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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.

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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

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Moto News | Abestone Hard Enduro | Pro MX | Flat Track | SGP

July 12, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Wodonga ProMX Round 5 postpone due to Covid

The ProMX Management Team have postponed Round 5 of the Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, which was to be held at Wodonga, Victoria.

This decision has been made due to the continued complications of state government COVID-19 restrictions which have resulted from the ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks across Australia including South East Queensland and Greater Sydney.

ProMX Round 5 has been postponed due to Covid travel restrictions

The postponement decision has not been made lightly, as enforced border restrictions have affected a number of riders and teams, but more significantly they affect the ability to produce the ProMX Live TV production that is based from Greater Sydney.

ProMX Management has made the decision to provide advance notification to riders and teams during this highly complicated time, after the NSW Government recently extended its Greater Sydney lockdown for a further seven days.

Round 5 of the ProMX Championship was to be held July 25 at Wodonga, VIC. ProMX Management Team and the host club, Albury-Wodonga MCC will now work closely to review a potential new date the Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores.

2021 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship scheduled for July 15

The 2021 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship is scheduled for July 15-20 in Du Quoin, Ill., promising five days of intense competition among the nation’s elite amateur riders as the Grand Championship returns to the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.

This year’s event features 24 competitive classes, and in addition to racing the Mile on day one, racers will compete on the Half-Mile, TT and Short Track over the five-day event. The full racing schedule, class structure and updated regulations can be viewed at americanmotorcyclist.com.

The Magic Mile has an illustrious history in flat track racing, with races dating back to the 1920s. The return to the Magic Mile for 2021 is the first in over half a decade.

AMA National No. 1 plates will be awarded to the racers in each class who earn the highest point totals. Racers will compete for the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award, which honors an amateur racer poised for success at the pro level.

Awards will also be given for AMA Youth Flat Track Racer of the Year and AMA Vet/Senior Flat Track Racer of the Year. The Bill Werner Fast Brain Award will also be handed out to racers who are fast and display academic excellence. The award is bestowed upon a racer based upon his or her performance at the event, as well as their performance in school based on official school transcripts supplied at the time of application.

2021 SGP finale in Torun becomes a double

The FIM and BSI Speedway have revealed that the season-ending 2021 eWinner Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland will now be a double-header event. The action takes place on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2 at the Marian Rose Motoarena.

As with the previously announced double-headers, riders will compete each night for the maximum 20 points per SGP round. The final stop on the 2021 calendar is sure to be an exciting weekend, culminating in a world champion being crowned.

Torun has hosted an FIM Speedway Grand Prix round every year since 2010, with the World Championship trophy being presented six times at the Motoarena.

Tickets for the newly-announced Friday event will be available in due course.

Honda’s first MXGP champ meets its latest at Matterly Basin

At the second round of the 2021 FIM World Motocross Championship, in Matterley Basin, there was a meeting between two very special riders in Honda’s illustrious history – Graham Noyce and Tim Gajser.

The importance of these two legends cannot be understated as Noyce was Honda’s first ever world motocross champion in 1979, in the 500cc class, leading the way for a whole host of title-winning riders on red machines to follow, including Gajser, who is the reigning 2020 MXGP champion, on board his Honda CRF450RW.

In the years between, the list of champions riding Honda machines is unmatched by any other manufacturer, with a total of 20 titles by nine different riders in the 41 years, including a streak from 1984-1993 when Honda won every single premier title. And when you add in other world motocross championship classes, that streak extends to 1997 for a total of 14 years when Honda was on the top step of the final podium.

With over double the number of premier class championships, Honda could actually increase their dominance even further after the 2021 season as Gajser looks to win his third MXGP title in a row. He is already the most successful rider in their history with four titles and 30 GP wins and he is currently holding the red-plate in this year’s championship after third round which just took place in Maggiora, Italy.

Number of Premier Class Titles for Honda

3 – Tim Gajser
3 – Georges Jobe
3 – David Thorpe
3 – Andre Malherbe
2 – Frederic Bolley
2 – Stefan Everts
2 – Eric Geboers
1 – Greg Albertyn
1 – Graham Noyce

World Championship Titles for Honda

1979 – Graham Noyce (500cc)*
1980 – Andre Malherbe (500cc)*
1981 – Andre Malherbe (500cc)*
1984 – Andre Malherbe (500cc)*
1985 – David Thorpe (500cc)*
1986 – David Thorpe (500cc)*
1987 – Georges Jobe (500cc)*
1987 – Eric Geboers (250cc)
1988 – Eric Geboers (500cc)*
1988 – Jean-Michel Bayle (125cc)
1989 – David Thorpe (500cc)*
1989 – Jean-Michel Bayle (250cc)
1990 – Eric Geboers (500cc)*
1991 – Georges Jobe (500cc)*
1991 – Trampas Parker (250cc)
1992 – Georges Jobe (500cc)*
1992 – Greg Albertyn (125cc)
1993 – Greg Albertyn (250cc)*
1994 – Marcus Hansson (250cc)
1995 – Alessandro Puzar (125cc)
1996 – Stefan Everts (250cc)*
1997 – Stefan Everts (250cc)*
1999 – Frederic Bolley (250cc)*
2000 – Frederic Bolley (250cc)*
2011 – Julien Bill (MX3)
2013 – Klemen Gercar (MX3)
2015 – Tim Gajser (MX2)
2016 – Tim Gajser (MXGP)*
2019 – Tim Gajser (MXGP)*
2020 – Tim Gajser (MXGP)*

* denotes premier class title

Bolt claims 2021 Abestone Hard Enduro victory

Britain’s Billy Bolt started off by laid down the gauntlet at round three of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, producing the fastest qualification time at the Abestone Hard Enduro.

Already looking at home in the Tuscan mountains, Bolt topped Saturday’s time sheets ahead of Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) and Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS).

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After a nine-week wait between the opening round at Extreme XL Lagares and the Abestone Hard Enduro, this year’s FIM Hard Enduro World Championship has finally roared back into life. Friday’s ELEVEIT Extreme Test gave competitors a chance to stretch their legs over a short but demanding extreme course.

The new Italian event promised much with big mountain riding, gnarly rocky climbs, and true Hard Enduro terrain, and it delivered on every count. After Saturday’s qualification, competitors got down to the business end of the weekend with the LIQUI MOLY Super Final, where two laps of a world-class Hard Enduro awaited them.

Having topped both Friday’s timed practice and Saturday’s qualification, Bolt sat on pole position for Sunday and started as the rider everyone had to beat. However, with just a 12-second cushion over closest rival Lettenbichler, it was still all to play for.

With Bolt opening the course, Lettenbichler patiently took his time and then gave chase. Knowing the early river section would be tough, he worked it hard and immediately caught up to Bolt’s rear wheel. From there the fight for victory was on. Throughout the two laps the duo swapped positions.

Lettenbichler appeared to have the edge on the rocky climbs up the mountain, while Bolt held the advantage on the way down. Pulling the pin on the final descents, Bolt put his Husqvarna out front and held Lettenbichler off to win.

Billy Bolt

“It’s awesome to pull off the win – it’s been a dream weekend for me to be honest. I came here wanting to show that my pace at Extreme XL Lagares was no fluke and that I’m ready for the riverbeds and climbs and I got to show that. The race itself was a bit of a blur, it was proper intense. I messed the early river section up and Mani got on my wheel, and we just battled from there. He had me in the Minestrone Rock Garden, but I felt strong in the woods. On the final lap I just went for the pass, made it stick and hung it out for the win!”

Manuel Lettenbichler

“I’m a little bummed not to have won, but second is definitely a great start to the season and the pace we had over the rest of the field was very strong. I can’t complain with my riding, I gave it everything and it was a good fight with Billy. I caught him early in the river and we rode back and forth together for most of the race. It came down to the wire, but just didn’t go my way. But it’s good to know where my pace is at now and with what we showed today, there’s going to be a lot more tight battles to come.”

Behind the leading duo – over 13 minutes behind, such was the speed of the top two – Jarvis was another man on a mission. Hampered by a starting position of ninth, he had work to do. Building pace as the race progressed, he began to pull back positions. A gamble not to refuel at the end of lap one leapfrogged him further up the running order. And with a strong run over the mountain, the 46-year-old Hard Enduro legend, took third.

Graham Jarvis

“My qualification wasn’t too good with ninth, so I had a good bit of traffic in front of me most of the way through. I rode too tense on the first lap and struggled to find a decent rhythm – especially with those early riverbed sections. Gradually I got the speed up and lap two was much better. We gambled on not refuelling and it worked out in our favour. I think my speed and fitness was there to get up with the top two, but the early issues didn’t make it possible. But I’m looking forward now for Red Bull Romaniacs.”

Putting in a strong showing throughout the two laps, Jonny Walker (Beta) just didn’t have an answer for Jarvis in the closing stages and had to be content with fourth. Shadowing Jarvis off the line, Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) kept close to his teammate during the opening lap. But with Jarvis finding another gear on lap two, the Spaniard wasn’t able to go with him, ending his race fifth.

Alfredo Gomez

“The first part of the race was good. Riding with Graham I was feeling good. We managed to catch and pass a lot of the other guys on the way up the mountain, but on the descents I wasn’t so comfortable. I’m happy to go top five and finally get the season underway, but today wasn’t my best day.”

Taddy Blazusiak fought hard, right to the end, to claim a sixth place result, showing great speed throughout the three-day event.

Taddy Blazusiak

“I really enjoyed today – the race was really tough, but good fun, and I think in general I rode really well. I was in the fight for the podium early on and heading through the river section I made a mistake that cost me some time and put me a few minutes behind the guys in front. I tried my best to claw the time back, but I bruised my ribs a little in the crash and decided to aim for a good, safe finish. I’m really happy with sixth place, especially as I was on pace with the others. The event here in Italy has been great, the fans have been amazing too. The race is really intense, the terrain is perfect for hard enduro – I hope it stays on the calendar for a long time to come.”

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round four at Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania on July 27-31.

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto Wrap | Silk Way Rally | Beach Racing | MX | TrialGP | Hattah

July 6, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 4 – Twisted Tea RedBud National

Following its second break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to action for its Fourth of July tradition with the annual Twisted Tea RedBud National.

The fourth round of the season saw a massive crowd line the fences in their red, white, and blue for America’s Independence Day holiday and were treated to an afternoon of perfect weather.

Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis continued his impressive season by leading the way in the 450 Class for his third victory of the season.

In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire demonstrated incredible speed all day en route to his third career win.

