In his first competitive outing since round two of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Glenn Coldenhoff lined up on home soil for the Dutch International onboard the new GasGas Factory Racing MC 450F machine. A strong start in race one enabled Coldenhoff to shadow race leader Romain Febvre for the duration of the moto, making a charge for the lead as the race neared its conclusion. The 29-year-old was able to pull to within one second of the race lead, ultimately ending the moto in a strong second place.
Glenn Coldenhoff
Moto two saw history made with Glenn Coldenhoff taking GasGas’ maiden international motocross race win. Charging to the moto two holeshot, a small mistake on the opening lap relegated Coldenhoff to second position before he formed part of a four-rider battle for the win. Able to take control of the race at the halfway stage and withstand pressure from many of his MXGP rivals, Glenn took the race victory and with it the overall win.
Glenn Coldenhoff MX1 winner
“It felt great to be back racing. I’ve worked really hard and put in a lot of time training and riding and it showed today. Ahead of this weekend I picked up a small foot injury and I was unable to ride for five days but it’s fully healed and I’m 100%. Qualifying was good, third place. My reaction on the start wasn’t great in race one and I had to push hard to move forwards. I was riding a little tense as I’ve not raced for such a long time so second place was a great way to return to racing. In race two I pulled a huge holeshot. I then made a little mistake and dropped back to second. I was able to regain the lead at the halfway point and then it was a charge to the end, we were all pushing so hard for the win and I’m really happy to have taken the race and overall win for myself and the team.”
Glenn Coldenhoff
Romain Febvre = points with Coldenhoff
“It was my first race for five and a half months so it was great just being behind a starting gate again! I was fastest in the timed practice period, got two good starts and had two good motos; it was even better than what I could expect for such a race as you inevitably feel tense when you didn’t race for a while. I had a good feeling all day long. The first moto was good as I led from start to finish. In the second race I was second behind Coldenhoff and passed him after a few laps; I was leading the race but the track was rough as usual in The Netherlands and I made several small mistakes. Glenn and Paulin passed me, but then I could overtake Gautier again to finish just behind Glenn. It was a good weekend; I’m very happy with everything – the bike, the team, my condition – and now we have one more race next weekend in Axel before the MXGP of Latvia.”
MX2
Jed Beaton made a strong start in race one, ending the opening lap in third place. Among a frantic group at the head of the field, Beaton’s FC 250 machine powered him into first position on lap four as he led many of his MX2 World Championship rivals. Slipping back to third place the Australian kept the lead riders in sight during the remaining laps of the race.
Race two in Arnhem was somewhat uneventful for Beaton. After working on his starts over recent months, he fired out of the gate and ended lap one in a strong fourth place. At the midway stage of the race the Australian was in sixth, shadowing his teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen who later tipped over on the final lap, gifting fifth position to Beaton. With his 3-5 moto finishes, Jed placed fourth overall.
Jed Beaton
“It was great to be back racing today and get some gate drops ahead of the GPs starting again. It’s been a long time since we’ve been racing so the nerves were back and it was good to get them out of the way before Latvia in two weeks. I rode a little tight in the first moto, which is to be expected after so much time off the bike. It was great to lead some laps during the middle part of that race. I’ve been working on my starts a lot lately and that showed today, two good starts and I tied for third overall with almost all of the MX World Championship riders so I’m really happy with where I’m at.”
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team has signed Broc Tickle for the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season to fill in for Aaron Plessinger who continues to focus on his return to full fitness after a training injury last week.
Plessinger dislocated his wrist while training for the upcoming Outdoor season earlier this month at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. The 2018 250MX Pro Motocross Champion underwent surgery to repair it and quickly began the rehab process, but unfortunately the time-line for recovery could take 12 weeks.
Tickle is eager to make his debut aboard the factory-prepped Yamaha YZ450F at the season opener at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch on August 15. The 2011 250SX West Champion brings a lot of experience to the effort and is ready to get rolling with his new team to get some top results in the Outdoor season.
After being delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross schedule is action packed with nine rounds starting with the season opener in mid-August in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee and finishes in Pala, California on October 10.
Jim Roach – Yamaha Racing Department Manager for YMUS
“Unfortunately, Aaron was injured last week just as we were ramping up for the start of the motocross season. We are excited to have someone with Broc’s experience on the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team and are looking forward to getting the Pro Motocross season started!”
Broc Tickle – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team
“I’m super excited about this opportunity and grateful to be a part of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team for the outdoor season that starts up here in a couple weeks. For myself, I’m just really looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity, and a good group of people around me. We’ll start off at Loretta’s and build from there.”
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Calendar
2020 Australian Motocross Championship update
Further to the recent announcement by Motorcycling Australia (MA) that the management and promotion of the 2020 Australian Motocross Championship will be brought in house and the intention of announcing a five to six round MX calendar this week, MA can provide a further update for teams, riders, its members and motocross fans across Australia.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, MA has constantly and closely monitored the heath crisis developments and has regularly been in consultation with the national sporting body – Sports Australia and government departments to receive the latest updates and advice. The recent COVID-19 outbreaks in Victoria and NSW over the past two weeks, and the increasing restrictions being imposed, have forced a re-evaluation of the original September to November time-line, although M.A. are still hopeful of a late September start if possible.
These circumstances have now resulted in a delay in announcing the 2020 Australian Motocross calendar as MA, its partners and its host clubs work tirelessly to ensure a multi round championship is possible for 2020.
All efforts are still focussed on an east coast based championship, but any final decision and announcements will depend on government COVID-19 rules and regulations at that time. MA remains committed to communicating regularly with the national MX community as updates become available.
Further announcements will be made in due course.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Motorcycling Australia Events Update
Motorcycling Australia (MA) is monitoring the current health crisis developments which is impacting the running of Australian National Championships across the country.
Due to the recent spike in cases in Victoria and NSW, the following events scheduled for late September to early October are currently under review. The final decision regarding these events will be announced on Monday 17th of August 2020. Should further information be available at an earlier date, this will be communicated.
KTM Australian Junior Motocross – 26 September-3 October – Rockhampton, QLD
GASGAS Australian Trial Championship – 26-27 September – Bangor, SA
Australian Junior Track Championship – 26-27 September – Gunnedah, NSW
Australian Classic and Post Classic Dirt Track – 3- 4 October – Temora, NSW
2020 Australian Senior Track Championship – Cancelled
In response to the ongoing developments and health concerns in relation to Covid-19 and Government imposed restrictions on travel and border closures, the Tamworth Motorcycle Club (TMCC) in consultation with Motorcycling Australia (MA) have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Australian Senior Track Championship schedule for 19th – 20th September at Qurindi Showgrounds in NSW.
With daily Government policies in relation to Covid-19 travel, border closures and restrictions the TMCC in consultations with MA have come to the conclusion that it now impossible for the event to continue.
Discussions are being held with MA for the TMCC to hold the 2021 Australian Senior Track Championship at Qurindi next year.
The decision to cancel any Australian Championship is not taken lightly by MA and we take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this required decision.
All riders who have entered the event will be contacted by TMCC Club President – Paul Slade in due course.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
e-FMX World Championship series
As the countdown gets closer to the upcoming e-FMX World Championship series with NIGHT of the JUMPs and the all new Mobile Game, TiMX : This is Motocross, 4 more names have joined the first season of competitive Freestyle Motocross gaming.
Taka Higashino (JPN)
Unfortunately, due to the continuing delays on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store, the most recent update for both platforms has continued to be mixed in with the slow approval process on each online store which all App Developers are currently experiencing.
At NIGHT of the JUMPs, the decision was made in the interest of a far greater experience for both the Professional Riders in this competition, and fans of our content, by delaying the start of the first season with just a short amount of time to allow Google and Apple to clear their backlog of App Updates in this difficult time. In the meantime, Aussie Adrenaline, the creators of TiMX have been working around the clock on more features for the game for subsequent updates.
NIGHT of the JUMPs are proud to announce the next 4 big name FMX riders who will compete in the opening e-FMX World Championship series including X Games Gold Medallist and one of the most stylish riders on the planet, Taka Higashino (JPN).
Having competed at NIGHT of the JUMPs in Tours, France (2015), Taka Higashino is Japan’s greatest FMX export when he became the first Japanese rider to compete in X Games, and has taken 3 Gold Medals in Freestyle MX discipline throughout his career. Taka is also known as the creator of the California Roll body varial, a trick which he will be able to land within the new Mobile Game.
Taka Higashino (JPN)
While Taka is a trick machine, one of America’s next generation Freeriders who looks for the craziest jumps he can find, Colby Raha (USA), will also join the series. Raha has also bagged a couple of X Games Gold Medals, in the discipline of Quarter Pipe Highest Air (2017) and the Real Moto video series in 2019. Raha is all about Freeriding and throwing the dirtiest whips over the gnarliest of jumps which he showed in effortless style at the first ever Freeride Competition, Red Bull Dirt Diggers in 2019.
Colby Raha (USA)
The Italian Warhorse, Massimo Bianconcini will also step up to compete in the first ever eSport series with NIGHT of the JUMPs. Throughout his stellar career at NIGHT of the JUMPs, Bianoconcini has set the Highest Air record of 11.5 metres in Torino, Italy in 2012 and also has taken 5 Highest Air Championship titles, and also the Silver and 2 Bronze Medals at X Games Step Up. Throughout Bianconcini’s career at NIGHT of the JUMPs, he has continually battled Jose Miralles in FMX and Highest Air. These two World Championship judges will now go head to head against each other in the first round of the e-FMX Championship for bragging rights in the Judges Box.
Massimo Bianconcini (ITA)
Australia has continually fostered all new FMX talent, and in 2020 it seems this will continue with the inclusion of the Aus-X Open FMX Best Trick Winner, Jayo Archer. After landing his first ever Double Flip in competition and taking the gold over Australia’s Double Flipping champion, Josh Sheehan, Jayo has turned his sights on another of Sheeny’s legacies, the Triple Backflip.
While Jayo is currently training to try land the Triple Flip from the Moon Booter, he will be putting his time into trying to pull as many virtual backflip rotations on each jump to take down Sheeny in the first round head-to-head battle in the new TiMX FMX tournament. If Jayo can land the Triple Flip from the Moon Booter, it could also signal a massive change to FMX for the future, as Josh Sheehan is the only man to land the trick from the mammoth one-off ramp at Travis Pastrana’s house in 2015.
Jayo Archer (AUS)
NIGHT of the JUMPs is proud to announce the Social Media Partnership with Extreme throughout the first season of the e-FMX World Championships. For over a quarter of a century, Extreme has been involved in all things Action Sport from Television Show production to Extreme Sport Events, and this partnership within the esports world represents some of the early over that Extreme are making into the fast growing industry. Fans of Extreme will also be able to watch the entire e-FMX World Championship series Live from the Extreme Facebook channel, and watch the recap videos across their social media channels.
FC Moto, one of the world’s biggest Motorcycle Parts and Gear Retailers and Online Stores has backed the production of the all new e-FMX World Championship. With FC Moto’s expertise in the Online world, opening an all new market of Virtual Sport and accessibility for fans to view the action and vote for their favourite rider has just become so much easier.
The updated Start Date will be released in the very near future.
Colby Raha (USA)
e-FMX World Championship series First 12 of 16 players confirmed
Rising Aussie star Max Whale (No. 18 Coondoo Cattle Co./Australian Road Services Kawasaki KX450F) came away with the first victory of his American Flat Track career following a tense multi-rider shootout in 2020’s AFT Singles season opener at the Volusia Half Mile on the weekend.
Max Whale on the front row, furthest away. Closest in shot is #17 Henry Wiles – Image Scott Hunter
The Australian ace established himself as the race favourite heading into the Main Event, but he had to work for it after getting a less-than-perfect start. That forced him to muscle his way past some of the sport’s most experienced riders, which he accomplished with seeming ease while still early in the race.
Max Whale worked his way quickly to the front and stayed there – Image Scott Hunter
Whale never relinquished the lead once he had seized it. However, he still felt the pressure applied from close behind throughout, only eeking out a small gap in the contest’s final stages. Prior to his late escape, the battle for the win was a six-rider affair, with three former premier class standouts all looking to unlock a way past Whale and the win.
“I don’t think I could have got any better of a start to the year than this,” Whale said. “I’m pumped — I can’t believe it. I had a bit of an ordinary start and came from about fourth or fifth. It felt like that race went forever! I could just feel the boys breathing down my neck the whole time. I just tried to keep smooth, consistent laps. I knew if I made one mistake, I would be buried in the pack.”
Max Whale on the podium after the opening race of the season alongside Chad Cose and Henry Wiles – Image Scott Hunter
Unfortunately young Max could not make it a double the following day in what was a double-header race weekend in Florida. Victory in the second round went to fellow rookie sensation Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) with an inspired ride to victory on Saturday night.
An eight-rider pack fought for the lead throughout the eight-minute regulation of the Main, with Daniels, Chad Cose (No. 49 Wally Brown Racing/American Suzuki RM-Z450), and Mikey Rush (No. 14 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) all taking turns at the front with countless passes for position just behind.
But just as the timer clicked 0:00 to set up a final two-lap shootout to decide the winner, the red flag flew. As a result, Daniels took point in a staggered restart, lining up just ahead of team-mate Rush and Shayna Texter (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F).
Max Whale – Image Scott Hunter
Once the race resumed, Rush sought a way past teammate Daniels but instead found himself displaced by Texter entering Turn 1 on the final lap. Daniels pumped his fist as he closed on the checkered flag, unaware that Texter had a run on him as well. Despite the near disaster, Daniels held on to the redemptive win by a scant 0.020 seconds at the stripe, even though Texter’s final charge marked the fastest lap of the night between the three competitors.
Despite the eighth place in the second round Max Whale remained the AFT Singles Championship leader with 36-points to Chad Cose’s 35-point tally.
American Flat Track AFT Singles Championship Points
Max Whale 36
Chad Cose 35
Michael Rush 32
Shayna Texter 30
Brandon Kitchen 27
Dallas Daniels 25
Henry Wiles 23
Tanner Dean 22
James Ott 18
Trent Lowe 18
American Flat Track SuperTwins
Five-time Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) notched up the 50th premier-class victory of his American Flat Track career with a second dominant win at Barberville, Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park in Saturday’s Volusia Half-Mile II.
Jared Mees on his way to the double in Florida – Image Scott Hunter
The “50” that may be more relevant to Mees at the moment, however, is the 50 points he logged with his season-opening double victory that launched his 2020 AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines title campaign in perfect form.
Mees actually started from the second row this time around, allowing reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) a chance to make an early escape of his own after Mees’ Friday disappearing act.
Jared Mees on his way to the double in Florida – Image Scott Hunter
However, Mees worked fast, slashing through the field, and ultimately, Bauman less than three minutes into the Main Event. Mees steadily built his advantage up to just over a second as the two encountered lapped traffic and managed that gap to the checkered flag.
“What an amazing night,” Mees said. “We struggled in the Semi; we gambled with the set-up and just went backwards. Kenny Tolbert and Bubba Bentkey worked their magic for the Main and the motorcycle was hooked up so good off the corners thanks to Jimmy Wood with Öhlins Suspension. Those guys got me so hooked for the entire weekend, and I came in so hungry.”
Jared Mees celebrates the double in Florida – Image Scott Hunter
Brandon Robinson (No. 44 HCRR Racing/Ben Evans Racing Indian FTR750) dueled with Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) for third over the race’s opening half before clearing off to a lonely podium finish. It was a supremely gritty performance on the part of Robinson, who not only managed to finish third following 38 laps in sweltering conditions, but did so just seven weeks after breaking his ankle.
Halbert got swallowed up by a charging Brandon Price (No. 92 Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas Indian FTR750), but managed to retake fourth as they went back and forth while weaving past slower riders. Price actually found himself dropped back to sixth at the flag, as Davis Fisher (No. 67 BriggsAuto.com Indian FTR750) joined their fight late and stole away fifth position.
More well known AMA Superbike racers also returned to their dirty roots in Florida with JD Beach scoring two tenth places while veteran Larry Pegram took a pair of 18th place finishes.
American Flat Track SuperTwins Championship Points
Jared Mees 50
Briar Bauman 40
Sammy Halbert 32
Brandon Robinson 30
Bronson Bauman 27
Brandon Price 27
Davis Fisher 24
Dalton Gauthier 20
JD Beach 18
Jarod Vanderkooi 17
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American Flat Track Production Twins
Reigning AFT Production Twins champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) was far from satisfied after opening his title defense with a ‘mere’ podium finish in Friday evening’s opener. He promptly set things right for himself in Saturday’s rematch, registering a blowout victory to put himself back atop the points order.
Texter grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) and Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja 650) raced in close formation behind the leader over the contest’s opening half, but Texter slowly broke their challenge and powered to 3.244-second margin of victory.
Production Twins grid – Image Scott Hunter
Texter’s lopsided win was reminiscent of the three consecutive victories he logged to kick off his triumphant ‘19 campaign. It also provided strong evidence that he’s rediscovered the mojo he spent much of the latter half of last year looking to reclaim.
