: “I want to keep #28 so that’s what it will be! For sure 2021 is a bit different, but then again I spent most of 2020 with the red plate so that kind of pressure is the same. Don’t forget that when you are riding you don’t see the red plate! Everybody wants to beat you, but I think I had some of that last year as well: I kinda like being in that position. In 2020 it was mainly me and Jago so it was difficult to take points from him and to feel a bit safe with the lead. It only happened when he started to make a few mistakes. I think in 2021 there will be a few other riders even if [Thomas Kjer] Olsen and [Ben] Watson moved to the 450s. We’ll see. It’ll be an interesting year but I believe Jago will be the first guy to beat.”

You are leading the team again but with 2021 being your third year in MX2 is there even more work to do with development now?

Vialle: “Yeah, we have been working a lot with the KTM 250 SX-F and developing the race bike. I’ve actually been riding with our new engine recently, which will help us a lot in 2021. I feel good on the bike. With Rene [Hofer] we’ve been working through set-ups and made good progress.”

Do you have one eye on the MXGP class? If you win again in 2021 then you’ll have to move up for 2022 regardless…

Vialle: “Sure, we’ve been thinking about this a little bit because, like you said, if I win again this year then I’ll be on the 450. We have seen with Jorge, who was a double MX2 champion – even if he had a hard 2019 winter with his broken leg – that he was able to be quite fast and at the front in MXGP. Olsen looked good as well in his first pre-season races with the bigger bike. When you change the motorcycle then it is like a ‘reset’: it’s a new machine, new year, new category, new rivals so it brings new motivation, let’s say. I’m really focused to win this year and we’ll see for the next.”

Source: MCNews.com.au