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450 Moto1

As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Aaron Plessinger prevailed with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen. A quick pass by Webb in the second turn allowed him to steal the lead from Plessinger who retaliated to retake the lead just turns later. It was Plessinger, Roczen, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo at the completion of the opening lap. Championship point leader Ferrandis was sixth at the start.

As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, Roczen started to close on Plessinger for the lead, eventually making the pass stick as Plessinger slid back to second. As Cianciarulo continued his charge in third, he would soon find himself under pressure from Ferrandis who was turning the fastest lap times of the race.

Ferrandis was relentless in his push to the front and made the move on Cianciarulo just before the halfway point of the moto. The battle for the lead began to tighten up as Plessinger closed in on Roczen while his teammate Ferrandis closed in on them both with 10-minutes remaining. The Star Racing Yamaha teammates pulled alongside each other several times before Ferrandis took possession of second with a pass on Plessinger through the sand rollers.

Ferrandis’ charge to the front could not be stopped as he struck on his championship rival Roczen to take the lead with just three laps remaining. The Frenchman would hold on to claim his second moto win of the season with 2.9 seconds to spare on Roczen. After leading early, Plessinger would finish third.

450 Moto 2

The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.

The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off 450 Moto 2with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.

The battle immediately intensified up front as Tomac made quick work of Plessinger to take the number one position from Plessinger. Just behind the leaders, Roczen and Ferrandis matched one another’s pace in an effort for valuable championship points and to keep the leaders in sight. Roczen made a costly mistake that saw him go down hard, but he was able to dust himself off and remount in sixth.

Up front, Tomac and Plessinger were separated by no more than two seconds for the majority of the race as they took turns on clocking the better lap times.

With the race winding down, the battle for second began to heat up as Ferrandis closed in on his teammate Plessinger. He would use an excellent drive through the sand rollers to take second and set his sights on the race leader Tomac. As the crowd cheered them on, Tomac held on to take his second moto win of the season by just 1.5 seconds over Ferrandis. A distant third would go to Plessinger, while Roczen recovered for sixth.

It was Ferrandis who’s hard charging and consistency would give him the overall victory (1-2). Tomac earned his second consecutive podium of the season in season (4-1), while Plessinger completed the podium with an impressive 3-3 moto scores on the day. Roczen’s 6-2 was good enough for fourth. A jump during the red cross flag in Moto 1 resulted in Ferrandis being docked a single point and Roczen two points, however, the overall finishes remained the same.

Dylan Ferrandis

“I gave it everything and it was a big fight today, I charged really hard at the end of the motos. I wanted to win the second moto, but Eli [Tomac] was riding really good. I dreamed of winning here at RedBud and thanks to the fans for cheering loud for us all day. It’s been a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to keep working hard so we can stay up front the rest of the season.”

With the win Ferrandis was able to extend his lead in the championship standings to 14-points over Roczen who lost crucial points in the second moto. Plessinger sits third, 36-points out of the lead.

Ken Roczen

“I was excited coming into RedBud for Fourth of July; it’s always a special race and the fans always go wild. We had a pretty decent couple of qualifying sessions. I ended up going fifth to the gate, which was totally fine; I felt pretty good on the track and was ready for the moto. In the first moto, I think I was third after the start and just kind of worked my way up there into second right away and made a move on [Aaron] Plessinger and was leading most of the race until about two laps to go. I kind of lost my rhythm a little bit. The track is really hard-packed underneath and soft on top, so it was really tricky to ride. It just wasn’t really my best performance, but at the same time I was okay with the second place. I got passed there with a couple of laps to go and tried to hang on behind [Dylan] Ferrandis and tried to make a pass back, but it just wasn’t enough. I was looking forward to the second moto. Moto 2 was kind of like when everything came undone. I was battling really hard to get to the front. I was in third and [Eli] Tomac was leading and Plessinger was second. I made my way past Ferrandis and just sat in third for a while trying to see what the race gave me. I had a bad case on [LaRocco’s] Leap, as Plessinger’s roost slowed me down so much. I hurt my wrist a little bit, but then a couple laps later I fell right after the leap. I tucked the front end, had a pretty big get-off, and my bars were a little bent. I’m glad I was able to finish at least in sixth and minimize the points damage. We’re healthy leaving RedBud and I’m just looking forward to prepping for next weekend’s race.”

250 Moto 1

When the gate dropped for the first 250 Class moto of the day it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com holeshot just ahead of the Team Honda HRC duo of Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Jeremy Martin and Hampshire.

As they crossed the finish on the opening lap, Cooper lost traction going up the face of the finish line and crashed out of the lead. Cooper’s mistake allowed a hard charging Hampshire to inherit the lead over the Lawrence brothers and Martin. Cooper would remount in 10th.

Hampshire pushed the pace out front with Jett Lawrence in tow and the duo began to slowly distance themselves from the train of riders behind them. As Jett Lawrence applied the pressure, Hampshire crashed out of the lead, but was able to restart quickly in second. Hunter Lawrence remained a distant third.

With the race closing in on the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Hampshire started to inch back onto the rear wheel of Jett Lawrence and searched for a way around. Hampshire would once again lose the front end of his motorcycle and find himself on the ground while contending for the race lead. Hunter Lawrence took full advantage of Hampshire’s mistake to move into second, while Hampshire remounted in third.

As Jett Lawrence continued to control the race out front, Hunter Lawrence and Hampshire started to gain momentum and slowly reduce the gap to the race leader. With three laps to go, Hampshire muscled his way around Hunter Lawrence for second and began to set his sights on the race leader Jett Lawrence but Jett held on to take the checkered flag for his third moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds over Hampshire. Hunter Lawrence finished third, just ahead of Cooper who recovered for fourth.

250 Moto 2

The final 250 Class moto of the afternoon saw Cooper capture his second Motosport.com Holeshot of the day, just ahead of his teammate Martin and first moto runner-up finisher Hampshire. The Lawrence brothers found themselves mired deep in the pack as Hunter was scored 11th and Jett 18th at the completion of the opening lap.

As the lead trio went to work with a clear track out front, Jett Lawrence put his head down in an attempt to do damage control, however, a costly mistake would see him make contact with another rider and go down, losing valuable time as he remounted outside the top-30.

Out front, Hampshire began to find his momentum as he moved Cooper to within striking distance for the race lead, using every inch of the track to find a way past. At the 15-minute mark, Hampshire would get a drive and out drag race Cooper to become the new race leader.

Just as Hampshire looked to have the race under control he would yet again find himself picking himself up off the ground as he surrendered the lead to Cooper in the late stages of the moto. Cooper emerged with his second moto win of the season by 12.9 seconds over Hampshire. Martin finished third in an impressive return from injury, followed by Hunter Lawrence in fourth. An inspiring ride by Jett Lawrence netted him sixth.

By virtue of 2-2 finishes Hampshire prevailed for his first win of the season and won the RedBud National for the second consecutive year. Cooper’s second moto win earned him second overall (4-1) as Jett Lawrence completed the podium in third (1-6), followed by his brother Hunter in fourth (3-4).

Jett Lawrence on the podium but saw his series lead trimmed by three points

RJ Hampshire

“This win just feels so good after everything I’ve gone through lately,” said Hampshire. “As you can hear, I’ve been super sick all week, so to be up here today is a bit emotional. I give it my all everytime I’m on the track, and it would have been great to get those moto wins today, but to win here at RedBud for the second year in a row is an amazing feeling. The speed has been really good lately and I’m looking forward to some of my favorite tracks coming up on the schedule.”

Jett Lawrence maintains his hold of the championship point lead by eight over Cooper who reduced the gap by three on the day. Hunter Lawrence remains third, 44-points out of the championship lead.

Jett Lawrence

“The bike setting in the first moto wasn’t good. I had RJ [Hampshire] charging, and if he got me, I didn’t really have any ammo to fight back. Between motos, my team did a great job making some adjustments that made the bike work better for me, but I just didn’t give myself a very good chance for winning or even getting myself into a good position. I came from 37th to sixth, so I think that’s pretty good. I definitely made a lot of passes, maybe the most passes of the day. I think if you look at the result it sucks because I lost three points, but you have to look at the positives; it was a strong ride, and I felt like there’s not many other people in this class that could do that.”

Hunter Lawrence

“My weekend wasn’t bad; it wasn’t great, but we’ll take it. We went 3-4 moto scores for fourth overall. I missed out on the box by two points. That second moto I was in a ‘do or die’ position to catch J-Mart [Jeremy Martin] and make that pass. I was pushing to make up a lot of ground on him, coming from a pretty bad start, so I was ‘damned if I did, damned if I didn’t’; I had to risk it and push. I ended up laying it down and got back up, managing to finish in a position where I was chasing down fourth. All in all, I’m really happy with how the team worked together to make changes on the bike for the second moto, which benefited us a lot. It maybe wasn’t a moto-score result, but as far as my feeling on the bike, and everything else, we left better than what we started in the first moto, so I’m happy with that. RedBud was awesome. That was my first proper Fourth of July RedBud experience, so it was pretty cool. I also checked something else off my bucket list; I really wanted to scream ‘RedBuuuuud’ into the microphone. I hadn’t been able to do that until today, so that was cool.”

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 | Manjimup 15000 | Evans to miss MXGP opener | ISDE is go

June 8, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Mitch Evans to miss 2021 MXGP opener

Team HRC’s Mitch Evans will have to sit-out the opening round of the 2021 MXGP season after complications with his wrist injury has deemed him unfit to race in Russia this weekend.

It is a big shame for Evans, who has shown that when he fully fit, he can battle with the top riders in the class, posting numerous top five finishes in what was his rookie MXGP campaign in 2020. Now though, his focus is to try and get 100 per cent healthy so that he can get back to that level and challenge for the podium spots when he returns to racing action.

Mitch Evans

“Obviously, I am really disappointed to have to miss Russia and the start of this season. I have tried my hardest to be ready but we just aren’t in a position where I feel confident I can give it my best shot and perform at the level that I expect from myself. Everyone at Team HRC has shown their support during this difficult time and it is now up to me to make sure that I am back ready to compete in the shortest timeframe possible. A big thanks to my team and all my fans around the world, and hopefully I’ll be able to see you at a racetrack soon.”

Central Coast Cup this weekend at Somersby

The 2021 Honda / The Construction Team Central Coast Cup dirt track motorcycle meeting is on this weekend as a one-day event on Sunday June 13 at the Allen Park track at Somersby.

Central Coast Cup - Billy van Eerde and Kale Galeano - Photo by David Lamont — Central Coast Cup – Billy van Eerde and Kale Galeano – Photo by David Lamont

Since its inception in 2005 the Central Coast Cup meeting has established itself as one of the major non-championships meetings on the dirt track calendar but this year it falls in between an Australian Championship meeting and a New South Wales Championship meeting two weeks either side of it.