An emotional Texter dedicated the race to his best friend and title-winning mechanic, Jon Reid, who passed away last November, and another good friend in Jess Garcia, who died this past Wednesday.
“Last night felt a bonus to me because I knew how badly we were struggling,” Texter said. “And the first couple of sessions out today, we were really struggling again. But I have to say, I just have a lot of confidence in my team and in myself. And with all the hard work we put in, I’m just going to battle all year long. There’s no quit.”
Varnes appeared primed to overtake Rispoli late in the race as he did on Friday night. That is, right up until the moment he suffered a mechanical issue that erased his podium hopes with just over a minute remaining on the scoreboard.
As a result, the final spot on the box behind Rispoli went to another national championship-winning road racer returned to dirt track in the ever-popular Danny Eslick (No. 64 Scott Powersports/R&D Machine Kawasaki Ninja 650).
American Flat Track Procuction Twins Championship Points
Cory Texter 42
James Rispoli 40
Ryan Varnes 33
Danny Eslick 32
Ben Lowe 29
Morgan Mischler 26
Cody Johncox 23
Jeremiah Duffy 23
Nick Armstrong 20
Mitch Harvat 19
AMA MX confirm nine round 2020 schedule
Following extensive efforts by race organizers, local government and health officials, participants, sponsors, and series partners, MX Sports Pro Racing has announced the intention to host a nine-round schedule to complete the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
The season is scheduled to begin on August 15, with the inaugural professional event at famed Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
The next eight rounds will take place at well-known venues ranging from Washougal MX Park in Washington to Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota. The 2020 series will also feature the first-ever Pro Motocross “doubleheader” at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan.
RedBud will host the first-ever Pro Motocross “doubleheader”
The first half of the season will open with five consecutive rounds. Following the debut of the Loretta Lynn’s National, the schedule will then travel to the scenic Pacific Northwest for the Washougal National, on August 22, before heading to the greater Indianapolis area for the Ironman National, on August 29.
From there, Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX will give way to the season’s lone off weekend after it hosts a pair of races around the Labor Day holiday, on Saturday, September 5, and Tuesday, September 8.
Racing will resume with the Spring Creek National in Minnesota, on September 19, before heading to Florida for the WW Ranch National, on September 26.
The penultimate round of the championship will take place in Colorado with the Thunder Valley National, on October 3, before crowning a pair of champions in Southern California at the season-ending Fox Raceway National, on October 10.
The season ends with the Fox Raceway National, on October 10.
Select events will feature limited spectator capacity, while others will be conducted exclusively for participants, professional and amateur, with attendance limited to crew members and family. All events will feature an amateur racing component, both before and after the professional race day.
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 2020 Calendar
Aug 15 Loretta Lynn’s Hurricane Mills, TN
Aug 22 Washougal Washougal, WA
Aug 29 Ironman Crawfordsville, IN
Sep 5 RedBud I Buchanan, MI
Sep 8 (Tues) RedBud II Buchanan, MI
Sep 19 Spring Creek Millville, MN
Sep 26 WW Ranch Jacksonville, FL
Oct 3 Thunder Valley Lakewood, CO
Oct 10 Fox Raceway Pala, CA
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Want to run a National Championship?
Motorcycling Australia recently opened expressions of interest for suitably qualified clubs and or promoters who are interested in hosting national championships in 2021 and 2022.
Applications are now open for clubs or promoters who wish to host the following National Championships:
Dirt Track: Senior, Junior, Classic and Post Classic
Track: Senior, Junior
Motocross: Classic, Post Classic and ATV
Plessinger begins rehab on wrist injury
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s Aaron Plessinger will miss the start of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship as he recovers from a training injury sustained last week in Southern California.
On Tuesday, July 14, Plessinger dislocated his left wrist after landing in a rut and losing control on the face of a very large step-up whilst training at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. The 2018 Pro Motocross 250MX Champion underwent surgery the following day and is now focused on returning to full fitness. Unfortunately, the timeline for recovery could have him sidelined for 12 weeks.
“I spoke with Aaron last night after his surgery, and it sounds as if it went very well,” said Jim Roach, the Yamaha Racing Department Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA. “Unfortunately, a dislocated wrist can mean a long recovery time. Aaron was looking forward to the start of the outdoor season on his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing YZ450F, but that will have to be delayed for him to return to full fitness. We wish Aaron the best during his recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the bike soon!”
Aaron Plessinger
Jasikonis and Husky extend partnership
Ahead of the restart of the 2020 FIM MXGP World Championship, Husqvarna Motorcycles has announced that Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing have extended their contract with Arminas Jasikonis. The Lithuanian rider is set to remain with the team for a third year, through to the close of 2021. Jasikonis, who first stepped into MXGP racing in 2016, will continue to compete in the MXGP category on Husqvarna FC 450 machinery under the watchful eye of team manager Antti Pyrhönen.
Currently enjoying the best form of his career to date, Jasikonis sits seventh in the MXGP series standings having secured a podium finish at the MXGP of The Netherlands, the second round of the 2020 Championship.
Using the imposed downtime to return home to Lithuania, the 22-year-old maintained his training programme to ensure no loss of fitness. Stepping back into competition at the recent round two of the Czech National motocross series in Kaplice, Arminas secured a 1-1 result.
Together with his team, Arminas is currently preparing for the first of three consecutive MXGP events in Latvia that will mark the August restart of the 2020 MXGP World Championship.
Arminas Jasikonis – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
“Knowing that I will compete for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team again, for a third season, is a really great feeling. I’m very happy to continue on a great bike. I have so much confidence in my bike, the whole programme and all members of the team, which is so important. The fact that everything will stay the same for me from this year to next year is a huge thing – I only need to focus on improving and preparing myself. Of course, we have to continue working hard but I am really motivated to get the results that Husqvarna, Rockstar, Antti and the team deserve.”
Arminas JasikonisMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
QLD and NSW get back on track
Sunshine State Series
Queensland picked up at round two of the Sunshine State Series, held at Kingaroy, with good rider attendance and a great atmosphere in the pits. With most riders desperate to get back to the race track, Yamaha was well represented with Aaron Tanti, Jay Wilson, Levi Rogers, Kota Toriyabe, Jayce Cosford and Rhys Budd all flying the flag in the senior divisions while the juniors had Charli and Jake Cannon, as well as supported riders in Zac Watson and Peter Wolfe.
The MX2 Pro race was the pick of the weekend and produced some tight, intense racing. Jay Wilson and Aaron Tanti continued their magnetic relationship on the track and again fought it out over the three motos contested, this time Tanti taking the win with his 2-1-2 results over Wilson in third with 7-2-1 finishes which included a couple of falls.
Unfortunately, the news for Jayce Cosford wasn’t good as a fall in the first race saw him taken to hospital with a broken leg that will have him sidelined for some time.
Levi Rogers had his first race in seniors and dominated the MX2 Expert class with three emphatic victories. Rogers was hurt at the opening round back in February but was happy to be back on track again and hopes to be moved into the Pro class for the coming rounds where he can test his speed and endurance against the likes of Tanti and Wilson.
Rhys Budd also made the trip up from New South Wales and had some issues in the MX2 race on Saturday but was able to get back on track on Sunday and contest the MX1 Pro class on his YZ250F. Budd finished third overall on the back of his 4-4-3 results.
Round three of the Sunshine State Motocross series will hit the picturesque MX Farm at Gympie on August 1-2.
QLD SSMX Results – Round Two
MX2 Pro 1st Aaron Tanti -99 2nd Noah Ferguson – 95 3rd Jay Wilson – 91
MX2 Expert 1st Levi Rogers – 105 2nd Jake Kowal – 86) 3rd Logan May – 85
MX1 Pro 1st Dean Ferris – 105 2nd Lochie Latimer – 96 3rd Rhys Budd – 86
Good numbers all attended the re-start of the NSW racing calendar and they all converged on the Dargle MX complex to contest round two of the East Coast MX Series. The venue provided the perfect setting for not just to motocross riders to get back into the swing of things, but also the off road riders and the likes of Luke Styke, Jeremy Carpentier, Blake Hollis and Jess Gardiner all enjoyed the hit out alongside the motocross regulars.
Styke, Carpentier and Hollis contested the MX Open class with Styke and Carpentier making it a Yamaha 1-2 on the podium. Styke finished with 2-1-1-1 results in his four motos while Carpentier claimed 1-2-5-3 finishes to take second.
Blake Hollis was a front runner in the MX250 Pro class but an 11th in race two slowed his march to the podium. He finished with 3-11-4-3 to round out the day in fifth place.
Jess Gardiner showed she just isn’t all off road and charged to a second place finish in the Women’s class. The off road champ finished with 2-2-3-2 results to give her second on the day and valuable track time before the resumption of the AORC.
The next round of the East Coast MX will be held at Nowra on August 8-9.
East Coast MX Results – Round Two
MX Open 1st Luke Styke – 137 2nd Jeremy Carpentier – 123 3rd John Bova – 115
Senior Women 1st Jess Moore – 140 2nd Jess Gardiner – 126 3rd Tanesha Harnett – 122
MX2 Pro 1st Blake Fox – 140 2nd John Bova – 124 3rd Cameron Torpy – 112 4th Tyler Darby – 112
To celebrate the release of the 2021 MX range and most notably the new CRF450R, Honda are excited to announce a brand-new ‘Race Red’ Program. The aim of the new ‘Race Red’ Program is to truly support Honda racing customers through the Honda dealer network, to ensure opportunity is given to those looking to progress in our sport. Access to the program will be based on submission of an application via your local Honda dealer, where you’ll get access if approved, to racing Honda products and an affordable unit to race.
2021 Honda CRF450R
To qualify, the applicant must submit to their local Honda dealer: A copy of your racing licence (MA, state or club based equivalent), and a race resume outlining your upcoming planned race events.
The Honda dealer will then submit this application to Honda and on approval, the rider will collect a new Honda CRF race machine, a Honda Pit Tent and Honda Racing Stand from their dealer and be welcomed into the ‘Race Red’ program.
General Manager of Honda Motorcycles, Mr Tony Hinton anticipates the new program as a way to further support those who have dreams of becoming a future Champion.
“We are pleased to see this program come to life. Racing is Honda’s lifeblood and with this program we are looking to cater to all levels of racing across the country. We have our Penrite Honda Factory Racing Team as a tier 1 level for National Supercross and MX classes, we’ve also got our ‘Ride Red’ program for privateer riders competing in National and State events around the country and now we are proud to roll out a more refined ‘Race Red’ program which looks to support riders at a local and dealer ambassador level of racing. It’s the ideal time to launch the program with our new CRF450R and 2021 MX line up, as we believe these bikes will deliver results to those who want to take the next step with their racing careers. We want to see future Champions on our CRFs.”
For more information on the new ‘Race Red’ program, please contact your local Honda dealer, or visit www.honda.com.au
High Voltage GNCC
Kailub Russell’s 67th career XC1 victory Zach Osborne has a crack at Enduro
The 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, made its last stop before summer break in Maidsville, West Virginia for the 2nd Annual High Voltage GNCC.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth got a great jump off the line to earn the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. As the riders navigated their way through the course on the opening lap, it would be Toth holding onto the lead as he came through timing and scoring 32 seconds ahead of his fellow competitors. RPM KTM/Klim’s Dante Oliveira held onto second early in the race, with FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell charging back in third overall.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth got a great jump off the line, and earned himself the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. PC: Ken Hill
By the second lap, Russell had made the move around Oliveira and had his sights set on his teammate Toth. Toth, however, would remain in the lead with almost a 40 second lead as he continued to have a pretty open trail ahead of him. Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Josh Strang had made his way to third by the second lap, making the pass stick on Oliveira.
When the lead pack came around on lap three, Toth’s lead had diminished to 22 seconds over Russell. Toth continued to push, and Russell continued to reel in his teammate. Strang would remain back in third, with FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley charging ahead in the fourth place position. Lap four saw Russell continuing to inch closer to Toth with a 12 second gap between the two. Strang and Kelley would continue to push, with Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn making his way into the fifth overall position.
Things were heating up by the competition of the fifth lap, with just an 8 second gap between Toth and Russell the battle was on as they headed through the pro pits and back into the woods. Kelley had moved within two seconds of Strang to battle for the third place position and Ashburn remained fifth with FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor running in the sixth place position. However, as Baylor headed back out he would be unable to finish another lap due to a mechanical issue. Baylor would ultimately finish 10th in the XC1 class.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell charged throughout the day, earning his 67th career overall XC1 win. PC: Ken Hill
When the leaders emerged out of the woods and began their descent to the finish line to complete lap six of racing, and receive the white flag, there was new leader, Russell had made his way around Toth and came through timing and scoring 3.45 seconds of him. Strang would remain in the third place position, but would still have his work cut out for him as Kelley was still just 2.5 seconds behind him. Ashburn continued to make his way in the fifth place position, and Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew DeLong was running sixth in the XC1 class. Unfortunately disaster would strike DeLong once again, and a mechanical failure would take him out of the last lap. DeLong would finish the day eighth in the XC1 class.
Husqvarna/FXR/Thornhill Automotive’s Cory Buttrick and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne were battling their way through the dust and riders, making their way around in the eighth and ninth place position on lap six. With one more lap of racing to go Buttrick and Osborne both continued to push to better their finishing positions.
Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne battled throughout the duration of the three-hour race, earning seventh in XC1 and 29th overall. PC: Ken Hill
With everyone’s eyes on the lead pack during the last lap of racing, Russell and Toth were bar-to-bar. Toth made the pass on Russell, but would get caught up trying to pass a lapper. This left a main line open for Russell, and he would capitalize making the pass back for the lead with less than a mile to go. With the checkered flag waving it was Russell coming through to earn his 67th career XC1 victory. Toth would finish second, just three seconds back from Russell. Strang would hold off Kelley to take third overall, but Kelley would hold onto fourth overall for the day.
Ashburn came through to take the fifth overall position at round eight. Buttrick would come through to finish sixth in the XC1 Open Pro class, and 14th overall on the day. And after a tough day of battling back from a bad start, it was Osborne finishing seven laps of racing. Osborne would come through seventh in the XC1 class and 29th overall. Osborne said it was not the result he hoped for, or thought he was capable of, but he hopes to return for some redemption at some point.
In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Trail Jesters KTM’s Jesse Ansley grabbing the $100 Hot Cams XC2 Holeshot Award. However, it would be Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir making his way to the front of the group early on in the race. Girroir would come through timing and scoring on lap one in the second place position behind Pennsylvania-native Benjamin Nelko, who held the lead on the opening lap.
Girroir would make the pass stick on lap two, and he would not look back. Girroir would maintain the lead, even after Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong applied the pressure halfway through the race. Girroir and DeLong would push each other until the checkered flag waved. Girroir earning his third win of the season, and moving himself back into second place in the points standings.
Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir earned his third XC2 250 Pro class win of the season at the High Voltage GNCC. PC: Ken HillMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
DeLong crossed the line in the second place position, making his eighth-straight visit to the podium. DeLong remains the XC2 250 Pro class points leader as the series goes on hiatus until September.
AmPro Yamaha’s Michael Witkowski worked his way up to third after a fifth place start to the day. Witkowski would make the pass during the third lap of racing, and put his head down to push for the remainder the of race. Witkowski sits third in the points standings, just three behind second place and 12 behind first.
Coming through to take fourth in the XC2 class was Beta USA’s Thorn Devlin. This is Devlin’s best finish thus far in the season, breaking into the top 10 overall with a ninth place overall finish on the day. Rounding out the top five in XC2 was Phoenix Honda Racing’s Jonathan Johnson.
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer earned her first WXC overall win with a 59 second gap between her and second place. PC: Mitch Kendra
Kiwi fast femme Rachael Archer got one over Becca Sheets while Aussie Tayla Jones rounded out the Women’s podium.
High Voltage GNCC Overall
Kailub Russell – KTM
Josh Toth – KTM
Josh Strang – Kawasaki
Ben Kelley – KTM
Jordan Ashburn – Kawasaki
High Voltage GNCC Women
Rachael Archer – Yamaha
Becca Sheets – Yamaha
Tayla Jones – Husqvarna
Rachel Gutish – Beta
Brandy Richards – KTM
XC1 Pro Event Results
Kailub Russell (KTM)
Joshua Toth (KTM)
Josh Strang (KAW)
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Cory Buttrick (HQV)
Zach Osborne (HQV)
Andrew DeLong (HON)
Josh Heintz (KAW)
Grant Baylor (SHR)
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
Craig DeLong (HQV)
Michael Witkowski (YAM)
Thorn Devlin (BET)
Jonathan Johnson (HON)
Ryder Lafferty (HQV)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Cody Barnes (BET)
Benjamin Nelko (HQV)
Ben Parsons (HQV)
2020 GNCC Championship Points Standings Outright
Kailub Russell – KTM 235
Josh Strang – Kawasaki 193
Jordan Ashburn – Kawasaki 127
Craig DeLong – Husqvarna 122
Michael Witkowski – Yamaha 111
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Craig DeLong (203)
Jonathan Girroir (194)
Michael Witkowski (191)
Cody Barnes (138)
Liam Draper (122)
Thorn Devlin (107)
Ryder Lafferty (90)
Jonathan Johnson (89)
Simon Johnson (79)
Benjamin Nelko (75)
Dates and locations of GNCC remaining rounds
Sept. 12/13 Mountaineer, Beckley, WV
Sept. 26/27 Snowshoe, WV
Oct. 10/11 Mathews Farm, Taylortown, PA
Oct. 24/25 Ironman, Crawfordsville, IN
Nov. 7/8 TBA
MA To Monitor Restriction Impacts On 2020 AORC
Motorcycling Australia will continue to monitor government COVID-19 restrictions which may impact future dates of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore.