Even with entry numbers down on previous years Central Coast Junior Motor Cycle Club President David Smith Snr. said that the club is committed to staging the meeting for the competitors who have supported the event.

Looking down the honour roll of winners in both the senior and junior (13 to Under 16s) classes you quickly realise how significant the Central Coast Cup is.

The senior class has been won by previous, or future, Australian champions and even a future world champion. David Smith will be striving to become the first rider to win the Senior event for a fourth time, but he faces a stern task to do so.

Harrison Ryan will also be out to achieve an unusual double as he is aiming to become the third Junior Cup winner to go on to win the Senior Event. David Smith and his brother Peter are joined by another pair of brothers Angus and Rory Hutchison in the line-up.

Defending champion Jarred Brook - Image by David Lamont — Jarred Brook – Image by David Lamont

Boyd Hollis, who won the Casey Stoner Cup meeting late last year, and the fast-starting Luke Bush are two others expected to serious contenders. There will definitely be a new name on the Junior Cup honour roll, with two contenders standing out as favourites.

Kurri Kurri Junior Club rider Cameron Dunker and host club rider Cody Lewis loom as the stand-out contenders.

The younger age brackets will have to wait to be able to chase Central Coast Cup honours but their racing invariably provides plenty of close, hard-fought racing which augers well for the future of the sport.

Also on the programme to add to the variety will be races for older riders (Over 35s) and older bikes (pre1995). The 8-lap finals of both the Junior and Senior Cup will wrap up the program on Sunday afternoon after action gets underway at 10 am. Entry fee for spectators this weekend will be $10 per vehicle payable at the gate as a tax deductible donation to the St Johns First Aid.

The Allen Park track is situated at Debenham Road North, Somersby. For more information see – http://www.ccjuniormotorcycleclub.org.au.

95th ISDE to go ahead in Italy

With registration now finally closed, after the extension due to the pandemic situation, the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) in Italy now has a full list of entrants. This includes 29 nations and a total of more than 200 teams of which 160 will participate in the Club Team Award plus the entire Italian team of 150 riders.

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At the time of writing, the 2021 ISDE has received confirmation that it has been approved as a recognised international event by the Italian authorities, meaning that all participating riders and staff members are exempt from the normal quarantine requirements. Obviously all other COVID protocols and rules will still need to be respected, full details of which will be confirmed in due course.

National teams entered for both the World Trophy and the Junior Trophy include, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States The other federations that will compete solely for the World Trophy are Austria, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Venezuela. The Chilean and Norwegian federations will also be present with their respective Junior teams.

Eight national teams will contest the Women’s World Trophy: France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the meantime, the organisation proceeds according to the programme with the definition of the details of the route that will be developed for the first three days, mainly in the province of Pavia going up the Staffora Valley, and the following two days, the fourth and fifth plus a part of the third, in the adjacent Val Curone in the province of Alessandria.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati — 2019 ISDE – Image by Dario Agrati

The competition days will offer a single lap for each day with a diversified programme and route for day 1/2 and 3, plus 4/5. There will be six special stages on each race day, three cross tests and three enduro tests.

In the initial two days, the four scheduled time checks will be in Ponte Nizza (twice), in Casanova di Staffora and in Varzi, a total of 192 kilometres will be covered. There will be three time checks on the third day, in Varzi and Ponte Nizza (twice), about 195 kilometeres in total.

The fourth day will be spent in Piedmont with a tour of just under 200 kilometres used as it is also for the last stage: five time checks, in Monleale to and from the start, then Garbagna, Fabbrica Curone and San Sebastiano Curone.

The cross test on the sixth day, 4 September, has been moved as is well known, to the Tazio Nuvolari facility in Cervesina, which is about 20 kilometres from the paddock. A mixed dirt and 10% asphalt track in the internal area of the circuit will be created especially for the Six Days.

Jeffrey Herlings wins French Elite MX opener

The opening round of the French Championship at Ernée attracted a truly world-class entry as many GP teams and riders took the opportunity to complete their final preparations before the 2021 GP premiere.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were active in France over the weekend in national competitions for final ‘warm-up’ outings ahead of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship. Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle won their respective classes at Ernée for the first round of the French Elite series.

It was also the first racing opportunity for the Kawasaki Racing Team since their success at the Italian International Championship more than three months ago.

Herlings, steering his factory KTM 450 SX-F, took his second win in as many weekends (after success in the UK), with a 2-1 scorecard. The Dutchman barreled through from a mediocre start in the first moto but aced his launch in the second outing to beat Romain Febvre to the checkered flag.

Jeffery Herlings

“I was fastest in qualifying by a good margin! I had a bad start in the first moto but came from mid-pack to be on the rear wheel of the winner by the end. I pulled a holeshot in the second and could lead, control and win it. My feeling was alright on the track. The bike was working well but I had a bit of arm-pump. Overall, some good work done for Russia.”

Wheelspin at the gate cost Febvre a top-six start in the first race but he was soon on the charge and, setting the fastest laps of the race, was established in third by lap four and confirmed his speed over a full race distance by closing down the front two in the final minutes. An impressive second-placed start in race two saw the Kawasaki rider, who again set the fastest lap, pressure the leader to the finish as they outdistanced the chasers by no less than thirty-six seconds; his 3-2 moto placing’s secured third overall on the day.

Romain Febvre

“I’m happy with this weekend; we had good weather and a very nice track. That’s why we came here; we knew that the track would be very well prepared! In the first race I spun at the gate, came back sixth, then third, but was still making a few mistakes. However I had good speed racing together with Herlings and came back close to the leader. My second start was much better in second position behind Jeffrey and we were close all race with the gap always between one and two seconds; I was close but I never had the possibility to pass him even if there were many lines on the track. I’m ready for the GP season; I’m not afraid to say that I have never been so well-prepared. It was a long winter but we did a good job with the team; the bike is really good and mentally I feel confident. I showed again today that I have a good speed and a good rhythm.“

Vialle used the KTM 250 SX-F to defeat countryman Thibault Benistant in both motos. The MX2 World Champion claimed a comfortable second race by almost seventeen seconds. Also active in MX2 was Vialle’s teammate Rene Hofer. The Austrian made a lively getaway in the first moto before collecting 4th place by the finish. Hofer would occupy the same slot in the overall classification after a small crash meant 5th position in the second race.

Tom Vialle

“A nice day. The track was good to ride and my results were decent. I was 1st in practice and then passed Rene in the first moto. I had a bit of arm-pump but this is pretty normal as it was my first race in almost six months! In the second I had the holeshot and won with pretty good lap-times. Today was fun and went well. I’m ready for the first GP.”

Ivo Monticelli again showed the advances he has made since joining KRT and was fifth overall on the day.

Ivo Monticelli

“It was good to be back racing; it had been like another winter as it was more than three months since our three races at the start of the year in Italy. Today was almost a mini-GP so it was nice to see where we are and I had two good starts. The first moto I got really bad arm pump at the end after not racing for so long but the speed was already there. I could pass Seewer for third in the second race but I took a stone on the front brake and had to take care during the second half. Romain and Jeffrey are another level, but we could see that I can stay close to the top five; the work we did this winter is already paying off. You never know where you are until you get to race with the others; now I look forward to showing my speed with a good result in Russia next week.”

Mathys Boisrame also finished on the podium for the F&H Kawasaki Racing Team in the MX2 class, taking the chequered flag third in each moto after topping his qualification group during the morning.

Mathys Boisrame

“I had a good feeling on this nice track and I already had a good result in the timed practice period. The first race was not that easy. My start was not so good but I came back to second; then I made a mistake and crashed back to fourth but I finished third with good lap times and good lines. In the second moto I was nearly last at the start but I came back to third again so in the end it was a good result for me.”

French Elite Championship, Rnd1, Ernée
MX1 Overall Result

Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Jeremy Seewer (SWI), Yamaha
Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), Yamaha
Ivo Monticelli (ITA), Kawasaki

MX2 Overall Result

Tom Vialle (FRA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Thibault Benistant (FRA), Yamaha
Mathys Boisrame (FRA), Kawasaki
Rene Hofer (AUT), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Tom Guyon (FRA), KTM

Yearbury wins NZ Enduro Round 3 at Moonshine Valley

By Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

After two brutal and unforgiving, back-to-back days of racing, there was just one-second to separate the top two finishers at round three of the 2021 New Zealand Enduro Championships at the weekend.

Cambridge’s Dylan Yearbury (Husqvarna), on his way to cementing his position at the top of the standings at the weekend. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

The third round of five in the Yamaha-sponsored series was held in forestry in the Moonshine Valley, halfway between Porirua and Upper Hutt, over the Queen’s Birthday Weekend, the tricky terrain certainly putting riders to the test and ensuring the margins between success and failure were ever so small.

It was a gruelling double-header event, with riders racing two consecutive days in the Akatarawa Forest, albeit with Sunday’s racing in a few different sectors of the forest than had been raced on the previous day, and it was the cream of New Zealand’s dirt bike racing talent that rose to the top.

Best of the bunch were close friends and fierce rivals Dylan Yearbury and Tommy Buxton, with Oparau’s young enduro racing rookie James Scott, Whanganui’s 2019 national enduro champion Seth Reardon and Taupo’s national junior cross-country champion Wil Yeoman the most impressive.

Thames’ multi-time former New Zealand and international championship winner Chris Birch, Palmerston North’s two-time former United States cross-country champion Paul Whibley, Wainuiomata’s eight-time former New Zealand trials champion Jake Whitaker and Wairoa’s 2021 national cross-country champion Tommy Watts also shone out at the weekend.

Helensville’s Buxton won Saturday’s phase of the action by 13 seconds from Cambridge rider Yearbury.

Yearbury responded by going on the attack on Sunday, the Waikato man wiping out the time deficit and reasserting himself at the top of the standings.

Yearbury won day two by 14 seconds from Buxton and he therefore took the weekend’s overall honours by a solitary second.

Dylan Yearbury

“Well, the weekend went not too bad in the end. I finished 13 seconds behind Tommy on Saturday, but I caught up that time and won Sunday by 14 seconds, so that gave me the overall win. It was extremely close… two days of racing and just one second between us in the end. That’s pretty incredible really. I had a small crash on Saturday and then had an incident when I stalled the bike on Sunday… and it is little mistakes like those that can spell the difference in the end. The course at Moonshine was pretty fast in a lot of places and not too technical, but I was okay with that. With just two rounds to go, I need to minimise my mistakes. A slip-up now could be costly.”

The 19-year-old Scott finished the weekend third overall, 53 seconds behind Buxton, the recently-crowned national motocross championships No.2 (in the 250cc class) showing great versatility to take a 450cc enduro bike and seamlessly transfer his skills from one bike code to the other.

Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson said the course at Moonshine was certainly tough, but he was also pleased to report that there were no injuries all weekend.

Justin Stevenson

“That’s a credit to the host club. The course featured a few very steep down-hills, but the club did a wonderful job of marking it well to ensure the safety of riders.”

It could be a winner-takes-all final two days of racing, at separate venues in the Wairarapa Region, next weekend. Round four is set for farmland near Masterton on Saturday, June 12, with the fifth and final round due to be fought near Martinborough the following day.

The 2021 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championships are supported by Mitas tyres Macaulay Metals, Best Build Construction, Silver-bullet and Kiwi Rider magazine.

Daniel Sanders set for Rally Kazakhstan with GasGas

Daniel Sanders is the newest member of the GasGas Rally team and will be competing the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship this year, with Rally Kazakhstan.

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Held in the west of the country, and based in the coastal city of Aktau, Rally Kazakhstan will cover a total distance of 2,270 km, of which 1,465 km will be timed special stage with competitors racing through the mixed terrain of the Mangystau region.

June 8 will see the traditional ceremonial start, held on the Caspian Sea shore of Aktau City, that will then be followed by five tough days of racing, including one marathon stage, before the finish on June 13. Both Sunderland and Walkner will be looking to get their world championship campaigns off to a positive start with strong performances in the Kazakhstan dirt.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner are ready to compete at the first round of the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – Rally Kazakhstan – taking place from June 7-13.

Sam Sunderland

“I am feeling good at the moment. We’ve been doing some really constructive testing with the team in Spain, and it’s been great to get the feel of things back after Dakar. We’ve made some changes to the bike’s settings, mostly with the suspension so it’s good to make some really positive steps there. I’m looking forward to seeing how they work out in a full race situation. The goal for me for this year is to keep the number one on my bike, which I won in 2019. Obviously, with no championship last year I’m still carrying the #1 plate. Hopefully, a strong start to the series in Kazakhstan will lead to another good year.”

Matthias Walkner

“I’m super excited to start the world championship season, it feels great to be back on the rally bike again. The first round is looking really interesting because hardly any of the leading riders have been to Kazakhstan and so the race should be a good test for all of us. I’m really looking forward to racing in a new country and experiencing some different landscapes. My preparation in the off-season has been going well. I’ve really tried to focus on my bike skills – getting back out on the motocross bike and working on my speed. Testing in Spain has gone well, we made some good changes and I’m really happy with how I feel on the bike. The plan now is to do my best at round one of the championship and keep working hard for the rest of the year.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes are also set for the rally. For Benavides, the race marks the first competitive outing since his injury at the Dakar in January, while for Howes, it will be his first FIM event since signing for the team earlier this year.

Luciano Benavides

“Thankfully I’m feeling really good right now. It’s been three months since I had surgery on my shoulder after Dakar, and so I feel like new again. A lot of the time since then I have been training hard to get back to 100 percent, and more recently I have been in Spain with the team, back on the rally bike and working on my navigation. I really want to come back to competition even more prepared than ever. For me, when I have a crash or an injury it often motivates me to come back even stronger and that is what I have been working on. The changes we have made to the bike seem to be good – I felt more comfortable straight away and that is important for my confidence going into round one of the world championship. My plan for the race is to get a strong finish, I will take it day by day and try not to make any mistakes. I’m really looking forward to starting racing again now!”

Skyler Howes

“Everything has been going really well since joining the team. It’s been a nice, smooth transition from privateer to factory rider and thankfully because of that I’ve had time to not only work on setting up the bike, but also on myself in terms of focus and fitness. I have done a couple of races already in the U.S. and they both went well with me finishing as runner-up twice. Since then, I have come to Spain to do more road book training and get better acquainted with the team. I’m really looking forward to racing my first FIM event for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, but the major goal is to get more time on the bike and try and build my confidence as the year goes on and we get close to Dakar 2022.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

News

Moto News | Whale wins Chicago Half-Mile | AMA Pro MX | TrialGP

June 1, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Dylan Ferrandis wins the Fox Raceway I Pro MX opener

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The opening 450 class moto of the 2021 championship saw newly crowned AMA Supercross Champion Cooper Webb emerge with the MotoSport.com Holeshot aboard his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine ahead of Ferrandis and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo.

These three quickly jockeyed for position, during which Cianciarulo clawed his way past both riders to go from third to first before the completion of the opening lap. He sprinted out to a multi-second lead over Webb, while Ferrandis and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen battled for third.

Cianciarulo continued to build on his advantage and soon enjoyed a lead approaching the double digits just 10 minutes into the moto as Webb and Ferrandis asserted themselves into second and third. With firm control of the race, Cianciarulo saw it all go away in an instant when he crashed on one of the track’s downhills.

He was able to remount, but lost multiple positions and reentered in fourth. That handed the lead to Webb, but not for long as Ferrandis seized the opportunity and took control of the top spot in his first 450 Class moto. Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton assumed third, just ahead of Cianciarulo.

Ferrandis edged out to a lead of just over three seconds past the halfway point of the moto, as Webb fell into the clutches of Sexton. The Honda rider, and defending race winner at Fox Raceway, made the pass for second and looked to close in on the Frenchman out front.

As the moto wound down all eyes turned to GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia, who was on a tear and charged up the running order. Barcia picked off Roczen, Aaron Plessinger, Cianciarulo, and Webb en route to podium position in third.

The run to the checkered flag was a thrilling one as Sexton’s persistence brought him to within striking distance of Ferrandis on the last lap. As they exited the final corner Sexton’s outside line gave him an edge in momentum that allowed him to get alongside Ferrandis off the final jump.

They crossed the finish line side by side, with the edge to Ferrandis, who secured the moto win on his first attempt in the premier class, just .099 ahead of Sexton. Barcia finished an impressive third, while Plessinger and Webb completed the top five.

The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off with a Yamaha at the head of the pack as Plessinger earned the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by Roczen, Webb, and Cianciarulo. Known as one of the best starters in the sport, Roczen went on the offense and made the pass for the lead on Plessinger, as Cianciarulo moved up to third.

Behind the leaders Ferrandis started from a spot deep in the top 10, while Sexton found himself on the ground in the first turn and started last in the 40-rider field.

Roczen sprinted out to an early multi-second advantage, his first laps led in Pro Motocross since 2019, while Plessinger gave chase. Cianciarulo lost ground to the lead duo but settled solidly into third, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne, the defending 450 Class Champion, gave chase from fourth.

As the moto wore on the battle for the overall win turned compelling as Roczen, Plessinger, and Ferrandis sat in a three-way tie early on. With the lead pair well over 10 seconds ahead of the field, the focus shifted to Ferrandis’ ability to continue to move forward, which he did in pursuit of another impressive ride by Barcia. Both riders passed Osborne and Cianciarulo, which moved Barcia into third and Ferrandis into fourth.

Just past the halfway point of the moto Plessinger started to put the pressure on Roczen for the lead. The German successfully withstood Plessinger’s move and forced the Yamaha rider into a mistake, which put some distance between the top two.

Behind them, Ferrandis was able to get a firmer grasp on his lead in the overall classification with a pass on Barcia that moved the Frenchman into third. Roczen was able to build on his advantage as the moto wore on and carried on to capture his first moto win since the Unadilla National in August of 2019 by 11.8 seconds over Plessinger, with Ferrandis in third.

With his 1-3 moto finishes Ferrandis, last season’s 250 Class Champion, became the first rider since Ryan Villopoto in 2009 to win in his full time 450 Class debut in Pro Motocross. The Frenchman also gave Yamaha its first premier class win since the final round of the 2018 season.

Dylan Ferrandis topped the overall podium from Roczen and Plessinger

In his anticipated return to the championship, Roczen earned the second-moto tiebreaker to finish in the runner-up spot (6-1), while Plessinger captured his first podium result in third (4-2).

Dylan Ferrandis – P1

“It was a way different Pala race than last year, but it was a really good day for me. I didn’t wake up this morning thinking that I would win the overall. It’s an amazing result as a rookie in the 450 class to win the first moto and the overall. I’m also really happy to get that first 450 win for the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team. I’m really hard on these guys, and I make them work many hours during the race and the whole week, so this one is really for them. The hard work has definitely paid off. I want to say a big thanks to all of the people around me. It’s an amazing feeling and a day that I will remember.”

Ken Roczen – P2

“I think everybody probably struggled a little bit in practice, it was really deep and wet and we really only were using three feet of the track. It was a little tough, but we got it back together for the second practice and put ourselves in a good position for the first gate pick. I had a decent start on the first one, but I tangled a little bit with a few riders in the front and was in a good position in the beginning to make some moves so that’s what I did. Riding a track like that I wasn’t too comfortable and haven’t raced MX in a while so I rode tight and wasn’t going anywhere either. But very late in the race I could put a move on Adam in the last corner and started going forward just a little bit. In the second moto I grabbed a great start and we just laid it down, with some great lines. The track is really gnarly, so I just rode as hard as I could as long as I could and not make any mistakes. The two lap board came out and I was surprised but I brought it home.”

Aaron Plessinger – P3

“It was a great day for me overall. I felt good coming into this weekend and felt like I could do some damage, and I did. I think my last outdoor moto was at the Ironman back in 2019, so to come out here and finish third after a tough two years, it’s pretty amazing. I want to thank the whole team. They do an amazing job. I love my bike right now, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m just going to come into Colorado with the same outlook and try to do It again!”

Justin Barcia – P4

“The track was really gnarly today but my bike was working awesome. I got through practice and went into the first moto open minded and that was a really good ride for me. All-in-all, fourth overall is a super good spot to be in going into the season. It’s a long, grueling season and I definitely need to be on the podium a lot, win races and just stay consistent. I am definitely looking forward to next weekend.”

Chase Sexton – P5

“Round 1 at Pala for me didn’t start off the greatest. I had a rough time in practice, just finding a flow with the track and the bike. I turned it around in the first moto when I got a pretty good start. I kind of went backwards a little bit and then found my groove and charged forward. I made a good push towards the end and got close to Dylan [Ferrandis] but couldn’t quite make it happen. In the second moto I went down on the start and from there it was an uphill battle, just trying to do as much damage control as possible. I got back to 10th and am looking forward to Thunder Valley.”