With this week’s government decisions to close the NSW and Victorian border, border restrictions in Queensland and South Australia, and metropolitan Melbourne COVID-19 lockdown, Motorcycling Australia (MA) will continue to watch government developments.
Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager, Matthew Falvo, said planning for rounds 7 and 8 of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore, at Nowra, NSW on August 29-30, was well under way.
“We know sponsors, riders, teams and fans are eager to go racing in the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by Mxstore,” Mr Falvo said.
“Our Yamaha AORC, presented by MXstore, has produced world class racing this year and we know riders and teams have been training hard in recent months and will be ready to race in Nowra next month.
“We will obviously monitor very closely any changes to government regulations and border closures in the coming weeks which will allow the championship to get back under way.
“We have tentatively locked away the weekend of November 14-15, 2020 as a back-up event date should it be required because of COVID-19 restrictions.”
2020 Yamaha AORC Presented by MXstore Calendar
Round 7 & 8: Nowra, NSW 29 – 30 Aug 2020
Round 9 & 10: Omeo, VIC 19 – 20 Sept 2020
Round 11 & 12: Wynyard, TAS 17 – 18 Oct 2020
BACK UP EVENT DATE 14 – 15 Nov 2020
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Honda Australia saddened by the passing of Jason Hill
Tony Hinton – General Manager Honda Motorcycles
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Jason Hill overnight. Jason was a true motorcycling legend and a valued member of the Honda family. In 2005, we shared in Jason’s well-deserved victory at the Finke Desert Race and appreciated his support of the Honda dealer network in the Northern Territory over the years. We wish to extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends and the broader motorcycling community.”
Jason Hill
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
MX Sports Pro Racing has announced the postponement of the 2020 series until August with dates and venues to be announced at a later date.
Team Honda HRC Welcomes Chase Sexton
Fresh off wrapping up his second consecutive AMA Supercross 250SX East Championship with GEICO Honda, Chase Sexton recently completed his first official test with his new squad, Team Honda HRC.
Chase Sexton and the Team Honda HRC CRF450R
The test was aboard the factory CRF450R, and Sexton looked quite comfortable aboard the big bike.
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Taddy Blazusaik on GasGas
As a six-time FIM SuperEnduro World Champion, five-time AMA EnduroCross Champion, five-time Red Bull Erzbergrodeo winner, along with having four X-Games Gold medals and a Red Bull Last Man Standing victory to his credit, Taddy has firmly cemented himself as one of the sport’s greatest athletes. The 37-year-old returned to top-flight competition in 2018 following a short career break and finished the 2019 WESS Enduro World Championship in fourth, while placing as runner-up in both the 2019 AMA EnduroCross Championship and 2020 SuperEnduro World Championship, Taddy remains a formidable competitor no matter what discipline or where in the world he lines up to compete.
Taddy Blazusaik on GasGas EC300
For extreme enduro competition Taddy will ride the EC 300 and compete on the EC 350F for classic enduro and indoor events. Utilizing the GasGas trial range, he will also use the TXT Racing 300 as part of his training program.
Taddy will make his first outing with GasGas at the start of the 2020 WESS Enduro World Championship.
Taddy Blazusiak
“This is a really cool and exciting change in my career, the start of a new chapter for me. It’s an honor to lead the GasGas brand back into enduro and I really want to do everyone proud. By joining this project from the beginning, I feel like I can really help to bring some value by using my experience to develop the bike and to show people what we are all about. There’s a freshness and a lot of energy about everything and I’m excited for people to see what we’ve been working on. Everyone that knows me knows how competitive I am, racing in new colors definitely makes me more determined to challenge for more race wins. Being a GasGas rider means I get to race their exciting new enduro models as well as train on their amazing trial machines. Before I began competing in enduro, my trial career started with GasGas. I won the European Trial Championship with them in 2004, so it’s very important to me to create something special now. Trial is still a big part of my life, the perfect way to prepare for the WESS Enduro World Championship. I’m already enjoying riding my TXT Racing 300 and know that I have the best bike available to sharpen my skills. Although this year has been different because of coronavirus, I do feel ready to get back racing. I’m really looking forward to returning to competition as a GasGas rider.”
Taddy Blazusaik with the GasGas EC300
Robert Jonas – VP Motorsports Offroad
“For a brand like GasGas there is no better rider than Taddy Blazusiak to lead it back into enduro competition. Taddy needs little introduction, his many successes say everything needed about his determination, professionalism and drive. While it is no secret that Taddy is now one of enduro’s more senior racers his experience and focus, and his want to keep pushing both himself and those around him to be the very best they can be, will be invaluable to GasGas during the first steps of the enduro program. Both in competition and when involved in development and testing, Taddy will bring a huge amount to GasGas and we are sure he’ll play a central role in driving the brand forward in the years ahead.”
Taddy Blazusaik GasGas EC300
Marty Smith Rookie of the Year Award
MX Sports Pro Racing, organizers of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, has announced that its annual accolade recognizing the top performing freshman rider in the 250 Class will be renamed the Marty Smith Rookie of the Year Award, in honor of the late American motocross pioneer.
“Marty Smith was the original Rookie of the Year. He won the first AMA National he ever entered back in 1974, and then he became the first-ever 125cc AMA National Champion. It’s pertinent that we rename this prestigious award in his memory, in recognition of his contributions to the Pro Motocross Championship and the sport as a whole,” said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. “For an entire generation of racing enthusiasts Marty Smith was the epitome of cool in motocross. He proved that a motorcycle rider can become a household name alongside the likes of football, baseball and basketball stars. He was a charismatic, larger-than-life figure in motocross, one that any aspiring racer has and should look to emulate. We’re privileged to ensure that his legacy carries on to future generations of motocross racers and fans.”
Marty Smith
Tragically, this past April, Marty Smith and his wife, Nancy, lost their lives in a dune buggy accident in Southern California’s rural Imperial Sand Dunes. He was 63 years old.
With his Southern California surfer looks and effortlessly smooth riding style, Marty Smith became the United States’ first motocross superstar. The San Diego native was a natural talent aboard a motorcycle, forming his own unique approach to racing that emphasized control and technique. This conservative method helped Smith earn his first major victory as an amateur at the 1973 Hangtown Motocross Classic, which resulted in a life changing phone call from Factory Honda. The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer put its trust in the teenager to bring it prominence in the newly formed 125cc AMA National class, in which Honda would be debuting its new CR125M Elsinore model. Smith made good on Honda’s gamble and went on to capture the inaugural 125cc National Championship at just 17 years of age. He dominated the four-race series, capturing two wins and nearly doubling the point total of the next best rider en route to the title, while still a senior at Point Loma High School. Thanks to the notoriety he achieved both on and off the track, he cemented the status of the 125cc division as the sport’s proving ground for aspiring young talent.
Marty Smith
The following season, Smith successfully defended his 125cc title in even more dominant fashion, winning six of the seven rounds. And then, in 1977, he landed Honda its first 500cc National Championship when he out-dueled his primary rival, Bob “Hurricane” Hannah, for the crown.
At the end of the 1981 season Smith decided to retire, which concluded a career that saw him collect 12 Pro Motocross victories and a trio of championships. He also won the first two U.S. 125cc Grand Prix events, in 1975 and 1976, as well as couple of rounds in what was a then-fledgling AMA Supercross Championship. Smith will forever be known as the most influential motocross rider in the history of American Honda, where his talent, charisma, and success paved the way for the “Red Rider” to become one of the most iconic brands in American motocross history.
Smith was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000 and remained a fixture in the industry through his Marty Smith Motocross School. He added to his racing legacy in 1991 by capturing victory at the legendary Baja 1000.
Marty Smith and his wife Nancy are survived by their three children, Tyler, Jillyin and Brooke, and seven grandchildren.
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2020 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championship
The shortened 2020 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championship wrapped up over the weekend. Rounds three and four were held over consecutive days, with the tricky trails in the Santoft forest, near Bulls, in the Manawatu, testing the riders to their limits.
Round Three (Santoft) AA Class Overall
Hamish McDonald
Tom Buxton
Paul Whibley
Round Four (Santoft) AA Class Overall
Hamish McDonald
Dylan Yearbury
Tom Buxton
2020 NZ Enduro Championship Overall
Hamish McDonald
Dylan Yearbury
Seth Reardon
AMA Regional MX Champions
AMA Regional Motocross Champions will lead the race for AMA national titles Aug. 3-8 at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
“The march to claim an AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship is long and competitive,” said AMA Motocross Manager Mike Burkeen. “This August, that march will end for 2020 when 36 national champions hold their AMA National No. 1 plates high and put their names in the record books forever.”
A young Eli Tomac victorious at Loretta Lynn’s in 2004
In addition to national titles, the best riders will compete for the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award, presented to the amateur racer who demonstrates the talent and readiness to excel in the pro ranks. As in past years, the rider who takes home that coveted honor will compete in the fastest classes at Loretta Lynn’s.
While each racer on the gate has a fair shot to win at Loretta Lynn’s, many fans will have their eyes on the AMA Regional Champions to run at the front.
These include multi-class regional champions, such as Husqvarna and Cobra rider Kade Nightingale, from Mounds, Okla., the Mideast Mini-E (4-6) Jr. champion and 51cc (4-6) Limited champion; and KTM and Cobra rider Jaydin Smart from Berry Creek, Calif., who won the same titles in the Midwest Region.
Other multi-class champions to watch are KTM rider Haiden Deegan, from Temecula, Calif., who won both the Midwest Mini Senior 1 (12-14) and Mini Senior 2 (13-15) titles, and the rider who won the same titles in the Southeast Region, Logan Best, from North Port, Fla., on a Yamaha.
Two riders who could set some of the fastest lap times at the national include Suzuki rider Dilan Schwartz, from Alpine, Calif., and KTM rider Austin Black, from Wildomar, Calif. Schwartz won the Open and 250 Pro Sport classes in the Midwest Region and Black won both titles in the Southwest Region.
In the Women’s class, multi-time amateur national champion, 2020 Northeast Region Women’s class champion and Kawasaki rider Jordan Jarvis, from Clayton, N.C., is expected to battle Riverton, Utah’s Tayler Allred. Not only did Allred, who rides a KTM, win the Midwest Region Women’s class title, but she also qualified for the national in the 450 B Limited class.
In the Junior (25+), fans will be watching to see if 48-year-old former pro and Honda rider Mike Brown, from Bristol, Tenn., can hold off his younger rivals to win a fourth straight national title. Possible candidates to unseat Brown include Tallahassee, Fla.’s Jesse Wentland, who won the Southeast Junior (25+) championship on his Honda, and 2008 AMA Motocross Horizon Award winner Darryn Durham, from Valencia, Pa., who won both the Northeast Open Pro Sport and Junior (25+) titles on his Yamaha.
Another rider who will command a lot of attention is Kawasaki rider Jett Reynolds, from Bakersfield, Calif., who won nine consecutive AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships before missing the most recent two years with injuries. Reynolds is bringing his Midwest 450 B regional title to the national.
“Although the AMA Regional Championships provide a hint of who is expected to run at the front at Loretta Lynn’s, it’s just that, a hint,” Burkeen said. “When the national gate is filled with the fastest amateur motocross racers in America, anything can happen and anyone can win. One thing is certain, the competition will be incredible in every class as racers chase their motocross dreams.”
This year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will operate under a comprehensive mitigation plan, with rules regarding social distancing, social responsibility and mandatory mask zones.
“The success of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, its longevity and its reputation, is built on the experience and strong working relationship of the AMA and MX Sports,” Burkeen said. “That experience has even been more critical this year as we have made necessary changes to stem the spread of the coronavirus through the work of the Race Leadership Team. We wish the riders, their families and the operations crew a fun and safe week of racing.”
American Flat Track is back
Following almost ten months of anticipation, preparation, lockdown, and limbo, the 2020 American Flat Track season is at last set to commence. The long-awaited opener will kick off the resurrected campaign in spectacular fashion with the first of a season of doubleheader events, the Volusia Half-Mile I & Volusia Half-Mile II this weekend, July 18, at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida.
The global pandemic that pushed back the season by four months has changed the world in any number of ways, including a heightened awareness of the safety precautions needed for spectators and participants alike. As a result, tickets will be available in limited numbers, there will be a pre-entry health screening to ensure fan safety, and enhanced sanitation and cleaning protocols will be followed. While the practice of social distancing is highly encouraged outside the air fences, the action on track promises to be as close and intense as ever.
AFT SuperTwins
The dawn of the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines era comes alongside a reconfigured schedule that features a heavy dosage of Half-Miles, starting with AFT’s first-ever visit to Volusia Speedway Park for the opening two rounds. That altered reality will force new Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian FTR750) to defend his #1 plate against a field stacked with heavy hitters who sense this season may be the best chance of their careers to earn the coveted title themselves.
Briar Bauman – 2019 AFT Twins Champ
It’ll be vitally important for Bauman to get out the gates quickly to reestablish himself as the rider to beat, especially considering the past three GNCs went to the winner of the season opener.
Bauman’s stiffest challenge will likely once again come from his fellow Indian Wrecking Crewmen. Future Hall of Famer Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian FTR750) is angling to return to his commanding ways, while Briar’s younger brother, Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian FTR750), seems primed to take the next step and emerge a genuine championship threat.
While the factory Indian Motorcycle squad has proven to be a series juggernaut in recent seasons, the series’ historic dominator enters the 2020 fight rebuilt, refocused, and more powerful than its been in years. Now overseen by title-winning crew chief Ricky Howerton, the Harley Factory Flat Track Team is loaded with talent. Former Grand National Champion Bryan Smith (No. 4 Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X) spearheads the effort, flanked by the up-and-coming Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X) and supremely gifted rookie Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X).
Yamaha has a pair of aces of its own in 2019 two-race winner JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and ‘17 AFT Singles champ Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT).
In addition to the Wrecking Crew, Indian Motorcycle will again be represented by a deep bench of potential race winners on private FTR750s, including the likes of Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Indian FTR750) and Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Indian FTR750).
AFT Singles
The 2020 Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys class is once again a wide-open affair with reigning champion Gaultier, ‘18 champ Dan Bromley (No. 62 Indian FTR750), and ‘17 champ Carlile all graduating to the AFT SuperTwins class for 2020.
The aforementioned schedule reshuffle should seriously elevate the title chances of the category’s all-time winningest rider, Shayna Texter (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F). But even without a bevy of TTs to bring her back to the pack, Texter figures to be pushed to the brink by a pair of former premier class standouts in Mikey Rush (No. 14 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Henry Wiles (No. 17 RMR Honda/Honda Talon CRF450R).
Rush made his transition to AFT Singles competition a year ago with the RMR squad and came through in a huge way, scoring four wins and finishing as the championship runner-up, just six points removed from the title.
With Rush moving over to the Estenson Racing outfit for ‘20, his slot at RMR has been filled by Wiles. That’s a momenuntal development for the class’ balance of power, as Wiles — who boasts the 2009 and 2010 GNC1 Singles crowns and 26 career premier-class victories aboard four-stroke singles — is arguably the greatest single-cylinder racer in American Flat Track history.
While Texter, Rush, and Wiles have been doing the business at the sharp end for years, the class has historically been a venue for young riders to showcase their abilities at the professional level. And it will remain so in 2020 if 17-year-old prodigy Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) has anything to say about it. In just a half-season of competition, Daniels lit the class up in year ago, exploding onto the scene with a win, three podiums, and five top fives in the final seven races of ‘19.
AFT Production Twins
Reigning AFT Production Twins king Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) is back to defend his title. Texter opened his ‘19 campaign in scintillating form, tearing off three straight wins to start the year and then rode the wave of fast start to the throne.
He was pushed down the stretch by four challengers who each won two races apiece. While two of them, Gauthier and Carlile, have since moved on to the premier class, 2019 runner-up Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Varnes Racing/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja 650) and fifth-ranked Chad Cose (No. Wally Brown Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) are back for another shot at the title.
The versatile James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) promises to be a factor as well. After successfully transitioning back to dirt track racing following a decade focused on pavement, Rispoli should only be that much stronger in 2020 with 2000 GNC Joe Kopp serving as his crew chief.
An updated 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar has been issued with a much-anticipated return to racing following a four month break due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The common goal has remained to preserve the maximum number of events in order to make a credible Championship, supporting all the stakeholders with the aim of saving the jobs of everyone in our sport.
Now even if the situation has not yet become completely clear with regards to COVID-19 MXGP starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and with the calendar announced MXGP will concentrate a very intense championships into three months for all classes.