Jason Anderson – P6

“It was not terrible day but we definitely need to keep building. In the first moto, I had a good start and tipped over while running fifth but I was able to make it back to 10th. In the second moto, I charged up the whole moto and was able to end up fourth, which was a good ride for me.”

Marvin Musquin – P7

“I knew competition would be very tough and a good start would be key. I was happy with my practice, qualifying second, and felt good going into the motos. In both of my motos, my first lap was no good and I was not aggressive enough and making huge mistakes. After that, I had to fight back but it was very difficult to make passes on this track. I was battling with Tomac in both motos, so that tells you the level of competition in the top-10. I’m not super happy with the result on paper. I did a couple good things but overall, I can do better, so let’s do it again next weekend.”

Cooper Webb – P8

“A tough day at the office with eighth overall to start the season at Pala. It felt good to line back up outdoors and I’m looking forward to having fans back at the races this summer. We’ll build on this and come back swinging for the next 22 motos.”

Eli Tomac – P9

“Overall, it was an alright day. It wasn’t my best result, but we managed to put together two consistent motos and deal with the difficult track. I’m looking forward to Thunder Valley next week, especially since it’s my home track. We’ll take the week to get everything dialed and plan to be back on the top step where we belong.”

Zach Osborne – P10

“My day definitely could have been better but I’m still healthy and looking to get more. The first moto was a little disappointing and not what we were looking for but I turned it around and I’m happy to leave in a better spot than I was when I got here. This is the first time I’ve done two motos in a day since I started riding again so we didn’t have any expectations and to get a top-five in the second moto was a step in the right direction.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P11

“Even though the result wasn’t what we hoped for today, there were a lot of things we can build on for the season. I’m staying positive and I’m glad we can shake off those first-round jitters. We can now focus on getting back up on that podium where we belong. We know what we need to work on, and I can’t wait to get back out there next week.”

Christian Craig – P12

“It was a decent day at Pala for the first round. I struggled with the bike set up in the first moto, but I was able to rebound with a solid second moto. I expect a lot more out of myself, so I’m just going to keep pushing!”

Ferrandis has established a five-point lead in the 450 Class standings over both Roczen and Plessinger, who sit tied for second.

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continue next weekend with its second round of the 2021 season.

450 Pro MX Results

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto Wrap | GNCC | Speedway | MX | SGP | Rally

May 24, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Texas Half-Mile cancelled due to weather

Due to the continued and anticipated rainfall at Texas Motor Speedway, the 2021 Texas Half-Mile has been cancelled. Despite the dedicated efforts of the Progressive AFT track prep crew, the heavy rainfall expected to continue throughout the evening will prevent the event from continuing on Sunday.

Fans who have purchased tickets may receive a credit to be used for any race promoted by AFT Events within the 2021 calendar year – including the June 18-19 OKC Mile doubleheader – or a refund for the cancelled event. Customers who have purchased advance tickets will be contacted directly by AFT Events with further information.

Progressive AFT will continue its season next season with the Chicago Half-Mile in Joliet, Ill. on Saturday, May 29 at Dirt Oval Route 66.

2021 Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland cancelled

Due to the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 in Poland, the 2021 Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland, scheduled to take place on August 7, 2021 at the PGE Narodowy stadium has been cancelled.

Michał Sikora – President of the Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Association

“We are very sorry to have to cancel the event and assessed all possibilities before coming to this tough decision. Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic with the restrictions on fans being able to watch safely has made this impossible. I would like to reassure fans that all tickets for the Warsaw SGP will remain valid or refunds will be issued and we ask for patience and understanding going forward.”

FIM Speedway World Championship Boll Warsaw Poland — SGP of Poland cancelled for 2021

Paul Bellamy – Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG

“We’re sad to not be returning to Warsaw in 2021 and know the event will be missed by riders and fans this year. We fully support the PZM in their decision. The ongoing uncertainty around social distancing, venue capacity and other pandemic-related restrictions posed multiple challenges to staging an event of this scale and installing a temporary track in a multi-purpose stadium.”

The FIM Speedway Grand Prix series is set to return on July 16 and 17 as the 2021 season kicks off in Prague with a double-header at the Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix, taking place at Marketa Stadium.

Jeffrey Herlings wins British MX Round 2 at Lyng

Jeffrey Herlings scored a 2-1 result to finish as the overall winner at Lyng for the second round of the 2021 ACU British Championship, marking his first race appearance of the year.

The 26-year-old elected to travel to the UK to compete in the second date of the national series in the absence of other pre-season events and with the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship delayed twice. Herlings last rolled into a start gate at the Grand Prix of Citta di Faenza, September 2020.

The Dutchman used his factory KTM 450 SX-F to head Timed Qualification by over a second around the shallow hillside course. In the first moto he ran out of time to chase down the figure of native racer Ben Watson after having to stop briefly to dislodge a stone from the rear end of the bike.

He collected a solid runner-up finish. In the second outing he hounded his MXGP peer and made the move to lead the field. Less than a second split Herlings and Watson at the flag and thanks to his victory he reached the highest step of the podium even though they tied on points.

Jeffrey Herlings

“It was a good day of racing. I had a bit of a problem in the first moto and lost around ten seconds while I sorted out the stone. I came back through the pack but the track wasn’t easy for passing and I finished on the leader’s rear wheel. In the second moto I had to come back from 6-7th at the start, although I could reach 1st place this time. I had a few issues with arm-pump but I guess that’s normal after eight months away from a race! We’ll keep working from here and hope to get a bit better each week until we go to Russia.”

The Grand Prix of Russia opens 2021 MXGP in three weeks.

ACU British Motocross Championship MX1 overall result, Round 2, Lyng

Pos	Rider	Man.	Points
1	Jeffrey Herlings	KTM	47
2	Ben Watson	Yamaha	47
3	Tommy Searle	Honda	36
4	Adam Sterry	KTM	33
5	Jake Millward	KTM	33

2021 Southwick National moves to July 10

Following newly lifted COVID-19 restrictions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the annual visit to New England which was originally scheduled for June 26, will now commence on July 10 as the fifth round of the 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.

AMA MX Rnd Southwick Starts JK MX Southwick — 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Southwick

The decision to move Southwick to a later date is in an effort to better accommodate event organizers at The Wick 338. Due to previous concerns in the ongoing communication with state and local health officials in Hampden County to host large public gatherings, preparations for this year’s event were briefly halted.

However, following the latest announcement from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to lift the state’s remaining restrictions, the staff at The Wick 338 has resumed its efforts to welcome the anticipated return of American motocross, following the event’s cancellation last season.

Roy Janson – Managing Director at MX Sports Pro Racing

“We want to commend Rick Johnson, Keith Johnson, and the team at The Wick 338 for their resiliency over the past year. They have faced quite a difficult task navigating the state’s mitigation strategies, but have remained steadfast in doing everything possible to successfully host the Southwick National for the 2021 season. Fortunately, their patience has allowed them to reach this celebratory juncture in which fans will be openly welcomed to watch the world’s fastest racers tackle the hallowed sands of Southwick, albeit at a slightly later date than originally planned.”

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will begin on Saturday, May 29, with the Fox Raceway I National in Southern California. With its new date on the calendar, the Southwick National will move from Round 4 of the season to Round 5, following the RedBud National over the Independence Day holiday.

Sherco boasts extensive Hattah line-up for 2021

The Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team has assembled a potent blend of youth and experience for the 2021 running of the prestigious Hattah Desert Race in Victoria from July 2-4.

The traditional follow-up to the Finke Desert Race will see off-road legend Ben Grabham, former motocrosser turned enduro rider Justin Carafa and Tasmanian hotshot Jonte Reynders all competing for the distributor-backed team in the event near Mildura, while Nathan Trigg will also hit the energy-sapping scrub and sand on a Sherco.

Grabham, 39, is already a multiple outright winner of the Hattah, and this year he’ll compete in the Veterans class on a 450 SEF Factory, while Reynders will campaign the 300 SE Factory two-stroke that has already taken him to a slew of top three results in the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) over the last two years.

Carafa will make it three different French-built Shercos under the Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team banner on the company’s big bertha – a 500 SEF Factory.

Grabham, or ‘Grabbo’ to the motorcycle racing set, is a part-time racer these days as he devotes most of his energies towards a coaching business specialising in one-on-one riding tuition.

Racing will always remain a part of his DNA, though, and he recently competed in round two of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship for the Motul Pirelli Sherco Racing Team, finishing in a strong fourth position.

However, the Hattah will see him return to his bread-and-butter – pushing to the limits in vast open spaces. It’s a storied career which has taken him all the way to a top 15 finish in the famed Dakar Rally.

Ben Grabham

“I’m on bikes quite a lot these days with my coaching business (Grabbo’s Trail and Track) and I’m over a niggling arm injury so why not give the Hattah another go. I’ve really loved riding the Sherco two-stroke in the extreme enduro events, so now I’m jumping on the big four-stroke to give that a go.”

Reynders, 24, is really hitting his straps in 2021 after a second place finish in the AORC opener and then dominating round three of the Tasmanian enduro series.

He’s back at Hattah for the second time and failing to finish the rain-lashed event in 2019 because of a mechanical problem on the final lap – a bitter pill to swallow after leading his class by as much as five minutes. His chance for redemption in 2020 was then scuppered by a Covid-enforced cancellation.

Jonte Reynders

“I am super keen to get to Hattah this year and hopefully do a full four-hour race in the usual conditions. I’m looking forward to the long race and seeing what we can achieve on the 300 two-stroke. I think the 300 will be great in the tighter sections of the track but won’t obviously have the top-end speed on the straights. I’m aiming to win the 300 class and finish top 20 outright.”

Carafa returns to the Sherco factory operation after competing for the brand during the tail end of the last decade, which included an eyebrow-raising victory on the 125 SE-R enduro bike in a support class at the Australian Motocross Championship!

Justin Carafa

“I’ve raced at Hattah 10 times and, even though I keep telling myself I won’t do it again, I keep changing my mind!” said Carafa, who runs a thriving concreting business on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. When (team manager) Derek offered me a ride on the 500, I coldn’t resist and it’s also a good chance to push hard in the outright battle on the big four-stroke. I’d like to think I’m easy to work alongside as well, so I’m hoping that it’ll be a great event for us.”

Meanwhile, Trigg (450 SEF Factory) knows the Hattah landscape like the back of his hand, with the farmer living just down the road from the race epicentre at Ouyen.

The 27-year-old was fourth in the over 450cc four-stroke class in 2019, and seventh overall, and he’ll be riding the Mallee Motorcycles-backed 450 SE Factory that he’s using in the Finke Desert Race on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

The 2021 Hattah Desert Race begins with scrutineering and sign-on in Red Cliffs – 25km north of Hattah – on Friday, July 2, followed by the prologue on Saturday to determine the starting order for Sunday’s competition. For the senior riders, racing will encompass eight laps of a 37km circuit, while juniors will also be in action.