The season will resume with a triple race in Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia, Riga and Kegums, with the first event scheduled on the 8-9 of August, followed by a mid-week special on the 11-12 of August, and the final Latvian stop concluding on the 15-16 of August. The Latvian circuit will undergo changes for each event, providing the riders with three completely different racetracks. As it stands, in Latvia there will be a total of 1,000 spectators permitted, with a promise that if the situation improves, numbers will be increased.
The updated calendar will unfortunately see the cancellation of the MXGP of Czech Republic, the MXGP of Sweden and MXGP of Finland from the 2020 MXGP calendar with all being postponed to 2021.
The MXGP of Germany, previously as TBA, as well as the MXGP of Indonesia and Asia scheduled to be held in November have been also postponed to 2021 while the MXGP of Emilia Romagna changed the venue hosting a double-race in Faenza – MXGP of Italy and MXGP of Emilia Romagna – and an additional race in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia have been included together with a triple race in Lommel, Belgium as the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders, MXGP of Limburg and MXGP of Lommel.
The 2020 MXGP Calendar then foresees the MXGP of Trentino scheduled at a later date and the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina as penultimate and final event respectively. The MXGP of Russia and the MXGP of Portugal are part of the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar as TBC for the moment depending on the ongoing national conditions.
Unfortunately, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France has been postponed to 2023 due to the high restrictions for COVID-19 which forbid mass public gatherings in France. Infront Moto Racing are now working with Steve Dixon to bring the 2020 Monster Energy FIM MXoN to Matterley Basin (UK); the event, which is nearly three months away will conform to the outdoor event guidance regulations.
From September onwards, at almost every event spectator number limits will be in place, but organisers hope that by then the situation will be much better, and they will be able to welcome larger crowds. Every country has different protocols concerning the COVID-19 restrictions, therefore prior to each event we will inform all the stakeholders, media and fans concerning the specific restrictions they will need to follow.
With many events running consecutively one after the other, in order to provide the riders with a better recovery period, the MXGP and MX2 race action will be concentrated into one day, with free/timed practice taking place in the morning and the main races starting from 1200 into the afternoon. Whereas the day before each event the European Championship and/or the Women’s World Championship will be run.
At the Monster Energy FIM MXoN the participants will take points for the MXGP and MX2 World Championships, Infront Moto Racing and FIM are working on the regulations keeping in mind the format, the principle and the soul of the MXoN to be maintained.
As always, fans will be able to follow all the race action of each MXGP, MX2, European and Women’s Championship race on the MXGP-TV.com.
2020 MXGP Calendar
MXGP Points Standings
Herlings, J.NED KTM 94
Gajser, Tim SLO HON 85
Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 68
Desalle, C. BEL KAW 60
Paulin, G. FRA YAM 58
Coldenhoff, G. NED GAS 56
Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 53
Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 47
Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 42
Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 39
Evans, M. AUS HON 34
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 31
Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 26
Jacobi, Henry GER YAM 23
Bogers, Brian NED KTM 23
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Team HRC ready to start their engines in MXGP
After a break of what will be five months by the time of the next gate drop, Team HRC are set to resume the MXGP season on August 9th at the Latvian track in Kegums, an hour south of Riga. In what is a much-changed calendar from the before the COVID-19 outbreak, this new schedule looks set to include multiple rounds at the same venue, midweek races, and an all-new one-day format.
This is a major step forward for a campaign where reigning world champion Tim Gajser was on the podium at the only two rounds held so far. With two moto wins out of the four races, the Honda CRF450RW rider was in a strong position before the postponement of the season and he’ll be looking to come back where he left off in Kegums, for what is scheduled to be three races in seven days.
Tim Gajser
“I was really surprised to see the new calendar, especially to do three races in Kegums and also three races in Lommel, in the deep sand. It is how it is though, so I know I need to work hard in the deep sand between now and then and try to get as ready as possible. I’m just looking forward to going racing again after such a long break. I miss the races, the weekends at the race tracks so I’m excited to get back to it. I’m not sure how this one-day format will work completely but it will mean that track time is much more critical and we need to be ready to work on bike setup quickly and efficiently. Thankfully I know I have a really good team around me so I’m confident we can cope. Really though, I am just happy that they have released a calendar and we are going racing in one month’s time.”
Tim Gajser on the podium at round one earlier this season – Bavo Image
For his Aussie team-mate Mitch Evans, this break has allowed him to recover from the shoulder injury which he sustained in Valkenswaard at round two, and with a further five weeks until the first moto, he’ll be hoping show the speed that saw him finish third in the first moto of the year in Great Britain.
Mitch Evans
“I’m happy to see the new calendar come out. It looks like it should go ahead finally, at least I’m optimistic that it should be getting back racing soon. The one-day format will be a new thing for the MXGPs, but for me it is just like racing in Australia where we have practice and qualifying in the morning and then two motos in the afternoon, so I should feel at home with it. At the moment, with my injury, I’ve had one day back on the bike and I did some flat-track riding. I’ll do this for the first month and then see the surgeon at the end of July and then hopefully get the all-clear to start racing after that. Obviously, it’ll mean I’ll only having one week to really get ready on a normal track, to see how my shoulder feels before we go racing in Latvia, so I’m not sure if I’ll be 100% by then, as we’ll have to see how the shoulder keeps progressing. Hopefully it holds up well and feels good when I’m riding and then we’ll make a decision before that weekend. I’ve never had an injury like this, with this much time off the bike so it’s been tough. I’m really happy to be back on the bike though and getting back into normal training and with an exact date in mind, to build towards and see the rest of Team HRC, the fans and the MXGP paddock again.”
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans
Austin Forkner injury update
Austin Forkner had a major crash in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross finale at Salt Lake City and this week revelead just how series his injuries were. The 21-year-old Missouri native had to have his spleen removed and also lost a third of his pancreas along with numerous other injuries to internal organs, including major bruising to his liver and kidneys. Forkner said it was by far the most painful thing he has have ever experienced and that the fist five or six days I was in hospital were horrible. He opens up about the injuries in this social media post.
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Jesse Dobson joins Serco Yamaha
Only days after Jesse Dobson was officially released from his contract with RecoveR8 KTM the talented 23-year-old Queenslander has confirmed he will race under the Serco Yamaha banner for the remainder of the 2020 season, competing at the Australian Motocross Championships on the teams’ YZ250F in the MX2 division Dobson will join current Serco Yamaha Team member Aaron Tanti to form a strong team for the 2020 racing season.
Jesse Dobson
“2020 has been a crazy year already but I’m glad to have found a home for the remainder of the year. I have test rode the bikes and met everyone in the team and racing can’t happen fast enough for me as I’m desperate to fly the Serco Yamaha flag and be surrounded by a great race team. This year I hit the reset button a little on my career and knew I had to change a few things to reignite my racing. This lead me back to the MX2 class and now to Serco Yamaha and I have a really positive vibe about it all and look forward to being apart of such a successful and long established team.”
Jesse Dobson
Dobson comes into the Serco Yamaha fold to cover the loss of Dylan Walsh. The logistics of running a New Zealand based rider during a season interrupted by Covid-19 proved too much and both parties agreed to move on and explore other avenues.
“First of all, I would like to thank Dylan (Walsh) for his efforts during the start of the year and racing the New Zealand Motocross Championships with our support. When the Covid lock down came and international travel proved difficult, we acknowledged that it would be difficult to continue and Dylan has since left to explore options in the US,” explains Serco Yamaha owner, Gavin Eales. “We then assembled a bit of a list of the available riders and Jesse Dobson was the stand out. He has great speed and experience, is Queensland based and very determined to get his career back on track. Our initial test with him proved successful so now we are full steam ahead with him and hoping to get some local racing under our belts before the Australian Motocross Championship kicks off in the coming months.”
2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships Entries Open
Entries are now open for the 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships to be held at Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia, on September 26 and 27, 2020.
The Championships will be run by the Keyneton Motorcycle Club and held at Mungeree Homestead, “Hogan Family Property”, Survey Road, Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
The 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships will offer competition in all classes and returning in 2020 is the Mini Trial, a support class on a shortened course of 10 sections, with 3 laps each day – for all riders aged 4 to 9-years-old on mini wheeled bikes.
Camping is available to competitors and officials at the venue from 8am Thursday 24th to Monday 28th September. Please contact Tyler Hogan on 0429 665 240. Showers available with a gold coin donation.
COVID-19 requirements and restrictions will be in place, please refer to supplementary regulations for further information.
YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup’s Postponed Till October 2020
Due to the existing COVID-19 pandemic, Yamaha Motor Europe, Infront Moto Racing and FIM Europe have agreed to postpone the 2020 YZ 125, 85 and 65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were scheduled to take place at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France on the weekend of September 27th to a later date, which is likely to be in October. The exact date and location of the event will be announced when more information is available.
A record 286 young riders are signed up to the 2020 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup across the YZ65, YZ85 and YZ125 classes. This year, the number of national championships bLU cRU riders will participate increased from 17 to 21 as Yamaha continues to expand its pool of talent across the continent.
2020 will mark the fourth edition of the highly popular YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup and the second edition of the YZ85 and YZ65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were introduced at the start of 2019.
As was the case in 2019, the top three finishers of each SuperFinale race, as well as two wildcard riders, will automatically be invited to the bLU cRU Masterclass at the end of the year. The winner of the 125, 85 and 65 categories in the Masterclass will have the fantastic opportunity to earn support from Yamaha Motor Europe next year, following in the footsteps of last year’s winners: Latvian Mairis Pumpurs, who won the YZ125 class and now races for the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team, as well as our 85cc and 65cc winners Dex Kooiker from The Netherlands and Freddie Bartlett from Sweden, who now have added support from Yamaha Motor Europe.
2020 Lima Half-Mile Postponed
Due to COVID-19 regulations in the areas surrounding Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH, the promoters of the Lima Half-Mile have had to postpone its doubleheader race dates scheduled for Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 2020.
American Flat Track is working closely with the promoter, Allen County Fairgrounds and the local health officials to help secure a date that will accommodate its current schedule and provide the best experience for its fans, competitors and staff.
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More Speedway GP events cancelled
Due to ongoing global health concerns and crowd restrictions in Russia and Germany in light of COVID-19, the 2020 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and 2020 Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix have been cancelled.
The events were scheduled to take place at Anatoly Stepanov Stadium on August 29 and Teterow’s Bergring Arena later this year respectively.
Following discussions with the Anatoly Stepanov Stadium and Bergring Arena, we are pleased to announce that both the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and the Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will return in 2021.
The Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, May 22, while the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix’s timing will be announced at a later date.
Czech Republic National series
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing restarted their engines with two ‘warm-up’ appearances in the initial rounds of the 2020 Czech national motocross series where current MX2 FIM World Championship leader Tom Vialle celebrated a victory and a runner-up podium finish.
The MX2 crew of Vialle and Rene Hofer (with EMX European Championship rider Liam Everts also in competition) travelled to the Czech Republic for the first two rounds of six in the domestic contest. The events at the Dalecin and Kaplice circuits were some of the first in Europe to take place after wide international lockdown restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Vialle flew to a 1-1 set of moto wins at Dalecin on his works KTM 250 SX-F while Hofer was also fast to gain 2nd place overall at the hard-packed opener. The Frenchman and Austrian had last competed at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard on March 8th.
Rene Hofer
A week later at Kaplice Vialle ran MX2 Grand Prix rival Jago Geerts close for victory: the gap was less than a second between the two riders in the second moto. Vialle lifted the red plate again on the podium thanks to a 2-2 scorecard as Hofer rode securely to 5th position overall (having qualified fastest) and Everts made the top ten with 10th spot.
The Czech outings helped both 18-year olds get back into a race groove ahead of the MXGP series reconvening in Latvia on August 9.
Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle
“A pretty good weekend again and I’m happy with the week we’ve had here in the Czech Republic. The track was really good for passing, even if there were a lot of lappers from pretty early in the race and there was only really one line: you had to be patient and ended up losing some time, so that made things tricky. I had the best lap-time in both motos and had a great feeling on the bike. In the end it was good training. Now we’ll have a small break before working in Belgium this next month and then the GPs start again!”
Czech Republic MX2
Czech Republic MX2 Championship standings
Tom Vialle, KTM, 94 points
Rene Hofer, KTM, 76
Richard Sikyna, KTM, 74
Jago Geerts, Yamaha, 72
Michael Sandner, KTM, 60
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Yamaha to host Facebook Live reveal of 2021 Motocross Range
Yamaha Motor Australia has announced it will present the 2021 Yamaha motocross range during a special Facebook Live event at 10 am on Friday, 10 July.
YMA will present all the MX models from the YZ65 through to the YZ450F allowing viewers to get a close look at the full range just hours after the international embargo is lifted.
Viewers can interact with the live stream via the comments sections and will be encouraged to ask questions and generate further online discussion about the new releases.
Following the broadcast, a copy of the presentation will be hosted on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page.
An event has been set up on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page, allowing people to register their intention and receive a reminder when the stream is about to go live.
Click Facbeook logo below for the event page or click get reminder to be notified when broadcast starts
The 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued with day two of racing at the 31st Annual Wiseco John Penton GNCC on Sunday, June 28, 2020. Sunday Creek Raceway in Millfield, Ohio plays host to The John Penton GNCC each year, which continues to be the longest running event on the circuit.
As racing got underway it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell jumping off the line first to earn the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Open Pro Holeshot Award. During the opening lap Russell would have company from his teammate Ben Kelley, who moved into the lead as they came around to timing and scoring. Russell would make the pass for the lead on the second lap, and never look back. Russell would lead the way for the remainder of the race, pushing his gap to 58 seconds by the time the checkered flag flew after three hours of intense racing. Russell earned his 66th career overall win, and continues to hold the points lead after seven rounds of racing.
Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Josh Strang was off to a top three start, and would move into second overall on the third lap of racing. Strang would push for the duration of the race, reaching almost complete exhaustion by the time the checkered flag came out. Strang continues to hold second overall in the National Championship points standings, with just 33-points separating him and Russell.
Kailub Russell (FMF/KTM Factory Racing) earned his 66th career overall win at The Wiseco John Penton. PC: Ken Hill
After a top five start to the day, FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor was on a mission to land on a podium finishing position for the second time this season. Baylor would put his head down and push through the dusty, hot conditions to move into third overall by lap three of racing. Baylor would continue to push, and on the last lap would come through timing and scoring just 4 seconds behind Strang. After seven rounds of racing Baylor sits fourth overall in the XC1 Open Pro standings.
Grant Baylor (FactoryONE Shercro) came through to earn third overall on the day in Ohio. PC: Ken Hill
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Benjamin Kelley came through leading the opening lap of racing in Ohio, but would soon be faced with multiple battles at what would be his second race back after recovering from his shoulder injury. Kelley continued to battle with Strang and Baylor for the first half the race, eventually settling into the fourth place position for the last couple of laps.
Finishing fifth in XC1 and sixth overall on the day was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn. Ashburn would start the day out coming through fourth overall on lap one. He would continue to hold his position, battling with fellow XC1 competitors for the first half the race. Ashburn fell into the fifth place position on lap three of six, and would hold that position until he was met with the checkered flag.
Coming through eighth on lap one was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Joshua Toth. Toth would put his head down and push, making the necessary passes to finish out the day sixth in the XC1 Open Pro class. Continuing his stay on the East Coast was FMF/Maxxis/RPM KTM/KLIM/SIDI’s Dante Oliveira. Oliveira would come through to earn seventh in the XC1 class after a hot and humid three-hour race.
Craig DeLong (Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna/Kari Resources) took home the XC2 250 Pro class win at round seven. PC: Ken Hill
In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing/Kari Resources’ Craig DeLong coming through to take the class win, as well as finishing fifth overall on the day. DeLong would finish over two minutes ahead of his fellow XC2 competitors. This was DeLong’s third win of the season, which also moved him into the points lead in his class.
Factory Beta USA’s Cody Barnes earned his first podium finish of the season in the XC2 class with a second place finish. Barnes had a great jump off the line and would set himself up in the third place position to start off the day. On the third lap of racing, Barnes made the move into second and would continue to push for the remaining laps of the race.
Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir had work his way up to a podium finish after starting off the race back in fifth place. Girroir steadily made his way through the pack of riders, making the necessary passes he needed to earn a spot in the top three. After the seventh round of racing, Girroir sits third in the XC2 points standings.
Becca Sheets (BABS Racing Yamaha/Maxxis) earned her sixth WXC class win of the season on Sunday PC: Ken Hill
The Anzac invasion of the women’s category continued but it was Ohio’s hometown hero Becca Sheets that came out on top ahead of New Zealand’s Rachael Archer and Australia’s Tayla Jones. Sheets had her work cut out for her after coming through fourth on the opening lap. However, she would put her head down and push, moving into the lead by the second lap of racing. Sheets remains the points leader in the class with just one more round before summer break.
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer made her way into second place after starting her day out in third. Archer continued to push throughout the morning race, but was unable to catch Sheets in the lead and remains third in the WXC points standings.