2021 Australian Classic Motocross entries open

Nowra Motoplex will soon come alive in July when hundreds of competitors descend on the venue for the 2021 Australian National Post Classic Motocross and Classic Motocross. The Australian Classic Motocross Championship will be held on July 9-11, and the Australian Post Classic Championship will be held July 16-18.

The Heaven VMX Club Inc will host the Championships which will see the best senior solo and sidecar classes in Australia compete at Nowra Motoplex, Braidwood Rd, Yerriyong, NSW.

With more than 20 classes of competition in the Classic Motocross Championship and more than 30 classes in the Post Classic Championship, the action is expected to deliver sensational racing over both weekends.

Both weekends kick off with practice on the Friday, before on-track action gets under way Saturday from 8.15am with racing kicking off at 9.30am. Sunday race action kicks off from 8.30am.

The 2021 Australian National Post Classic Motocross and Classic Motocross Championship supplementary regulations and entry forms are available here.

Tim Gajser shows off his new track – Tiga243land

Join reigning MXGP world champion Tim Gajser as he shows you around his new track, Tiga243land. The Team HRC rider competed here as a 65cc kid but decided to buy this facility this year in order to step-up his training regime, as he attempts to win his fifth world motocross title.

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You can also check out a full lap of the track below:

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May madness for GYTR YJR

The month of May has been a hectic one for the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team riders with nearly every state in action over the past few weekends. Races spread from Perth in the west, Tasmania in the south and Queensland in the north and with GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing making their presence felt.

Tasmania

The month kicked off with the Penguin circuit hosting round two of the Tasmanian Motocross Championships and the duo of Angus Pearce and Jay Jennings looking to build on their round one results.

Angus led the way with his round win in the 13-16 years 125/250cc class with 3-1-1- results on the day. Angus had just returned from injury as he battled his way back into form but he managed to take the win on the day and increase his lead in the championship to 13 points.

Jay Jennings did battle in two divisions, the 10-12 years 65cc and the 9-11 years 85cc and proved to be ultra-consistent in both classes. He finished with second place in both and racked up six second place results to keep him well placed in championship as the series progresses. He leads both classes with a 16 point lead in the 65cc and a 21 point lead on the 85 proving his consistency is paying off.

Western Australia

Round two of the WA Junior Motocross Championships hit Hendley Park on the same weekend with both Jake Rumens and Deegan Fort ready to do battle across four classes in a busy weekend for the team. Rumens on board his YZ85 and YZ125, while Fort handles the 65 and 85cc duties.

Rumens finished the day with a win on board his YZ85 taking 1-3-1 results and close in on the series leader. He backed that up with a third place finish in the 125 class in what was a strong day for the young gun.

Deegan Fort also wanted his slice of the podium action and did that by securing a second place finish on his YZ65 in the 10 – 12 years group and a third place in the 9-11 years 85cc making it a big weekend for the team with a podium result in all classes contested.

After two rounds of the championship, Rumens sits second and fifth on his 85 and 125 respectively, while Fort holds down second place on both his 65 and 85.

New South Wales

The Maitland round of the East Coast MX series in New South Wales got under way in May and despite the event having wet weather issues in recent times, conditions were good for round two of the popular series and the event was well attended with a big rider turnout over the weekend.

Flying the YJR flag at the event were the Kingsford brothers, with both Ryder and Kayd in action. Ryder was doubling classing it, contesting the 13-15 years 125 and 13-15 years 250cc while Kayd held things down in the 12-15 years 85cc division.

Ryder claimed the win in the 250 class with 3-1-2 results. A fall in races one and three cost him the perfect score in the class but he was able to quicky rebound in each race to salvage good results and take the round win on the day.

He also secured third place on his YZ125, making it another trip to the podium for the day. He finished with 3-2-3 results and wasn’t happy with how he rode this bike on the day and is determined to get things back on track next outing.

For younger brother Kayd, he took the win on his 85 with two race wins and a second place in a good days racing. Kayd has battled injury in recent times but is now starting to build some continuity into his riding and the results are starting to show.

Queensland

It was round four of the Sunshine State Motocross Series at the Warwick circuit recently and that track proved to be one of the more challenging in recent times. Lead up rain left it wet and thick all the way through but with a fine and sunny weekend, the track become rutty, technical and sorted out the men from the boys.

Kobe Drew continues his outstanding form in 2021 with another two class victory at Warwick. He won all three motos on his YZ125 in the 13-15 years 125cc class after having to charge his way through the pack in each moto.

On the 250, he almost made it the perfect weekend for the second round running but come up just short finishing with 2-1-1 results but still enough to claim the round win. The success in both classes saw Drew extend his lead in the series and with one round remaining just needs to use his smarts to secure both series victories.

Jake Cannon showed he knew how to handle the ruts and bumps at Warwick as he dominated the 12-15 years 85cc class. Cannon won all three motos on his YZ85 with a comfortable gap over his rivals. He also proved consistent in the 125cc class, taking fourth place.

Cannon holds the lead in the 85cc class and second place on the 125, right behind teammate Drew.

Victoria

The Victorian junior Motocross championships continued Warrnambool over the weekend with round two taking place. As many as five of the YJR team riders converged for the event and again posted impressive results.

Jay Jennings and Angus Pearce from Tasmania as well as Jake Rumens from WA, joined the Victorian pair of Pat martin and Jobe Dunne at the event.

Jobe Dunne took a hard fought win in the 9-11 years 85cc class with 1-3-1 results to finish a handful of points clear of Tasmanian counterpart Jay Jennings in second with his 3-2-2 finishes. Jennings made it a double podium day when he took the victory in the 10-12 years 65cc class with 1-2-2 results.

In the bigger bikes, Angus Pearce charged home with a second place in the 13-15 years 125 cc class and racked up a third place finish on the 250 with another consistent and strong performance.

Pat Martin was just a hair behind Pearce in both divisions where he finished fourth on the 250cc machine with 6-5-4 moto scores and fourth again on the 125 taking 5-4-2 results. Jake Rumens chimed in with a fifth place result in the 12-15 years 85cc class and improved as the day went on.

Silk Way Rally 2021 route revealed

On May 19, the final route of the 11th Edition of the 2021 International Silk Way Rally was officially unveiled during a presentation in Moscow. With just over a month to go before this key event in the summer off-road calendar, preparations have entered their final phase.

It is from Omsk, Russia, a city situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Irtysh and the Om, that the Silk Way rally 2021 Start Ceremony will take place on July 1st, 2021.

At the end of the 10 days of this adventure through spectacular landscapes; forests, steppes, deserts, sandy tracks and wadi crossings, the caravan will reach UlaanBaatar, the capital of the country of the blue sky.

The finish and the podium ceremony of this 11th Edition will take place on July 11 in the Mongolian capital, on their National Day that marks the beginning of the famous Nadaam festivities.

The route of this Silk Way Rally 2021, which promises to be particularly demanding, will cover some 5,500 kilometres, including more than 3,500 kilometres of selective section. And while the first stages in Russia will serve essentially as a warm-up, with a total of 329 timed kilometres, the arrival on Mongolian soil will signal the start of hostilities with stages featuring between 340 and 540 kilometres of daily selective sections.

Another novelty of this new route is a radical shortening of liaisons (untimed sections). In 2021, the aggregate length of liaisons will make up only 37% of the total race distance which represents a record figure in the history of the transcontinental Silk Way Rally.

The rally schedule still includes the most demanding stage of the race – the marathon. On this stage participants will have to repair their cars and bikes on their own, with it being strictly forbidden for any other team members to approach the vehicles. The day of the marathon stage will be a kind of a day-off for the tech support teams – they will be based at another bivouac and stay off the race on that day.

Source: MCNews.com.au

News

Moto Wrap | Erzbergrodeo cancelled due to Covid | Rally | MXGP | NZ MX

May 10, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2021 latest victim of Covid

The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo has become the latest victim of the Covid pandemic and has been cancelled for 2021, leaving a disappointing hole in the WESS calendar as a result. The Extreme XL Lagares, marking round one had already been effected by Covid restrictions, with a reformated schedule and no points rewarded.

WESS Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble Rnd Start — Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble in 2019

Due to the complexities of organising an event of this magnitude under such tight Covid restrictions, it’s not possible to deliver a race to the same high standard of what has gone before.

Organisers had worked on several formats and scenarios to make the race happen, but new COVID-19 regulations and guidelines published by the Austrian federal government, left them no alternative but to cancel for 2021.

WESS GmbH thanked the event organisers for every effort made in trying to make Red Bull Erzbergrodeo a reality this year and look forward to bigger and better times at the Iron Giant in 2022.

As part of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo COVID-19 guarantee, all registered participants will be reimbursed their full entry fee without any deductions. The same applies to all visitors who have already purchased an entry ticket or a VIP ticket for the 2021 event. More information will be published shortly on redbullerzbergrodeo.com.

Plans are already in place for the 2022 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo to take place on June 16-19. The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round three, the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy on July 10-11.

Winfried Kerschhaggl – FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Series Manager

“Naturally it’s disappointing to see Red Bull Erzbergrodeo cancelled for another year, but having spoken closely with the organisers, it’s understandable. It goes without saying that this race is a favourite among riders and Hard Enduro fans, and will be truly missed for 2021. Nobody expected to see the Iron Giant lie quiet for two years. But all willing, we will be back in 2022. Looking ahead to the championship we have a lot of exciting racing still to take place, especially round three at the all-new Abestone Hard Enduro in July, which is quickly followed by the iconic Red Bull Romaniacs.”

Bolt wins Extreme XL Lagares 2021 but no championship points awarded

Billy Bolt has won the opening round of the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship over the weekend, outpacing Manuel Lettenbichler and Graham Jarvis to claim victory in an event disrupted by Covid.

A Covid hotspot in one of the areas the Extreme XL Lagares would travel through caused the cancellation of the initially planned Saturday prologue and Main Race, with an alternative schedule created. This was made possible due to the event’s paddock and Endurocross track being located within a closed military area, alongside rigorous Covid testing of all involved in the event.

Further complicating things was the decision, following heavy overnight rain, that championship points would not be awarded at round one, but that racing would continue regardless.

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When the XL Lagares kicked off, fast out of the gate for Final 1, Husqvarna rider Bolt charged his way to victory, which he convincingly backed up in race two with another winning ride. Aiming for a hat trick of wins, an early crash in Final 3 derailed the Brit’s ambitions. But with the overall win still for the taking, he powered his way back to second to earn the top step of the podium.