Rockstar Energy/Lan Mills XC’s Tayla Jones held the early in Ohio, but would soon be faced with battles as she fell back to fourth in the class on the second lap of racing. Jones picked up the pace, making the move past Factory Beta USA’s Rachel Gutish to overtake third place in the WXC class once again. Jones held onto third for the final spot on the podium.
Round Seven Overall
Kailub Russell – XC1 – KTM
Josh Strang – XC1 – Kawasaki
Grant Baylor – XC1 – Sherco
Ben Kelley – XC1 – KTM
Craig Delong – XC2 – Husqvarna
Jordan Ashburn – XC1 – Kawasaki
Joshua Toth – XC1 – KTM
Cody Barnes – XC2 – Honda
Jonathan Girroir – XC2 – KTM
Michael Witkowski – XC2 – Yamaha
Overall GNCC Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (205)
Josh Strang (172)
Jordan Ashburn (111)
Craig DeLong (108)
Michael Witkowski (98)
Jonathan Girroir (92)
Grant Baylor (85)
Cody Barnes (74)
Liam Draper (61)
Ricky Russell (59)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Craig DeLong (178)
Michael Witkowski (179)
Jonathan Girroir (164)
Cody Barnes (125)
Liam Draper (108)
Thorn Devlin (89)
Ryder Lafferty (75)
Jonathan Johnson (73)
Simon Johnson (69)
Ryder LeBlond (64)
Women Round Seven
Becca Sheets – Yamaha
Rachael Archer – Yamaha
Tayla Jones – Husqvarna
Rachel Gutish – Beta
Korie Steede – TM
Mackenzie Tricker – KTM
Brooke Cosner – Sherco
Shelby Rolen – KTM
Taylor Johnston – KTM
Alli Phillips – Husqvarna
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Tomac and Cianciarulo Return to Monster Energy Kawasaki in 2021
Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo Return to Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team in 2021
Kawasaki has announced that Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo will return to the Monster Energy Kawasaki racing team for the 2021 season. The Monster Energy Kawasaki riders aboard KX450 motorcycles will feature the newly-crowned 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Champion and three-time defending AMA Pro Motocross Champion, Tomac, and reigning 250 Pro Motocross Champion, Cianciarulo, after a successful rookie season of supercross winning the 2019 Monster Energy Cup and capturing two podium finishes during the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross season.
“We have a very strong 2021 team roster,” said Kawasaki Racing Senior Manager, Dan Fahie. “We are prepared to continue our championship journey with both Eli and Adam. We had an unusual, yet successful 2020 supercross season and look to continue that into the motocross season as well. We have learned a lot about our KX450 and are in a good place heading into outdoors and 2021 with the development of the motorcycle.”
2021 will mark Tomac’s sixth year with Monster Energy Kawasaki, as he relentlessly remains a top contender in the premier class. Tomac captured the coveted 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Championship title after earning seven wins and 12 podiums of the 17 rounds. Tomac currently sits sixth on the all-time 450SX race wins list with 34 wins, and also sits fourth on the all-time 450MX race wins list with 22 overall wins and 44 podium finishes. Tomac cemented his legacy as an elite champion, becoming only the fifth rider in history to win titles in both the 450SX and 250SX classes as well as AMA Pro Motocross Championships in both classes.
“I’m at home with Monster Energy Kawasaki,” said Tomac. “I feel we have an outstanding team in place, an excellent KX450 motorcycle and a common goal of winning races and championships. I couldn’t be happier with how the supercross season ended as we clinched our first 450SX championship. Now our focus will be on winning our fourth consecutive Pro Motocross Championship and continuing to let the good times roll.”
Meanwhile, Cianciarulo kicked off his 450SX rookie campaign by taking the crown at the Monster Energy Cup and he backed that up by showing his speed on the bike by qualifying fastest at seven of the eight races he competed in and earning two podiums before his season was cut short due to injury. As the reigning AMA Pro Motocross 250 Champion, Cianciarulo looks to be a top championship competitor in the premier class this motocross season.
“Monster Energy Kawasaki is the team I have loved for so long,” said Cianciarulo. “What a journey it’s been to get to this point. Most people know it’s always been a dream of mine to be a part of this team at the top-level of the sport and I’m looking forward to putting in the work and continuing to improve and grow. I’m honored to be on what I believe to be the best team in the sport and to have been part of the Kawasaki Team Green program for all of these years. We’re halfway through my rookie year and the team has been so supportive. I truly believe we’re on our way to reaching our ultimate goal of winning races and championships.”
The 2020 AMA Pro Motocross Championship drops the gate on Saturday, July 18th at Ironman MX in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
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Royal Enfield racing American Flat Track
August will mark the return to racing for American Flat Track (AFT) and Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield will debut its FT racer at AFT Rounds 5 & 6 on August 28-29 , when Moto Anatomy’s Johnny Lewis takes the track for the first time in the AFT Production Twins class.
Lewis planned to unveil the concept FT at the Daytona AFT round in March, but due to COVID-19, the races were rescheduled. Despite the AFT season being temporarily postponed, Lewis is logging hours at his Center Hill, Florida training facility on the Royal Enfield FT concept. With the help of Royal Enfield, Harris Performance and S&S Cycle, the development of the FT has continued. Lewis will officially present the Royal Enfield FT at Volusia County Speedway on July 17.
“The Royal Enfield FT concept has already shown promise so far.” said rider and team owner Johnny Lewis. “We’re already seeing great results from the motorcycle. The team at Harris Performance and Royal Enfield have done a great job with the chassis, and we’ve already begun working through small adjustments based on my feedback. With the way the schedule is shaping out with small tracks, we could surprise many people.”
Lewis will be joined at select AFT rounds with the all-female Build Train Race participants starting with the Atlanta Short Track at Dixie Speedway October 2-3 and will return for the AFT season finale in Daytona Beach October 15-16. During these rounds, the women will conduct a special exhibition aboard their custom INT650 flat track motorcycles as part of the AFT event schedule.
Additionally, Lewis will host a Royal Enfield Slide School at select rounds. During the Slide School sessions, participants will receive coaching from Lewis and learn the basics of flat track aboard track prepped FT411 Himalayan motorcycles.
American Flat Track will kick off its 2020 season with the first-ever Volusia Half-Mile presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys doubleheader event at Volusia Speedway Park on Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18.
AORC Set and Ready to Return
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore will fire back into action with a double header of sprint racing at Murray Bridge, South Australia on August 1 and 2.
With State borders opening up, M.A. are excited that we can continue their world-renowned 2020 championship which will include 8 rounds to be held in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and for the first time in Tasmania. Rounds 1-4 were held earlier this year.
The Yamaha AORC has previous world champions including the 2019 World Champion Junior Team and overall second placed Australian ISDE team, and we will continue to have the best riders in the world competing in the Yamaha AORC, presented by MXstore.
“We have a world class field of riders from our junior riders, right through to our senior men’s and women’s classes, who we know are eager to get back on track and continue the 2020 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented, by MXstore,” said MA Off-Road Events Manager, Matthew Falvo.
“Our Yamaha AORC, presented by MXstore, has produced world class racing this year and we know riders, teams and officials are eager for rounds five and six at Murray Bridge, South Australia.
“We thank everyone from our riders, officials and sponsors for their support and patience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while there will be some restriction in place at events, we are very excited to get back on track.”
As a racing community there will need to be an understanding that it will not be a return to sport as usual.
Certain State and Federal Government restrictions and measures will likely remain in force but we are confident that together if we follow government guidelines and practice good personal hygiene our championship will continue to prosper.
2020 Yamaha AORC Presented by MXstore Calendar
Round 5 & 6 August 1-2 Murray Bridge, SA
Round 7 & 8 August 29-30 Nowra, NSW (rescheduled event, new date)
Round 9 & 10 September 19-20 Omeo, VIC
Round 11 & 12 October 17-18 Wynyard, TAS
2020 Yamaha AORC Presented by MXstore Calendar Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Tony Cairoli and KTM renew contract
Nine-times FIM Motocross World Champion Tony Cairoli will push for yet another title in Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colors in 2021 for what will be his eighteenth season in Grand Prix and the twelfth on a works KTM SX-F.
The 34-year old Sicilian and his crew, helmed by Claudio De Carli, united with the KTM Motorsport Department in 2010 and instantly delivered the factory’s first title in the premier class with the innovative KTM 350 SX-F. Cairoli remained undefeated until 2014 and then used the latest generation of the KTM 450 SX-F to secure his ninth crown in 2017. In total the KTM/Cairoli package has given the manufacturer six championships in the last decade.
In terms of achievements, popularity, professionalism, longevity and enduring passion for motocross, Cairoli is the reference in MXGP and is still fiercely competitive at a time when the category has vast depth of talent and speed.
Cairoli will again form part of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s MXGP ‘Dream Team’ on KTM 450 SX-Fs alongside Jorge Prado and Jeffrey Herlings; boasting a combined number of fifteen championships.
Tony Cairoli: “I’m really motivated for another good season next year so I’m really happy with the renewal of my riding contract. We’ll see what 2020 has in store but my goal is to aim for the championship and again in 2021. I’m very proud to have been so long with this factory team and I still want to write some pages in the history of KTM motocross.”
Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “It says a lot for Tony as a rider and a person and an athlete that he is still so competitive when MXGP is at a top level. He could have walked into other teams when it was clear he wanted to continue in 2021 but it was important for us to extend his story with KTM and that couldn’t make us any happier. We have no doubt that he has the desire to go for a tenth title either in the season we will eventually have in 2020 or in 2021. It makes us all very proud to have a team with the caliber of Tony, Jeffrey and Jorge. I believe we can be the ones to beat again in MXGP with this strong trio and combined with the whole team and technical crew with Claudio, Davide, Dirk and everybody who makes the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team tick.”
Claudio de Carli, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Tony expressed his willingness to ride for at least another year and this obviously makes us happy and confirms his truly unique character and attitude for the sport. His final choice to remain with KTM gives us great satisfaction because it also confirms the good job we have been doing responding to his technical requests and the strong bond we have established over many years. Next season Tony will be in his twelfth year with KTM, and with my crew for the eighteenth. I think this says it all! We’re really proud of him and would like to give thanks to KTM for making this next chapter possible.”
Motorcycling Australia to run 2020 MX Nationals WEM steps down a year earlier than planned
Williams Event Management held a press conference on Friday morning confirming their withdrawal from their role as promoter of the MX Nationals effective immediately.
Kevin Williams first got involved with the running of the Australian Motocross Championships in 1995 at Traralgon, and has effectively had stewardship of the MX Nationals since 1997.
Today does not mark the complete end of Kevin’s 25-year-old involvement with Australian Motocross but it does end the role of WEM as the promoter of the Australian Motocross Championship, which under WEM stewardship was rebranded as MX Nationals.
Kevin understandably got quite emotional when it got to the point where he officially confirmed that he is stepping away from his role as a promoter due to not being able to effectively deliver a viable championship this year due to the ongoing restrictions put in place by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We believe that it is highly like that in this instance Motorcycling Australia will step in to fill the void and ensure that the season does go ahead in some form, and that form of course will see WEM still involved in some way and assisting in affecting an orderly transition.
We see it as unfortunate that Kevin and his crew will not be able to have a lap of honour, so to speak, and go out on a high as originally planned at the culmination of a successful 2020 season.
On a personal note, I have always appreciated Kevin being forthright and honest with me at every juncture throughout the 21 years I have been running MCNews.com.au.
The brand ‘MX Nationals’ belongs to WEM and we believe discussions are being held between Kevin Williams and Motorcycling Australia about the ownership of that brand. However, it seems likely that M.A. will likely revert to referring to the series as the Australian Motocross Championship, or some anagram that represents motocross, but follows the established M.A. naming regimen of breaking that down to an acronym like they have with AORC and ASBK.
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Open Letter from Kevin Williams
“The purpose of this letter however, is to thank everyone who has been involved in the MX Nationals series in our twenty three year run.
“Motocross has been a part of my entire life and essentially my life’s work since I began working with the Australian Motocross Championships before it became the MX Nationals. The time I have spent growing the series with my wife Christine and our three children Jake, Aiden and Brodie by my side is something I will forever cherish.
“Although as a part of racing, I may not have seen eye to eye with many of you throughout the years, the racing family at the core of this industry has been a fantastic part of my life and something I will truly miss. My love for the sport, preserving its integrity and growth has been a driving factor and provided the continual motivation needed to allow me to strive for progress in Motocross within Australia and putting our riders on the map globally as a Motocross powerhouse.
“During our time together we have had many high’s that include bringing MXGP to the iconic Broadford Circuit, seeing many great Champions leave Australia to successfully take on the world with Chad Reed, Craig Anderson, Michael Byrne, Brett Metcalfe, this list goes on. To see the next generation of Jed Beaton, Mitch Evans, Luke Clout and the Lawrence Brothers having international success in the present day makes me extremely proud to see where the talent is at in Australian Motocross. We have also lost great Champions such as Andrew Mcfarlane and Jono Porter, their time with the series and the impact they made on everyone’s lives will never be forgotten.
“I want to take this final opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of the MX Nationals family during our time together. From the numerous staff at WEM, the riders and teams, to all of our sponsors and stakeholders, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything we have achieved to grow the sport together.
“Yours in the sport
“Regards,
“Kevin Williams.”
— ENDS —
Motorcycling Australia Statement
Motorcycling Australia (MA) wishes to thank Williams Event Management (WEM), Kevin Williams and his family for more than two decades of dedication to the MX Nationals.
After 23 years Williams today made the tough decision to step away from the sport and the promotion and management of the MX Nationals effective immediately.
In an emotional press conference this morning, Kevin Williams thanked fans, riders, industry and sponsors.
“It’s been a long journey and a major part of my life, but we didn’t expect COVID, and we didn’t expect not to go racing this year, but we are proud of what we achieved over 23 years,” Kevin said.
“I’ve always made decisions from a position of passion for the sport, and I want to thank everyone for being a part of the journey.
“I encourage all riders and members of the sport and industry to support their local clubs and hopefully we can see some opportunity for national racing when borders open up properly.
“Thank you everybody for your great support.”
MA CEO Peter Doyle said: “Kevin Williams and his team have poured their heart and soul into running the MX Nationals and we thank them for more than 20 years of tireless work”.
“The MX Nationals have faced plenty of challenges in those 20 years and Kevin, his team and partners, have boasted many success stories, with a myriad of riders using the championship as a stepping stone in their careers to race in America and Europe.
“The MX Nationals are a critical component of a healthy motocross scene in Australia and to create opportunities for riders to progress into world championship series.”
MA is now in the process of reviewing the 2020 championship operations, format and dates to see how the series will proceed for the remainder of 2020 in the COVID-19 period.
Further announcements will be made available in due course.
— ENDS. —
The latest update to the calendar is included below, but one would imagine that is all up in the air right now.
2020 MX Store MX Nationals Calendar
R1
Conondale QLD
Aug 9th
R2
Maitland NSW
Aug 15th /16th
R3
Newry Vic
Sept 6th
R4
Horsham Vic
Sept 12th/13th
R5
Gympie QLD
Oct 4th
R6
Coolum QLD
Oct 10th/11th
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Chad Reed’s farewell tour that calls to an end his professional racing career has been playing out all year but Sunday night in Salt Lake City was his final emotional goodbye… The lead image on this story is from 2015 at Oakland. Watch this without getting a leaky eye….
Eli Tomac – 450 SX Champion
The final showdown of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship saw Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac capture his first 450SX championship in Salt Lake City, Utah by securing more than enough championship points with his fifth-place finish on Sunday. Tomac earned the title in dominant fashion, with seven wins and five additional podium finishes during the 17 rounds aboard his KX450.
Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion
Tomac kicked off the finale in a familiar way by topping the charts in qualifying in the 450SX class with a fastest lap of 49.438. After tying with the competition for first place in the final qualifying session, the AMA had to go to ten-thousandths of a second to determine who was fastest, which landed Tomac his fifth pole position of the season.
Keeping the momentum rolling into 450SX Heat 2, Tomac got off to a great start in fifth and remained there for more than half of the race. As the time ran down, Tomac began to make his move on arguably the most technical track raced in Utah and passed two other riders to finish third.
Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion
As the gate dropped on the final 450SX Main Event of the 2020 season, Tomac got tangled with riders in Turn 1 but was able to avoid any kind of disaster, starting in 10th. Maintaining his cool, calm and collected demeanor, Tomac began to put in laps and gradually pick off riders, making his way to sixth by Lap 9. Tomac made one last pass a few laps later to cross the finish line in fifth, earning Kawasaki’s 11th 450SX championship as well as the 2020 Manufacturers Cup award.
Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion
The day was a victory for all as Monster Energy Supercross is the first professional sport to complete their series after being suspended due to the global pandemic. Tomac has expressed many times that the silver lining of the time off was being able to see the birth of his daughter and he is now the first rider in history to win the title as a father, making it even more special to earn on Father’s Day.
Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion
Eli Tomac
“This is just so cool, to win my first 450SX title. This championship is literally the last carrot that I was chasing, especially after coming up short for the past three years. I have worked so hard for this and can’t thank the Monster Energy Kawasaki team and entire company enough for all of their support and for helping me finally achieve this goal for myself and everyone who is a part of this program. It has been a long time coming and we set ourselves up for success starting from day one of this series and just kept fighting till the end.”
Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion
“That was a great race for all three of us. It feels amazing to get some results here at the end of the season for my team. It was an incredible day and I’m just really proud for the whole team to be on the podium. It’s been an amazing trip in Salt Lake City.”
Jason Anderson – P2
“All-in-all, it was a good trip in Utah and ending it on a high note with all three of us on the podium was good. I enjoyed Salt Lake City, so let’s do this again and get ready to go for outdoors.”
Dean Wilson – P3
“I was a bit tight running up front but I just tried to play it cool and smart. My goal was to get on the box and that’s what I did. I’m stoked to get a third place, lead some laps and end this SX season the way I wanted to. I would have liked to have more podiums but I’m super happy from where I came from at the beginning of the season barely being able to ride my bike, to being where I need to be now. I believed I could do it and I’m stoked.”
Eli Tomac – P5 (Champion)
“This is just unbelievable, especially under all of the circumstances. I just look back at my entire lifetime of riding, the wins, the losses, and overcoming it all with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team. There was a point in time we didn’t know if we would be able to get back to racing and here we are finishing business. I am so incredibly happy and proud we finally did it, it’s unbelievable.”
Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion
Broc Tickle – P6
“Today was a huge step in the right direction for me. I started the day off better in practice and improved throughout practice and qualifying. In the heat, I grabbed my first holeshot in a long time. I started sixth in the Main and managed to stay strong and steady. This was huge for me and the JGR squad. Thank you to everyone who has made the Salt Lake City racing possible and for the support in getting me back to where I belong.”
Cooper Webb – P8
“It was a rough Main Event. I kind of struggled with the track a little bit and I didn’t ride my best race but I came back to eighth, so I was able to secure second in points. I obviously wanted to keep the podium streak going but it is what it is. Overall, it was a great season and we’ll get ready for outdoors.”
450 SX Final Championship Points
Eli Tomac 384
Cooper Webb 359
Ken Roczen 354
Jason Anderson 287
Justin Barcia 272
Zach Osborne 252
Malcolm Stewart 252
Dean Wilson 239
Justin Brayton 227
Justin Hill 213
Aaron Plessinger 207
Blake Baggett 200
Martin Davalos 178
Vince Friese 155
Adam Cianciarulo 129
Chad Reed 113
250
Shane McElrath – P2
“I’m pretty disappointed that I didn’t get the championship this year, but since I’ve been on this team I’ve learned so much and grown so much as a person and a rider. I’m learning from my mistakes and looking forward to moving on to the Outdoors.”
Dylan Ferrandis – P4
“I’m pretty pumped about the way I ended this season even though I had a very difficult day. It was the most difficult day of my life. There was so much emotion today after having to win the LCQ. I’ve never had to race an LCQ in my four years of supercross and to have to come through today with the championship on the line, that was tough. I secured my championship in the Main to get back-to-back 250SX West titles. It is more than a dream come true. Thanks to my team, my wife and my trainer DV (David Vuillemin). I’m so happy!”
250 SX East Final Championship Points
Chase Sexton 218
Shane McElrath 209
Jo Shimoda 122
Garrett Marchbanks 119
Enzo Lopes 107
Jeremy Martin 105
Jalek Swoll 104
Kyle Peters 94
Pierce Brown 92
RJ Hampshire 80
Colt Nichols 74
Jace Owen 69
Chris Blose 65
John Short 64
Jordan Bailey 64
250 SX West Final Championship Points
Dylan Ferrandis 200
Justin Cooper 180
Austin Forkner 176
Brandon Hartranft 158
Michael Mosiman 139
Alex Martin 124
Derek Drake 120
Mitch Oldenburg 109
Luke Clout 106
Jett Lawrence 97
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Penrite Honda reflect on AMA campaign
The AMA Supercross Championship has ended and Australia’s Penrite Honda Racing proved their competitiveness against the best teams in the West and East coast of America. Team Owner Yarrive Konsky is positive the experience was well worth the effort and is grateful for the opportunity and is proud of everyone’s results.
Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld
“We were the highest placed privateer team in the West Coast Championship and we were the highest place privateer team in the West vs East shootout. We beat and challenged some factory teams and riders throughout the year and most importantly we have learnt a lot and we are grateful for the chance to compete. I also want to congratulate all of the champions. It was an amazing championship. Feld and the entire industry made us feel welcome” said Konsky.
Luke Clout – Image by Michael Antonovich
Mitchell Oldenburg and Luke Clout finished 8th and 9th respectively in the West Coast Championship. Mitchell finished the Championship with a 10th place finish in the West vs East Shootout.
Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld
“The season has been hard fought, tearing my knee early in the season certainly set me back. To finish 8th overall with a 10th in the final race against the fastest 40 riders is okay, but I know I should be further up. The bike, team and effort were worthy of a better result. Riding injured all season affected my results,” said Oldenburg
Mitchell Oldenburg – Image by Michael Antonovich
Australia’s Luke Clout suffered a crash in qualifying at the final round which side lined him for the main event. Whilst it was not the way he wanted to finish the season, he is being positive about this years’ experience.
Luke Clout – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
“We were going to do a few rounds to prepare for next year and we ended up racing the entire Championship, which was an amazing experience. To claim 9th overall in my first year was okay. My best result was a 5th, which was also okay. I would have liked to finish higher; I would have liked to achieve a podium but what I have learnt this year is priceless. It was my first full season in America, and I am racing the best guys in the world and I have gained invaluable experience. I will be better prepared for next year,” said Clout.
Luke Clout – Image by Michael Antonovich
The team’s season isn’t finished, in fact Team Owner Yarrive Konsky believes the season will prove logistically challenging as they face racing through to December.
“Due to COVID the Australian Championships hasn’t started and I believe we will be racing through to December. I am thankful for the American Supercross Championship. All our partners in Australia benefited from the international live broadcasting and media attention we received,” said Konsky.
Penrite Honda duo Luke Clout and Mitchell Oldenburg at Oakland – Image by Hoppenworld
The team could not have achieved this creditable feat without the support of their amazing partners. Special thanks go to Australia’s Penrite Oil, Honda Australia and particularly American Honda.
Luke Clout – Oakland – Image by Hoppenworld
“Everyone’s support made this possible but notably, without Penrite Oil we would have struggled to make it work. Penrite Oil continues to support Australian’s no matter where they are and they should be commended for their generosity to motorsport here in Australia and abroad.” concluded Konsky.
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Vets MXdN – Postponed Until 2021
The 2020 Vets MXdN were to take place on the weekend of the 12th & 13th September but having considered all of the data and information available, the reluctant decision has been taken to postpone the event until 2021. The provisional date will be the 11th & 12th September 2021.
The main reasons are based around social distancing which includes the safety of all riders, officials and spectators, with so many people on site for the duration of the weekend.
Secondly, it would be impossible for the social part of the event, the evening bar and disco, to take place and this does form an important part of the event for so many people.
Thirdly, with the UK Government having made fourteen days quarantine compulsory for most of our foreign friends at the moment, it would not be a true International event if so many are unable to attend.
The organisers originally set the criteria that the whole of the UK moved into level two of the Government Guidelines for the situation which states – Covid 19 is present in the UK, but the number of cases and transmission is low. We are currently still at level four which is a long way off this being met.
You will be aware that with so many riders requesting an entry into the event creates a large logistical problem. Therefore, it has been decided that all entries (and reserves) who have been successful, will be held over for the revised date and therefore entry fees will not be refunded. However, if any rider does not wish to take up this option, they should contact the Event Manager ([email protected]) before 30th June when a refund (as stated in the Supplementary Regulations) will be made.
Ivan Tedesco Vet MXdN at Farleigh Castle
M.A. announces racing re-start
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has announced the re-start of racing for thousands of riders across the country with the release of an updated 2020 National Championship calendar.
The MA National Championship calendar includes AORC, MX Nationals, Junior and Senior Track, Junior Motocross, Classic and Post Classic Dirt Track, Trial, ATV MX, Speedway, Speedway, Senior and Junior sidecars and Supermoto. With the opening up of State borders, MA is pleased in being able to produce such an extensive
National Championships calendar in the current climate, but is aware additional COVID restriction may be enforced which may impact the existing calendar.
“For thousands of racers across Australia, it’s time to dust off your bikes and get out there,” said MA CEO Peter Doyle. “With changing COVID-19 restrictions and border closures, it had been impossible for MA National Championships to run, but together with clubs, promoters, SportAus and the Victorian Government – Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions who are supporting Creative, Tourism, Sport and Major Events, we have been able to ensure that the 2020 MA National Championship competitions can now be held.”
Luke Styke – 2020 AORC will be back in action from early August in South Australia
Competition activity may resume in compliance with state and national guidelines and regulations. As a sporting community there will need to be an understanding that some State and Federal Government restrictions and measures may remain in place and impact the running of events – such as social distancing requirements or no or limited crowd numbers.
To ensure no further restrictions are imposed on our sport all members are encouraged to follow government guidelines and practice good personal hygiene.
2020 Australian Motorcycle Racing Calendar
August 1-2
AORC Rounds 5-6
Murray Bridge, SA
August 9
MX Nationals Round 1
Conondale, QLD
August 15-16
MX Nationals Round 2-3
Maitland, NSW
August 29-30
AORC Round 7-8
Nowra, NSW
September 6
MX Nationals Round 4
Newry, VIC
September 12-13
MX Nationals Rounds 5-6
Horsham, VIC
September 19-20
Australian Senior Track Championships
Quirindi, NSW
September 19-20
AORC Rounds 9-10
Omeo, VIC
September 26-27
Australian Junior Track Championships
Gunnedah, NSW
September 26-27
Australian Trail Championship
Bangor, SA
September 26 – October 3
Australian Junior Motocross Championship
Rockhampton, QLD
October 3-4
Australian Classic & Post Classic Dirt Track Championship
Temora, NSW
October 4
MX Nationals Round 7
Gympie, QLD
October 10-11
MX Nationals Rounds 8-9
Coolum, QLD
October 10-11
Australian Womens MX Nationals Rnd 1-2
Coolum, QLD
October 17-18
AORC Rounds 11-12
Tasmania
October 17-18
Australian ATV MX Nationals
Kilcoy, QLD
October 17
Australian Supercross
October 23-25
Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship
Fairburn Park, ACT
October 31
FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship
Gilman, SA
November 7-8
Australian Speedway Snr Sidecar Championship
Mildura, VIC
November 7-8
Australian Speedway Jnr Sidecar Championship
Mildura, VIC
November 21
Australian Supercross
November 28
Australian Supercross
November 28-29
Australian Supermoto Championship
Prosperine, QLD
December 12-13
Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship
North Brisbane, QLD
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What happened this week
Dakar Rally mourns the loss of Paulo Gonçalves
Ken Roczen tops AMA Supercross Round 2 in Missouri
Austin Forkner closes in on 250SX lead
Nathan Watson continues French Beach Racing domination
Fricke crowned Aussie Senior Solo Speedway Champ
WA to host two International Solo Speedway friendlies
2021 Australian Speedway Solo Championships EoI open
2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team unveiled
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 American Flat Track
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
2020 Australian Track Championship
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
2020 King of MX
2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar
Dakar Rally mourns the loss of Paulo Gonçalves
After the accident which claimed the life of motorcycle rider Paulo Gonçalves, Stage Eight of the Dakar Rally 2020 was cancelled in the motorcycle category out of respect for the mourning of family and friends in the bivouac.
RIP Paulo Goncalves
Paulo won three Dakar Rally stages with Honda and claimed the runner-up spot in the 2015 edition. Previously after various victories in the 2013 world championship, Paulo clinched the title of FIM Cross-Country Rallies world champion in an epic triumph in Morocco. In 2014 he took the runner-up prize was third in the world championship in 2015 and 2017.
Paulo Gonçalves was a rider with Honda HRC, Monster Energy Honda Team from mid-2013 until mid-2019, joining Hero MotoSports Team Rally last year, and the spirited Portuguese rider won over the hearts of not only the entire team, but also all his companions in the bivouac, and of the fans.
Toby Price
“Paulo took off into the stage about five-minutes before me and I came over a small crest and saw a rider down and it was Paulo. Worst fears kicked in cause I knew this one was serious. I called for help ASAP and helped get him on his side (plus more serious checks). Then tried calling for more help and by this stage Stefan Svitko (also a champion) had arrived and was helping where he could. The first helicopter arrive and Luc Alphand was starting to help and as the medical helicopter arrived they were already on CPR and the doctors got to our sides and worked all they could. Helping holding drip bags, getting bags of medical equipment and guiding other riders around a bad scene. We all worked as long as we could but there was nothing we could do. I helped assist carrying him to the helicopter as it was the right thing to do. I was first at his side and wanted to be the last to leave. We will miss you’re smile and laughter in the bivouac Paulo. My last 250km of special stage was tough, I’m dehydrated from tears. At the moment I’m not even worried about the result, I couldn’t care. Many thoughts with family and friends on this day, we don’t start the rally day 8 for bike #8 in respect to family and friends and the loss of a HERO… Thank you to everyone for the messages of support worldwide, especially those from Portugal with all the kind things. We are human and this is nothing but just a race, I would give up all my wins to have any of my fellow racing mates back with us.”
Ken Roczen tops AMA Supercross Round 2 in Missouri
Zach Osborne scored the holeshotin the 450SX Main Event at the AMA Supercross Round 2 in Missouri, but Ken Roczen was all over him throughout the opening lap before then settling a little. Justin Barcia was in third place at this early stage of the race as Adam Cianciarulo worked his way up to fourth place after passing Jason Anderson.
AMA Supercross Round Two 2020
Roczen took the lead from Osborne and the Husqvarna man lost some time as the #94 Honda went past and that allowed Barcia to close and pass. Adam Cianciarulo and Jason Anderson were banging bars over fourth place but it was the more experienced Anderson that came out on top, Cianciarulo was then pushed further back to sixth place by Justin Brayton. Malcolm Stewart was running seventh ahead of Eli Tomac, Justin Hill and Blake Baggett.
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Adam Cianciarulo got his head down again eight-minutes in to the race and moved back past Brayton and up to fifth place, he then took fourth from Zach Osborne. A couple of laps later his Monster Energy Kawasaki team-mate Eli Tomac pushed Brayton further back to sixth place.
13-minutes into the race Roczen had a seven-second lead over Justin Barcia, who in-turn had three-seconds on Jason Anderson. Adam Cianciarulo was a further five-seconds behind in fourth place but with Zach Osborne, Eli Tomac and Malcolm Stewart right behind him.
Adam Cianciarulo
Adam Cianciarulo dropped the bike on the final lap while in fourth place but managed to pick the KX450F up and salvage seventh place ahead of Justin Brayton.
Almost three years since his last victory, after endless pain and extensive operations to try and repair horrific damage suffered to his arms, wrists and hands, the 25-year-old German stood again atop a supercross podium with what was a dominant victory.
Ken Roczen – P1
“This feels so surreal and is absolutely amazing. It’s been a long time coming with a lot of struggle in the process, so this is definitely one of the sweetest moments of my career. The emotions and joy from everyone is very special. I think tonight was just our night to win. The whole day was good, starting with feeling so much more comfortable on the bike than I did last week. We also grabbed a couple of solid starts in both races tonight. I rode really good in the heat race and even in the main. I’d say that I actually surprised myself and maybe the team a little with how the main event went; it was just our time to shine. I knew if I wanted to make it happen, I’d need to make my way to the front fast, so that’s what I did. I got around Zach [Osborne] quick and had a clear track, so then I just clicked off some great laps, putting a gap between myself and the field. At one point Justin [Barcia] seemed to close in a bit but I just focused on hitting my marks and managing my pace. The race felt really long because the lap times were fairly short; the tower was right after the finish so I could get a glance at the clock each lap—it seemed like it took forever! I’ve messed it up so many times in the last laps, so it’s not over until it’s actually over. I just tried to maintain a pace while also staying consistent and not making any mistakes. We’re going to enjoy this but then get back to work this week. This is a big confidence booster and really motivating for me to want to keep the momentum going.”
AMA Supercross Round Two 2020 – Ken Roczen tops the 450 Podium
Justin Barcia took second place ahead of Jason Anderson while Eli Tomac missed the podium in fourth. Zach Osborne took fifth place ahead of Malcolm Stewart. Australian Chad Reed failed to finish the race.
Justin Barcia – P2
“It was a pretty tough day for me. I was really sick all week, and I just had to be mentally tough and push through the difficulties I was having today. My heat race went really well. I got a bad start, but I fought through the pack and got up to third. I made some really great passes, so that was awesome. In the Main Event, I got a much better start and quickly moved into second. I was pushing really hard, but tonight the best I had was second. I rode really well, considering. I felt like I rode better today than I did in Anaheim. I just unfortunately was a little under the weather. So, all in all, a really good day. The team did a great job with the motorcycle and setting it up. I’m really looking to get better this week and feeling better for Anaheim.”
Justin Barcia
Jason Anderson – P3
“I’m just out here enjoying myself, I feel like I was riding pretty good in the Main. I got off to a good start and I kind of let the battling happen in front of me and then I worked my way through the guys I could and settled into third.”
Zach Osborne leads Jason Anderson
Eli Tomac – P4
“Well we didn’t finish the night where we wanted or should be, but the team and I will get back to work this week and get everything dialed before Anaheim next weekend. I know we’ll be focusing on my starts, which have really been hurting my chances at finishing on the podium, but we’ll get those dialed and make any other minor adjustments that need to be made so we can get back on top.”
Friese leads Steward, Baggett and Tomac
Justin Barcia retains the lead in the championship on 49-points while Ken Roczen moves up to second place on 43-points, four-points ahead of Adam Cianciarulo.
2020 AMA SX – 450SX Standings after Round 2
Pos
Rider
R1
R2
Total
1
Justin Barcia
26
23
49
2
Ken Roczen
17
26
43
3
Adam Cianciarulo
23
16
39
4
Jason Anderson
18
21
39
5
Eli Tomac
16
19
35
6
Blake Baggett
19
14
33
7
Cooper Webb
21
11
32
8
Malcolm Stewart
14
17
31
9
Justin Brayton
15
15
30
10
Zach Osborne
9
18
27
11
Aaron Plessinger
11
13
24
12
Justin Hill
12
12
24
13
Vince Friese
13
9
22
14
Dean Wilson
10
10
20
15
Justin Bogle
7
8
15
16
Martin Davalos
8
1
9
17
Chris Blose
3
5
8
18
Kyle Cunningham
0
7
7
19
Chad Reed
5
2
7
20
Benny Bloss
6
6
21
Tyler Bowers
6
6
22
Alex Ray
4
4
23
Kyle Chisholm
4
4
24
James Decotis
1
3
4
25
Fredrik Noren
2
2
Austin Forkner closes in on 250SX lead
Aussie teenager Jett Lawrence got a sensational start to the 250SX Main Event but Austin Forkner quickly swept past the Geico Honda youngster. Left on the deck on lap one was defending 250 West champ Dylan Ferrandis after he was rear-ended hard by Michael Mosiman. Ferrandis had to return to his mechanics in order to get damage to his machine repaired.
Jett Lawrence & Austin Forkner
Jett Lawrence maintained a strong second place over the opening laps while not letting Forkner to break away, while countrymen Luke Clout was running seventh and Aaron Tanti 12th.
Justin Cooper was fighting his way through the field with ten-minutes remaining, and moved past Hartranft for fourth place. A couple of minutes later he then dispensed with Christian Craig to move up to third.
Jett Lawrence
Jett Lawrence was within a second of race leader Forkner for the first two-thirds of the race but five-minutes from the end Jett made a small mistake and clipped a tough-block which bent his rear brake pedal back around on to his peg. That bobble allowed Cooper to pounce and move through to second place. A lap later Lawrence stopped to see his mechanics where they bent the brake lever back off his peg and the 16-year-old rejoined the race in fifth place but with his podium chance now gone.
Forkner managed to withstand the pressure from the closing Cooper to secure the win while Brandon Hartranft secured the final step on the rostrum ahead of Alex Martin.
Austin Forkner – P1
“Man, what a tough day. It’s always a difficult pill to swallow when you end your day early, especially when you’re riding well and feeling good in the beginning. I made a small mistake in qualifying and just couldn’t really recover after that crash. I was hurting pretty badly, so the team and I all made the decision to call it a day and get checked out in hopes to recover quicker for the long season ahead.”
Austin Forkner
Justin Cooper – P2
“Last weekend I had it pretty easy. I was just out front clicking off my laps. This weekend was a different story. I felt good all day, but I didn’t put myself in the best positions in the races tonight. I just had to put my head down and take my time and come through the pack. Once you get the feeling of victory, you don’t want to lose it. But this feels like a win tonight. It was a good learning curve for me. We’re going to hold the red plate and we’re going to hold onto it tight. We’re going to fight for this championship.”
Justin Cooper
Brandon Hartranft – P3
“Honestly, I’m still in shock about what happened tonight, this podium couldn’t have come at a better time for me. The team and I have put in a lot of work this off-season and I definitely couldn’t have done this without them!”
Brandon Hartranft
Jett Lawrence salvaged that fifth place after what had been a hugely encouraging performance for the youngster. Luke Clout took a great seventh, while fellow Aussie Aaron Tanti claimed 13th.
Jett Lawrence – P5
“Gave it everything I had last night. Unfortunately I clipped a damn tough block which wrapped my rear brake around my peg and locked on my brake causing me to come into pit lane. Thanks for all the messages and comments I appreciate it. thanks to my team and sponsors. Back to work this week!”
Jett Lawrence
Luke Clout – P7
“I felt more like myself tonight. Finishing 4th in the Heat was great and it’s much closer to where I want to be. I am getting more comfortable on the 250 as well.”
Justin Cooper is the 250 West Championship leader on 49 points following Round 2, five-points ahead of Austin Forkner. Jett Lawrence currently ranks equal fifth in the series with Alex Martin.
2020 AMA SX – 250SX Standings after Round 2
Pos
Rider
R1
R2
Total
1
Justin Cooper
26
23
49
2
Austin Forkner
18
26
44
3
Brandon Hartranft
16
21
37
4
Dylan Ferrandis
23
11
34
5
Alex Martin
13
19
32
6
Jett Lawrence
14
18
32
7
Jacob Hayes
12
17
29
8
Derek Drake
15
13
28
9
Christian Craig
21
1
22
10
Michael Mosiman
19
3
22
11
Mitchell Oldenburg
7
15
22
12
Carson Brown
8
14
22
13
Luke Clout
2
16
18
14
Cameron Mcadoo
17
17
15
Michael Leib
11
6
17
16
Killian Auberson
9
8
17
17
Robbie Wageman
10
5
15
18
Derek Kelley
4
9
13
19
Martin Castelo
12
12
20
Aaron Tanti
0
10
10
21
Mitchell Falk
1
7
8
22
Jay Wilson
6
6
23
Logan Karnow
5
0
5
24
Cheyenne Harmon
4
4
25
Chris Howell
3
3
26
Ludovic Macler
0
2
2
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Nathan Watson continues French Beach Racing domination
Nathan Watson has secured his third victory of the season in the Championnat de France des Sables, extending his series lead following a commanding win at round six in Grayan-et-L’Hopital.
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
The penultimate stop of the French Beach Racing championship saw competitors travel to the south west of France, near Bordeaux, for round five. A mixture of a high-speed sandy beach and rough dunes ensured a thorough and demanding test for all at Grayan-et-L’Hopital. High tides resulted in the original three-hour race distance being cut short to just over two hours.
At a course he favours, Watson wasted no time in positioning himself at the head of the field. Claiming a top-five start, he powered his KTM 450 SX-F into the lead on the opening lap. Comfortable out front he set the pace, pulling one minute and 20 seconds clear of his rivals as the race entered its latter stages.
However, unaware that organisers had cut the race distance from three hours to just over two because of a turning tide, Watson still completed his three scheduled fuel stops. Without risk of losing position, he went on to win by almost 50 seconds from Todd Kellett and Camille Chapeliere.
Nathan Watson
“Overall, I had a really great race today. As beach races go, this one went pretty much perfectly. I’m not sure what it is about this place but I enjoy coming here and love the mixture of open high-speed beach and rough sections in the surrounding forest. We made some changes to the bike to allow for more power and speed and that helped me get a good start. I was about top five, but made some quick overtakes and hit the front on the opening lap. I was able to lead every lap and felt comfortable controlling the pace. Towards the end the organisers cut the race short. I could have avoided an extra fuel stop to save time, but I had already done my three stops at that point, so although I lost time there thankfully it all worked out ok. It’s the final push now towards Enduropale du Touquet. I feel in a good place and go there confident and focused on defending my crown.”
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
The CFS: Championnat de France des Sables concludes with Round Seven at Enduropale du Touquet on 2 February.
Championnat de France des Sables Round 6: Grayan-et-L’Hopital Results
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Fricke crowned Aussie Senior Solo Speedway Champ
Max Fricke has taken out the 2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championships in front of a packed South Australian crowd at Gillman Speedway, where fans were treated to the best racing this season. Riders diced all night in tight lines early in the heats before finding significant speed out wide later in the evening.
Despite Fricke securing the championship earlier in the night on points, it was Jack Holder who blitzed the field in the final race, with Fricke second, Rohan Tungate third, and Josh Pickering fourth. Holder’s Final win backed up his performance earlier in the night where he picked better lines and demonstrated superior speed.
Fricke played it safe at the finale to wrap up his second national title in succession and looks in fine form for his European campaign later this year.
Max Fricke
“It’s nice to know that it’s all wrapped up now and I can relax a bit. It’s really nice to know that I’ve come away with it (the championship) now. It’s nice to be able to put myself as a back to back champion with all the names on the trophy. I’m over the moon and can’t thank everyone enough.”
Max Fricke
2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship Final Points
Max Fricke 71
Jack Holder 62
Rohan Tungate 59
Chris Holder 57
Jaimon Lidsey 55
Brady Kurtz 47
Josh Pickering 38
Sam Masters 37
Ryan Douglas 26
Zach Cook 20
Rob Medson 20
Justin Sedgmen 19
Ben Cook 17
Jordan Stewart 16
Jack Morrison 6
Patrick Hamilton 1
2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship Round Five – Gillman Points
Jack Holder 20
Max Fricke 16
Rohan Tungate 16
Chris Holder 13
Josh Pickering 13
Jaimon Lidsey 12
Brady Kurtz 10
Sam Masters 8
Ben Cook 7
Rob Medson 6
Justin Sedgmen 5
Zach Cook 5
Ryan Douglas 4
Jack Morrison 1
Jordan Stewart 1
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
WA to host two International Solo Speedway friendlies
By Graeme Sinden
Western Australian motorcycle speedway followers are in for a huge treat come mid-January when the Speedway Motorcycle Club of WA host, not one, but two International Solo Speedway friendlies between Australia and Great Britain at their Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway complex near Wanneroo.
These two big nights of International solo racing between Australia and England are reminiscent of the official Test Matches that were regularly held at speedway venues around the country back in the ’80s and early ’90s including, Claremont Speedway in the days when Australia’s International solo Champion, Aub Lawson operated the famous venue and again when Con Migro took over the reigns as it’s Promoter.
Three times World Solo Champion, Tai Woffinden and his close friend, businessman, Limited WA State Sprintcar Champion and President of the Speedway Motorcycle Club of WA, Marshall McDiarmid formulated the plan to bring some young ‘Team England’ riders to Australia and race off in a couple of International Friendlies against some quality Australia riders.
The plan was to allow some up and coming young British riders to live, work and train together just as any professional team would do in an attempt to develop comradery, understanding, rider skills and indeed life skills and enable them to take these valuable experiences forward in the hope it will strengthen the UK World Cup Team in future years.
As the idea grew, the number of people in the planning process expanded and what initially started out as a thought bubble between two good friends, each with a passion for solo racing, will finally become a reality when these two great Nations face off against each other over two big nights of traditional solo speedway racing on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th January at Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway in Perth Western Australia.
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2021 Australian Speedway Solo Championships EoI open
Hot on the heels of the successful 2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship, Motorcycling Australia has today released expressions of interest for clubs or promoters to host the 2021 national speedway championships.
The 2020 five round Championship was a success because of the dedication and professionalism of local clubs and Australia’s world class riders.
Rohan Tungate – 2020 Australian Solo Senior Speedway Round 2
An Australian Championship is the pinnacle of competition in Australia and a great way to promote your club and your community whilst providing an opportunity for your local riders to compete amongst the best in Australia.
These meetings bring competitors and spectators from all over Australia.
Applications are open to clubs that wish to host the 2021 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship, Under 16’s 250cc Solo Championship and Under 21’s Solo Championship.
Upon receipt of Expression of Interest, Motorcycling Australia will send additional information on the specific championship and the requirements.
Expression of interest forms can be found on the Motorcycling Australia website www.ma.org.au
2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team unveiled
Husqvarna Motorcycles have announced the 2020 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team, featuring team riders Thomas Kjer Olsen, Jed Beaton and EMX250 rider Kay de Wolf.
2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team unveiled – Image by Bavo Swijgers
With the opening round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship now only a little over seven weeks away, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team are currently based in Spain, at the Redsand MX Park facility, where all three riders are working on both their off-bike physical training and riding, aboard their FC 250 machines.
The team’s first official outing of 2020 will be the Hawkstone Park International in England on February 9. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team will then ready themselves for the start of the 20-round FIM Motocross World Championship, which kicks off with the GP of Great Britain on March 1 at Matterley Basin.
Jed Beaton – 2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 Team – Image by Bavo Swijgers
Rasmus Jorgensen – Team Manager
“With the start of the season not too far away now, things have been going really well recently. All riders took some much-needed time off at the end of last year before starting their physical preparations in November and returning to riding in December, in Belgium. Since the New Year we’ve been in Spain at Redsand MX Park and the atmosphere among the three riders is really positive – it’s great to see so much energy and willingness to work hard. Ahead of us are many more weeks of training and testing, but all riders are already feeling really comfortable and enjoying both the on and off bike work we’re doing. We’re all looking forward to the first race at Hawkstone.”
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2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
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What happened this week
JD Beach wins 2019 Buffalo Chip TT
Ryan Sipes tops AFT Singles at Buffalo Chip TT
Gajser and Prado claim victory at 2019 MXGP of Belgium
Van De Moosdijk tops EMX at Lommel
Husqvarna’s Waters & Todd claim titles at Coolum MX Nationals
Bartosz Zmarzlik wins Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
Dan Reardon joins CDR Yamaha for 2019 Australian SX
Cole Seely announces retirement
Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
JD Beach wins 2019 Buffalo Chip TT
JD Beach took an unexpected last-second victory at the 2019 Buffalo Chip TT at the American Flat Track premiere class showdown in Sturgis, with Jake Johnson seeming a clear winner until a mechanical issue on the final corner of the final lap wreaked havoc on his would-be victory.
AFT Twins Start – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
TT standout Johnson grabbed the holeshot and quickly broke free at the front while a four-rider fight for second took shape involving Jarod Vanderkooi, Jared Mees, Bronson Bauman and Beach.
And they are off! – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Passing opportunities proved few and far between as the riders negotiated the purpose-built TT circuit on the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground that encircled “The Bar” and was pressed tight by thousands of fans on the fences. As a result, the top five could have easily been set from the opening lap if not for repeated drama.
First, Vanderkooi ran wide and quickly gave up three positions. An aggressive Beach then made his way by Bauman as well and immediately went about applying intense pressure on Mees for second.
Jake Johnson – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
That pressure was so great, in fact, that Mees ultimately decided it was better to just hand the position over to Beach than invite trouble in an attempt to defend it, especially once he saw that championship rival Briar Bauman was destined to DNF after crashing further back in the field.
At that point, Mees’ calculated decision appeared likely only to open the door for an eventual Estenson 1-2, but Beach still wasn’t satisfied. He somehow reeled in teammate Johnson, arriving on his rear wheel just in time to take the white flag. However, Beach simply couldn’t find a way through and was all but ready to follow Johnson to the checkered flag when Johnson’s bike suffered a mechanical issue exiting the race’s very final corner.
JD Beach claims the win from Jake Johnson – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Beach promptly powered past, officially claiming the victory by 0.201 seconds. The win was the second of Beach’s AFT Twins career and his second straight on the tour’s run of TTs, having also won at the Arizona Super TT earlier this season.
JD Beach
“I’m heartbroken for Jake. He rode an amazing race. I came from like fifth and caught him, but we only had a lap to go. I was trying to find a way by him but there just wasn’t any room. Coming out of the last turn, I heard his bike blubber, so I knew I was hooked up and going. It’s awesome to get a win, but to get a win like that — especially with Jake because he’s such a good guy – it feels good but it doesn’t. I have to thank the whole crowd for coming out. This event is awesome. And I’ve got to thank the whole Estenson racing team. They’ve been working really hard. We’ve got a bike that can go right, and I think we’ve proved it. And we have another chance at the Peoria TT, so we’ll see what happens.”
JD Beach – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Mees came home in third, slashing his title deficit from 26 to just 12 (173-161) to open the second half of the ‘19 title fight. Bronson Bauman finished fourth, followed by Vanderkooi in fifth.
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Ryan Sipes tops AFT Singles at Buffalo Chip TT
For the second consecutive year, Ryan Sipes put on a masterclass of all-around riding ability at the Buffalo Chip TT with a convincing victory in the once-stopped and restarted AFT Singles Main Event.
AFT Singles start – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
With right- and left-handers of varying radii and jumps to navigate, the TTs demand a somewhat different, expanded skillset compared to the other three AFT disciplines. It should be no surprise that the supremely versatile Sipes once again shone under the lights at the Buffalo Chip, as he showcased the talents that also made him a Supercross race winner and America’s first-ever ISDE overall winner.