Billy Bolt – P1

“It’s been an eventful start to the season, but to get a win here in Portugal is still a good feeling. I felt ready for the original format of Extreme XL Lagares – I’d put in the ground work and wanted a good result. But after the news late on Thursday that the format was changing, I just wanted to make the best of the situation we were all in. Anytime you get on track you want to be the fastest and I managed that almost all weekend. I topped the Saturday qualification and got two wins from three starts today. Overall, I’m feeling good on the bike and looking forward to getting this championship started properly now.”

Billy Bolt claims victory at the 2021 Extreme XL Lagares

Behind Bolt, the battle for the remainder of the podium was tight. Despite a bad opening final and a subsequent eighth-place finish, Lettenbichler began to find his rhythm as the day progressed. Second in Final 2, he then delivered his best with victory in Final 3, finishing as overall runner-up to Bolt.

Manuel Lettenbichler – P2

“I’m super-stoked to take second place, especially in these conditions. It was still really tough out there, but I’m pleased we were able to get some racing out of the weekend. I think the organizers and the promotor made a good decision to scrap the points because this kind of racing is not what the championship is about – hard enduro is a different sport. Everyone did a good job to keep the ball rolling with all the restrictions and changes that had to take place and it was still a nice event, but super muddy. I’m pleased to have come away as runner-up. It was quite good fun, all-in-all it has been a good day.”

Despite an uneasy qualification on Saturday, it was Graham Jarvis who produced one of the surprise performances of the day despite initially not favouring the Endurocross format. Proving himself a model of consistency, a trio of fourth place results earned him third overall behind Bolt and Lettenbichler.

Graham Jarvis – P3

“I think I surprised myself and a few others with third overall today – not bad for an old guy! To be honest I wasn’t expecting too much with the change to Endurocross only but wanted to test my fitness during those long races. My winter prep seems to be good and I felt strong all day. I’d love to have got into the mountains here, but it is what it is – hats off to the organisers for making something happen.”

Jonny Walker made the call not to ride and risk injury in the conditions with no Championship to be gained, a tough decision but ultimately as a professional rider he needed to do what is right for his team when the main goal is to win the Championship.

Jonny Walker

“Its a shame the way the weekend has gone after all the work that has been put in but I can come away happy knowing that we are in a good position to win. It was a very difficult decision not to race but as I have had a slight knee injury over the last 4 weeks I just didn’t want to risk anything. I’d like to thank all my sponsors for help and support, we look forward the upcoming events.”

2021 Extreme XL Lagares Results – Top 10

Pos	Rider	Total	R1	R2	R3
1	BOLT William Joshua	57	20	20	17
2	LETTENBICHLER Manuel	45	8	17	20
3	JARVIS Graham Peter	39	13	13	13
4	YOUNG Wade	37	15	11	11
5	GOMEZ Alfredo	35	10	10	15
6	OLSZOWY Dominik	31	7	15	9
7	KABAKCHIEV Teodor	28	9	9	10
8	ROMAN Mario	26	11	8	7
9	BLAZUSIAK Tadeusz	17	17	–	–
10	GALLAS Kevin	15	–	7	8

Pablo Quintanilla named as new Monster Energy Honda Team rally rider

Chilean rider, two-time FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion and runner-up in the 2020 Dakar Rally, Pablo Quintanilla, has been named as a Monster Energy Honda Team rider for the 2021 season and 2022 Dakar Rally.

Pablo Quintanilla has joined forces with Monster Energy Honda Team with immediate effect. Quintanilla, 34, arrives with a fine track record in his Cross-Country Rallies racing career, which began with Honda back in 2013. He went on to claim numerous triumphs, the most outstanding of which include two FIM World Championship titles in 2016 and 2017, runner-up spot in the 2020 Dakar Rally and third place in 2016.

Pablo Quintanilla

“I am very happy and motivated to join the Monster Energy Honda Team. For me it is a great honour to be part of this tremendous team that has shown such great development and enormous professionalism over recent years. My intention is to be able to convey my knowledge and my experience to the team and I hope to get great results. I wish to thank everyone for the opportunity and I am sure that together we will do a great job.”

The Chilean rider will make his Monster Energy Honda Team debut astride the Honda CRF450 Rally for the Andalucía Rally, which will take place on Spanish terrain in the regions of Cádiz and Seville from May 11-15.

Ruben Faria – General Manager

“In recent years we have had a great team, with riders able to win races. They have shown it: Ricky won in 2020 and Kevin in 2021, but Nacho was a good leader and Joan was also in front. Benavides left the team after winning the Dakar and we were left with one rider less, so we had to look for a top rider to maintain the high level of Monster Energy Honda Team. This is what we have done, and that is why I am very pleased to have Pablo Quintanilla aboard. I’ve known Pablo since I was a rider and, as well as being a great person, I’m sure that he will be a very strong element who will reinforce the great atmosphere in the team.”

KTM’s Cairoli and Herlings talk MXGP 2021

The 2021 FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship is drawing near so Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herling – both competing on the KTM 450 SX-F – have answered six key questions as the clock ticks down to the Grand Prix of Russia on June 13th.

Tony Cairoli

One of the greatest riders of the modern era of the FIM Motocross World Championship enters his twelfth season with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team in 2021.

From thirteen years in the MXGP class, Tony Cairoli has only dropped out of the top three in a final championship standing on two occasions; 2015 (7th) and 2019 (10th), both primarily caused by injury. In ’21, armed again with the KTM 450 SX-F he will be chasing his tenth FIM title and will hopefully extend his total of 92 Grand Prix wins; the second highest amount in the history of the sport.

Tony, you had minor knee surgery at the end of 2020 and started riding at the end of February. How is your fitness?

Tony Cairoli: “The knee is OK, and I started training with the bike by taking it very easy. I was giving priority to physical work in the first part of the recovery – not so much on the bike – and also because there was some instability about the start date for the season. So, there was no need to rush. But, I’m OK, I’m feeling good.”

So, the big question for 2021: when will you decide if this is the last year of racing for you?

TC: “It’s a matter of results, of course, and how competitive I am: this is clearly my goal at the moment. I want to see if I can still improve but I know the level of performance is unlikely to go up. A lot depends on my condition and the knee. That’s why I don’t know where I am [with speed and feeling] because I still cannot really push because of this injury following me around. Last year was very difficult for me but I think if my knee can be in a bit better shape for 2021 then I should be able to fight for the championship. This is my goal and then the next season depends on how I feel.”

You were a mentor to Jorge Prado when he came to the team and now Mattia Guadagnini is the junior rider. How has it been working with him and knowing Italy now have a big prospect?

TC: “Of course Mattia has quite a bit of pressure at the moment. He has come from the European Championship directly into MX2 and with the potential to be a top-three guy, he has a lot of expectation. It won’t be easy for him. I have been in his shoes before, but it has been going well for him and he has been working a lot. I think the first races will tricky but once he gets the flow I think the results will come.”

You haven’t had much riding time yet but is there anything you wanted to fix or address on your KTM 450 SX-F for this season?

TC: “No, so far we have tested a few things but because I don’t have a lot of bike time we are not pushing 100% with technical parts. For me it is important to feel better with the knee and then test something when I am at a decent level.”

What about rivals for 2021?

TC: “I think we’ll see the same sort of names going for the championship as we did in the last couple of years but for race wins I think there is a bigger group and even new people like [Thomas Kjer] Olsen and [Ben] Watson are among them. I think it is time for Jorge [Prado] to show his skills in going for the title and then you have Tim [Gajser], Jeffrey [Herlings] and myself. [Jeremy] Seewer will be very competitive, [Glenn] Coldenhoff also. There are many guys that can go for the championship and even more for the single race win.”

Your skill at building a championship is unmatched for the last 15 years at least but do you feel like you still have the raw speed for multiple race victories?

TC: “I think it depends on the knee again. Last year I started the season and I wasn’t ready with my shoulder and when that was better the knee got worse! So, in 2020 I could not really ride like my best. If I’m in good shape I know I can still go for wins, even if the championship is my main goal and what I’m working towards.”

Jeffrey Herlings

A Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider since his Grand Prix debut in 2010, Jeffrey Herlings has been one of the team’s best and most emphatic racers with four FIM Motocross World Championships and 90 victories to his name; the third highest total in history.

After his near-perfect third season in MXGP with the KTM 450 SX-F in 2018 – in which he claimed 17 from 19 GPs and finished as runner-up in the other two – the Dutchman suffered two years of injury frustration. Now, at the age of 26, #84 is again looking to establish his superiority at the peak of MXGP.

Jeffrey, are you finally healthy? No more metalwork in the body or difficulties for fitness?

Jeffrey Herlings: “I don’t have any material left in my body anymore, luckily! My foot is definitely better than it was but it’s not fully healed or as good as my other one. It bothers me a little but not when I’m riding. I sometimes have pain afterwards, that’s all. Physically I am not super-conditioned but, at this time, I don’t want to be anyway because we are still not 100% sure when racing will start again due to the pandemic. Hopefully we are set for mid-June but it is mentally and physically tough to know when you might or might not start. Right now, I’m just riding three-to-four times a week and every day do one – or maybe a maximum of two – training sessions to stay in shape and keep the body weight under control. When we’re absolutely sure of the first race then we’ll go hardcore again.”

You have an insatiable appetite for victory but after the injury problems of 2019 and 2020 is part of your motivation just to reach the end of a season?

JC: “Obviously the last couple of years I didn’t succeed in completing most of the races, so that has to be a big goal for me. I have to be [present] everywhere and I don’t know if that means I’ll be close to the front each time, as has been proven in the past, but if I can try to be consistent every time I’m in the gate then I’ll hopefully be around the podium spots at the end of the year.”

The Dutch GP is supposed to take place in Oss, Holland. What’s your opinion?

JC: “Before we talk about that I think it’s a shame we’re not going to Valkenswaard anymore. It was a tradition on the calendar. I raced there since 2010, I won there nine times and was on the podium ten times, so it has a place in my heart. Oss is a nice track. It’s close to my house! It’s not a typical ‘Dutch’ track in that it’s not super-sandy but it’s a cool place and good for the fans with a nice overview for watching.”

Who will cause a surprise among your rivals for 2021?

JC: “I think it will be the same group of main riders, it’s just a different year. I think Jorge Prado has joined the party now but basically the same guys like Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre, Tony [Cairoli].”

You could get a bit closer to the all-time win record of 101 this year. Will that be another small objective?

JC: “Definitely. If I have a season like 2018 then I’ll pass it this time! That was a dream season. It’s certainly a goal to reach that 101. I’m on 90 now and I’m 26 years old so I think it’s realistic. I’ll have to go for it.”

You are the best sand rider in the world: is it possible to get even better in the terrain?

JC: “No matter how old you are, you keep on learning and you find little ways to improve – but – I don’t think I can get better in the sand. 26 is not old but also not young and I can’t see myself increasing my level. I’m either at my peak now or I passed it! In 2018 I was not at my best-level but I was super-good in the sand and pretty-much won everything. So, I don’t know if it’s possible to be better…but if I can stay at the same level then I’m already happy.”

Eli Tomac and Monster Energy Kawasaki to part ways

Monster Energy Kawasaki and Eli Tomac will part ways following the conclusion of the upcoming AMA Pro Motocross Championship, after six successful seasons together, mutually deciding not to pursue a contract extension.

Dan Fahie – Kawasaki Senior Manager, Racing

“We are extremely proud of the success that Eli and the Monster Energy Kawasaki team achieved over the last six years. We have built a great relationship with Eli and his family and we are proud that Kawasaki played a strong role in Tomac’s racing legacy.”

The Monster Energy Kawasaki team and Tomac have enjoyed plenty of success during their six-year campaign with the Colorado-born rider earning four AMA championships on the Kawasaki KX450. During his six years with the team Tomac lined up on the starting gate 165 times and earned 60 wins while only missing one scheduled main event. The 60 wins is the most by any rider during that time frame.

Monster Energy Kawasaki is primed to continue its AMA racing success in 2022 with a two-rider program that includes Adam Cianciarulo who propelled himself through the amateur ranks with Kawasaki Team Green.

Cianciarulo earned the 2019 250cc AMA Pro Motocross championship and finished second in the 2020 450cc AMA Pro Motocross standings as a rookie and will be aiming for the top of the podium this summer.

Toni Bou fibula surgery update

Repsol Honda Team Trial rider, Toni Bou, underwent surgery on Wednesday afternoon at the Barcelona’s Mi Tres Torres Clinic after suffering a fall during training.

The twenty-eight time Trial world champion, fell while training and needed an urgent operation in order to guarantee a short period of convalescence. The operation, undergone at the Mi Tres Torres Clinic, consisted of osteosynthesis with a fibula plate in the left leg, performed by Dr. Josep Torrent and Dr. Maurise Saur from iMove Traumatology under the supervision of team doctor Joaquim Terricabras who, after one hour of surgery, stated that the operation has been carried out with success and that the rider was now in the post-operative phase.

Toni Bou undergoes surgery following a training injury

The estimated period of convalescence ordered by the doctor should be around ten days. Toni Bou is expected to be back on the bike within three weeks to re-commence preparations for the Trial World Championship season opener. The TrialGP World Championship campaign gets underway on June 12 and 13 in Tolmezzo, Italy and Toni Bou is expected to be able to participate in this opening round at full fitness.

Fraser Higlett and Beta Australia team up for AORC 2021-2022

Beta Australia are teaming up with young gun enduro racer Fraser Higlett for the remainder of 2021 with a view to a full season in AORC competition in 2022.
Fraser will ride a Beta RR 430 Racing in the competitive E2 class.

Fraser Higlett

“I’m really excited to be on board with Beta, the bike is awesome and I’m really keen to get back out there and see what we can do. I’d like to thank everyone that has put this deal together for me and I’m looking forward to the remainder of the season.”

Patrick Lowry

“We always had in our plans to get more serious about a factory effort in Enduro and the AORC Championship for the 2022 season. When the opportunity came up to secure a rider of Fraser’s calibre we went ahead as it gives us a great chance to get some time under our belt before next season.”

The Teams first AORC appearance on the RR 430 RACING is planned for Rounds 3 & 4 to be held in Kyogle NSW on July 17-18.

Courtney Duncan dominant at King of Central MX event in New Zealand

Cromwell’s King of Central motocross event was a chance to witness Courtney Duncan at her best over the weekend, with a fight-from-the-back masterclass by the two-time Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) winner, in the second MX2 race.

There were definite comparisons to be drawn with her penultimate 2020 race in Italy, where she went down right off the start line, before riding the race of her life, carving through the WMX field to win.

Courtney Duncan – Image by Sophie Pennicott Photography Motocross

Heading out as the sole female in the pack of 25 MX2 riders, she made it through the first corner before a rider went down in front leaving her nowhere to go.

Her Kawasaki KX250 ploughed into the muddy Central Otago Motorcycle Club track and picking it back up, she displayed that never give up attitude, for which she has become renowned. Picking her way past the other competitors from dead last, Duncan thrilled all those watching from the track’s embankment.

Setting the race’s fastest lap, just under four-seconds quicker than any of her rivals, she had the race leader Dunedin’s Ezra Holmes firmly in her sights. They sailed over the final jump virtually neck and neck, with Holmes just edging ahead over the finish line to win by 1.03s

Having won the first MX2 race by just over five seconds, Duncan saved her best for last and tore around the rutted, sandy, technical circuit like a whirlwind, taking the chequered flag 38.1s ahead of Invercargill rider Jack Symon.

She wrapped up the MX2 class, 13 points ahead of Symon, with Trent Garland third overall. Duncan also clean-swept the three Ladies races, winning from Charlotte Clark and Indy Barrett.

In the MX1 class Sam Cuthbertson swept through with three race wins, winning from Matt Sutherland and Liam Dewhurst. The MX3 class saw Ryan Adlam dominate, winning from Jaydon Hunter and Curtis Martelli.

While Duncan goes up against the quickest girls in the world in Europe, there was nothing like trading lap times with the Kiwi boys to help her improve.

Courtney Duncan

“I had a good battle going on in the first MX2 race which was cool. Jack definitely kept me on my toes. He put me under pressure and that’s what I need to get better. The men are generally more competitive. A lot more aggressive. They don’t want to get beaten by a girl – that’s the last thing they want. They don’t make it easy on me and it forces me to ride harder. It’s been a while since I’ve been behind the gate, so it’s good to get the feet wet again.”

After competing in several North Island events, including the inaugural KawiGirls Kings and Queens Motocross event in December, the King of Central was Duncan’s first South Island hit out since competing at the Central Otago Motorcycle Club’s event last year.

After a minor injury break in January, she has been back training on her Kawasaki for a couple of months but there was ‘nothing like gate time,’ she says.

The first WMX round of five is scheduled for July 25 on the Czech Republic’s Loket circuit and Duncan plans to head back to England to rejoin her Kawasaki Dixon Racing team at the end of June. The season has been condensed from its usual March to September timeframe, to wrapping up in three months, with the final round on October 31 in Italy. As always, Duncan’s goal is to recapture the world championship – making it three from three.

Courtney Duncan

“That’s what we are working towards. At the same time it’s not too much on my mind. I want to nail my prep and make sure I’m in the best shape I can be leaving in June. I’m making sure I’m doing the work and ticking all the boxes. Giving it my all each day.”

Duncan has made bike time the priority and goes riding four days a week – changing up the tracks. On top of that she hits the gym and does her cardio and recovery sessions to ensure she’s got the speed, as she builds a strong fitness base.

2021 King of Central MX results

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 Australian Classic and Post Classic MX Championships Cancelled

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

Two New Zealand Oceania Speedway Sidecar rounds announced for 2022

Maciej Janowski tops Czech Speedway GP Round 1

Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 1

Artem Laguta claims Speedway GP Round 2 victory

Speedway GP Round 2 Results

Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 2

DuQuoin Mile Cancelled Due to Weather

2021 Capricorn XTreme – Grassroots Enduro Round 3

Wodonga ProMX Round 5 postpone due to Covid

2021 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship scheduled for July 15

2021 SGP finale in Torun becomes a double

Honda’s first MXGP champ meets its latest at Matterly Basin

Bolt claims 2021 Abestone Hard Enduro victory

2021 Pro Motocross Championship Round 4 – Twisted Tea RedBud National

450 Moto1

450 Moto 2

250 Moto 1

250 Moto 2

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

Capricorn X-Treme takes over as AHEC Round 3

Australian National Classic & Post Classic MX Championships postponed

Gillman to host ProMX Final in September

Silk Way Rally 2021 at a glance

Cairoli bounces back to MXGP of Great Britain win

MXGP

MXGP of Great Britain Overall Results

MXGP Standings

Todd Wilson eighth in British MXGP – Beaton 12th

MX2

MX2 of Great Britain Overall Results

MX2 Standings

Team Australia now taking MXoN applications

Zach Osborne out till 2022 for extended recovery

Jonte Reynders dominates Bakers Beach Tasmanian Enduro

Daniel Sanders and GasGas ready for Silk Way Rally 2021

Herlings on form at Arnhem International

Dylan Ferrandis tops High Point ProMX

450 Moto1

450 Moto 2

450 Results & Championship Standings

Yearbury wraps up 2021 New Zealand Enduro Championships

Bou & Fujinami share TrialGP opener victories

TrialGP Italy Results

Abestone Hard Enduro next stop for World Championship

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

Queensland to host 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track

Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II this weekend!

AMA 2021 ISDE Teams revealed

Mitch Evans to miss 2021 MXGP opener

Central Coast Cup this weekend at Somersby

95th ISDE to go ahead in Italy

Jeffrey Herlings wins French Elite MX opener

French Elite Championship, Rnd1, ErnéeMX1 Overall Result

MX2 Overall Result

Yearbury wins NZ Enduro Round 3 at Moonshine Valley

Daniel Sanders set for Rally Kazakhstan with GasGas

Dylan Ferrandis wins the Fox Raceway I Pro MX opener

450 Pro MX Results

Texas Half-Mile cancelled due to weather

2021 Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland cancelled

Jeffrey Herlings wins British MX Round 2 at Lyng

ACU British Motocross Championship MX1 overall result, Round 2, Lyng

2021 Southwick National moves to July 10

Sherco boasts extensive Hattah line-up for 2021

2021 Australian Classic Motocross entries open

Tim Gajser shows off his new track – Tiga243land

May madness for GYTR YJR

Tasmania

Western Australia

New South Wales

Queensland

Victoria

Silk Way Rally 2021 route revealed

Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2021 latest victim of Covid

Bolt wins Extreme XL Lagares 2021 but no championship points awarded

2021 Extreme XL Lagares Results – Top 10

Pablo Quintanilla named as new Monster Energy Honda Team rally rider

KTM’s Cairoli and Herlings talk MXGP 2021

2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 4 – Twisted Tea RedBud National

French Elite Championship, Rnd1, Ernée
MX1 Overall Result