Ryan Sipes – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Sipes was in dominant form all day long, and effectively secured the win at the critically important start when he hammered into the lead off the line. His combination of superior speed and inch-perfect lines provided his opponents with precious little hope of defeating the Kentucky native on this night.
Ryan Sipes
“I wanted this one really bad. All I’ve thought about since I crashed at Springfield was I should have won there, and now I have to win here. And I did it, so I feel really good about it.”
Ryan Sipes – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
AFT Singles points leader Dalton Gauthier was ecstatic to finish second. With series part-timer Sipes not in championship contention and key title rival Mikey Rush suffering another difficult outing, Gauthier’s podium performance opened up some breathing space at the top of the standings.
Defending champ Dan Bromley took over second in the championship chase with his sixth podium result of the season by finishing third. 2016 class champ Ryan Wells made an impressive charge on a track that was nearly impossible to pass on to arrive in fourth while top qualifier Chad Cose rounded out the top five.
Ryan Sipes topped the AFT Singles podium- AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Aussie Max Whale came home in the AFT Singles main event eighth on his Kawasaki KX450F, and currently sits ninth in the standings on 83-points.
Max Whale
“Had a blast at the Buffalo Chip TT. Ended the night with a solid P8. The track was unique, tight and hard to pass! Had to come from row 3. Plenty of bar bagging! Thanks to all my sponsors!”
Max Whale – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Buffalo Chip TT – AFT Singles Main Event
#
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Ryan Sipes
KTM 450 SX-F
0.000
2
Dalton Gauthier
Husqvarna FC450
2.141
3
Dan Bromley
KTM 450 SX-F
3.272
4
Ryan Wells
Yamaha YZ450F
7.56
5
Chad Cose
Honda CRF450R
8.072
6
James Rispoli
Yamaha YZ450F
8.369
7
Jesse Janisch
Yamaha YZ450F
8.509
8
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
8.86
9
Jacob Lehmann
Honda CRF450R
9.119
10
Andrew DiBrino
Husqvarna FC450
9.866
AFT Singles Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Dalton Gauthier
189
2
Dan Bromley
168
3
Mikey Rush
161
4
Jesse Janisch
150
5
Ryan Wells
126
6
Shayna Texter
108
7
Chad Cose
105
8
Morgen Mischler
90
9
Max Whale
83
10
Kevin Stollings
79
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Gajser and Prado claim victory at 2019 MXGP of Belgium
Tim Gajser claimed the MXGP of Belgium victory over the weekend, with a 2-2 result netting 44-points and extending his championship lead, with Romain Febvre runner up on 43-points thanks to a 1-4 result. Glenn Coldenhoff claimed the final overall podium position with a consistent 3-3 result for 40-points.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Following the MXGP of Belgium Gajser holds the championship lead by an all but insurmountable 187-points with four rounds to go, with second place sitting with Jeremy Seewer who took fourth overall over the weekend and now holds 439-points. That’s a 37-point lead over Gautier Paulin on 402. Arnaud Tonus is a close fourth with 396-points.
Tim Gajser
“I had fun today and it is weird saying that in the sand for me. I had two good races and I let Max pass because he was faster, then he made a mistake and I got him back, then he passed me again. They told me if I was second, I would have won the overall. I very happy with this GP win as I didn’t’ expect it. I expected a top five would be good and to win here is really special. We have worked in the sand in the winter and it really worked out. The track was rough, and it was easy to make a mistake. I will try and make a good start and see if I can stay with these guys, but if I can’t I will settle for the points. It is always mental, coming here in Lommel, we know the race will be tough, so deep and so bumpy and I did my best.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Romain Febvre
“I used a lot of energy for the qualifying race. I wanted a good start gate. I was first in the first corner of the first race and then Tim passed me, and I passed him again. I was feeling comfortable but it was really tough. The first race was easier, and the second race I didn’t get the start I liked.. It was tough and it was hot. I struggled at the beginning of the first race a bit, then 10 minutes before the end I lost a bit my rhythm and I was super happy to have won the first race. In second race I ended fourth for a second overall. I couldn’t pass Van Horebeek and Coldenhoff and I lost my rhythm. I am a little bit disappointed. Today I felt better than yesterday, but I didn’t have so much energy at the end.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Glenn Coldenhoff
“It is great. Two weeks ago I didn’t feel good in the sand, but the team helped with a great bike and I give it to those guys. I am happy to be back up here and I enjoy it. The sand always suits me well, and it is easier than hard pack for me. Yesterday I felt good. I went into qualification to save energy for today’s race and maybe that was wrong, because I couldn’t find my rhythm and I struggled a bit. I pushed this morning and had that good feeling again pulling also the FOX Holeshot. I have to thank my boss and the whole team. We have been through difficult time, but we are back. The team has done an amazing job to have me comfortable in the sand.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
MXGP Round Overall
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
44
2
Febvre, Romain
43
3
Coldenhoff, Glenn
40
4
Seewer, Jeremy
34
5
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
29
6
Jasikonis, Arminas
28
7
Anstie, Max
25
8
Jonass, Pauls
24
9
Monticelli, Ivo
23
10
Paulin, Gautier
23
MXGP Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
626
2
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
439
3
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
402
4
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
396
5
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
358
6
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
355
7
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
KTM
349
8
Febvre, Romain
FRA
YAM
336
9
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
329
10
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
321
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In MX2 Jorge Prado proved unstoppable with a 1-1 result and 50 championship points to the tally, with the runner up position proving a tight competition with Calvin Vlaanderen, Ben Watson and Tom Vialle all sitting on 36-points a-piece, with Vialle missing out on the podium and Vlaanderen runner up. Adam Sterry in fifth overall was a further point in arrears.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Following Belgium Prado (644) holds a 124-point lead from Thomas Kjer Olsen (520), with Tom Vialle (416) a further 104-points back in third place. Jago Geerts sits fourth in the standings on 413-points, while Henry Jacobi completes the top five with 399-points.
Jorge Prado
“Normally it is a tough race even if I had a good flow the whole race. I was enjoying it and I was mentally prepared for this. We are closing in on the championship and looking for the next round. The first race was also good, the track is very rough, and you need to be careful with your energy and have energy for the second one. The second race was good, another FOX holeshot and that was my goal. The last lap I had more than 30 seconds lead and I tried to make it bigger, but I lost my hand and fell, lucky I got up quickly. Third GP win at Lommel, so I am happy.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Calvin Vlaanderen
“It feels good to be back, this is the goal to come on the podium. First race I wasn’t happy, put it down and came back. Didn’t expect to be on the podium as I started the second race with the goal to have fun. I was stoked when I saw I was on the podium. I think in Italy I need two good starts and two good races. Maybe on the hard-pack I can put a bit more pressure on Prado and try and fight at the front.”
Calvin Vlaanderen – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Ben Watson
“I am gutted for my teammate. I come here not knowing what to expect as I decided to race just some days ago. I came here to one of the toughest Grand Prix of the year and got on the podium. I want to thank the team, my girlfriend, my family and everyone who has been a part of this. The last few weeks have been difficult, I had a lot of time to improve after Indonesia and I got a lot of physical training in as I wanted a good comeback race. I only rode Tuesday for the first time, and we decided to come, and it was a big shock to me and the whole team. My teammate Jago deserved the second spot on the podium.”
Ben Watson – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
MX2 Round Overall
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Prado, Jorge
50
2
Vlaanderen, Calvin
36
3
Watson, Ben
36
4
Vialle, Tom
36
5
Sterry, Adam
35
6
Renaux, Maxime
29
7
Genot, Cyril
22
8
Östlund, Alvin
22
9
Jacobi, Henry
22
10
Geerts, Jago
22
MX2 Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
644
2
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
520
3
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
416
4
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
413
5
Jacobi, Henry
GER
KAW
399
6
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KAW
314
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
282
8
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
271
9
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
250
10
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
HON
248
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Van De Moosdijk tops EMX at Lommel
The EMX250 and EMX125 classes continued their championships stories in Lommel at the MXGP of Belgium, and once again it was the sand masters who came out with amazing skills around one of the toughest circuits in the World.
EMX250 start at Lommel
Roan van de Moosdijk is the king of the sand in the EMX250 class, going 1-1 and taking the points’ lead in the series standings heading to the next round in Sweden. The Dutchman was a level above his competition as he clocked lap times bunch of seconds quicker than the other EMX250 riders. Kevin Horgmo was second overall and Mikkel Haarup third.
In the EMX125 class it was Simon Laengenfelder who scored 2-1 results to win the overall, ahead of series leader Mattia Guadagnini and Tom Guyon. Guadagnini continues to lead the series by 20 points over Guyon.
EMX250
Kevin Horgmo was quickly into the lead in the opening EMX250 race, followed by Isak Gifting, Kay Ebben and Roan van de Moosdijk. Mikkel Haarup moved past van de Moosdijk on lap two, and championship front runners, Rene Hofer was back in seventh, Stephen Rubini was ninth and Alberto Forato way back in 14th. Van de Moosdijk moved into second place on lap three.
Alberto Forato
Van de Moosdijk moved into the lead on the fourth lap while Rubini was up to sixth position. After six laps the lead was 12 seconds between van de Moosdijk and Horgmo. Haarup moved into second on lap 10 and Rubini moved into fifth place. Van de Moosdijk won the Saturday’s race 1 from Haarup and Horgmo.
In the second EMX250 race it was Van De Moosdijk who led early from Horgmo, Raivo Dankers, Bastian Boegh Damm and Rene Hofer. Rubini was down in seventh place. After just one lap the lead was already more than five seconds as the Dutchman was showing off his sand skills. A lap later the lead was nearly 10 seconds.
Forato moved into second place when he passed Horgmo, and Rubini crashed and dropped to 10th place. Not a lot changed with Van De Moosdijk moved to 30 seconds ahead of Forato on lap eight, then came Horgmo, Dankers and Boegh. Rubini remained in 10th place.
With a 32 second lead Van de Moosdijk slipped over in a corner, but still had an easy lead when he got up and just to make matters even better for the leader, Rubini dropped out of the top ten and was in 13th.
Van De Moosdijk won race 2 from Forato and Horgmo and getting is double race win of the season and the Red Plate for the first time in his career. The Dutch rider got in the Belgian round in thirst position in the series and will head to Switzerland leading the series with 11 point over Rubini.
Roan Van De Moosdijk
“I didn’t know I had the points lead until the end of the race. The start today was good, and I controlled the races even if at the end I got tired. It’s been always a dream to have a red plate and now I have it, and close to home with all my family and friends here to see it. I want to thank my team and my trainer.”
Roan Van De Moosdijk
EMX250 – Overall Top Ten
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 50 points
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 40
Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 35
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 34
Ken Bengtson (SWE, HUS), 31
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 28
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 26
Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 23
Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, YAM), 20
EMX250 – Championship Top Ten
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 288 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 277
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 275
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 195
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 137
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 133
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 131
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 127
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 99
Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 97
EMX125
Joel Rizzi took the holeshot in the opening EMX 125 race but it was Mattia Guadagnini who took the lead quickly and just walked away from the field. Second was Simon Laengenfelder, and third Tom Guyon. Mike Gwerder finished in fifth and lost ground on the two front guys in the points race.
EMX125 start
The second EMX125 presented by FMF Racing race proved a surprise as Laengenfelder took the lead on Guadagnini and Guyon on lap 3. After five laps the lead was five seconds as the German rider showed amazing sand skills.
Rizzi was also looking good in fourth position ahead of fifth placed Kay De Wolf. Laengenfelder rode brilliant to remain in control and winning from Guadagnini and Guyon.
EMX125 podium
Simon Laengenfelder won his first EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing round of his career with his 2-1 and he stands third in the championship while Mattia Guadagnini keeps the red plate.
Simon Laengenfelder
“I had the holeshot and Guadagnini passed me then I passed him back. I am so happy with the victory. I want to thank my team. This is unbelievable.”
Simon Laengenfelder
EMX125 – Overall Top Ten
Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 47 points
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 47
Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 40
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 34
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30
Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 26
Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 25
Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 24
Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 23
Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), 23
EMX125 – Championship Top Ten
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 265 points
Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 245
Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 175
Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 174
Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 165
Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 156
Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 155
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 123
Guillem Farres (ESP, KTM), 101
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 95
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Husqvarna’s Waters & Todd claim titles at Coolum MX Nationals
DPH Husqvarna Factory Racing team racers Todd Waters and Wilson Todd dominated the final two rounds of the MX Nationals in Coolum, to win both the MX1 450cc and MX2 250cc National Motocross Championships, and become the only team to win both the MX1 and MX2 titles in the one MX Nationals season.
Todd Waters – Image by iKapture
Todd Waters quickly secured the MX1 Superpole on Saturday, before going on to win all three MX1 races, while Wilson Todd took both MX2 wins and secured a dominant round nine display for DPH.
With Sunday hosting the tenth and final round of the MX Nationals on the very same track, Todd Waters once more secured Superpole before going on to win both 16-lap MX1 races and securing the MX1 Championship.
Wilson Todd took a 1-2 finish in the back-to-back format and a third in the final moto to also secure the MX2 overall and the 2019 MX2 Championship.
Wilson Todd – Image by iKapture
Todd Waters – 2019 Thor MX1 Champion
“I’ve wanted this for so long, and I’m pumped to be able to do it with such a great group around me. From personal sponsors that have been with me through my whole career, to new supporters, and the team at DPH, my family, and especially my Dad Steve. Having him behind me at every gate drop has been unreal and really helped to take the pressure off and just enjoy racing my bike. I’ve said it a lot this season, but I really love riding the FC450. DPH builds a family atmosphere where it’s easy to relax, focus and get the job done and that’s exactly what we did this weekend. I was confident coming into the weekend that I could wrap up the season, but I never expected to have a perfect finish with two superpoles and five race wins!”
Todd Waters – Image by iKapture
Wilson Todd – 2019 MX2 Champion
“Everything came together for me this weekend. I’ve been comfortable leading the championship, but with such a small gap, and a double header weekend, anything could’ve happened. I didn’t get a great lap in qualifying, but I got out of the gates strong and was able to ride at a strong pace to take both race wins and increase my lead for the final day of racing. For Sunday, I wanted to win, but not at the sake of the championship, so I used my head, raced hard and took opportunities when they were there, without risking too much. I’m now a two-time MX2 champion, and really glad I could help DPH make history by taking both championships in the one season. Thank you to everyone that supports me and the whole team.”
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CDR Yamaha’s Luke Clout MX1 runner-up
Heading into the final two rounds over the weekend the premier MX1 championship rolled into Coolum on a knife’s edge with just two points separating the top two riders and with four points scoring motos on a track known to wreak havoc, where anything could have happened.
Luke Clout – Image by iKapture
But, fight as he may, Luke Clout wasn’t able to overcome rival Todd Waters and had to settle for fourth place in each round which more than secured second place in the championship on board his Yamaha YZ450F.
Clout stuck to his guns all weekend and went down swinging. He wanted to take the challenge right up to Waters but a crash proved costly and he was unable to make any headway into the championship lead.
Luke Clout
“I did everything I could all weekend and the boys in the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team really put in the hard yards but I wasn’t good enough today and Todd deserved his victory. I felt pretty good on the bike most of the weekend but I had a decent crash in the final race on Saturday afternoon which left me and my bike pretty battered. The team worked through the night to get it back into perfect shape and we gave it our all, but just couldn’t get it done. Congratulations to Todd and his team this year. I know he has wanted this for a long-time and he has been great to race with all season. For me it was a better result than last season which is good, and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team have been amazing to work with. Finishing second has given me more motivation to work harder for next years championship and I will be back to give it 100%. Thank you to my team, my family and my girlfriend for their support this season, also to WEM and the series sponsors in making the MX Nationals happen. Time now for a few days off and then its back into it for Supercross and I can’t wait to get back in the stadiums again.”
Luke Clout – Image by iKapture
Strong Coolum result for Kawasaki’s Dylan Long
Dylan Long finished off the 2019 MX Nationals championship in spectacular fashion at Coolum, scoring dual MX1 podium results in the double-header series finals.
Saturday’s Round 9 marked Long’s first overall podium of the year after he qualified in sixth position and then powered to 3-7 results in the opening MX1 sprint races for a combined moto score of fourth. In the final outing, he charged to third, granting him a deserved third overall for round nine.
Round 10 was even more impressive for the popular Victorian talent, transferring through Super Pole to qualify in third. The first moto saw him one again ride to a top-three result in third place, before backing that form up with second in moto two. Those results saw him achieve back-to-back overall podiums, this time in P2 for round 10 to cap-off the series.
Dylan Long
“I’m really stoked for myself and the Empire Kawasaki team to finish the season with these podium finishes,” beamed an elated Long. “The goal was to get better and better at every round once I came back from injury and we did that. After finishing third yesterday, I knew I would have to back it up today and we managed to finish second, so we’re really happy. The track was gruelling this weekend and especially today, but Empire Kawasaki had my KX450 working so good in these conditions and I can’t thank them enough!”
Dylan Long – Image by iKapture
2019 MX1 Championship Final Points
Todd Waters 568
Luke Clout 530
Hayden Mellross 462
Kirk Gibbs 435
Brett Metcalfe 432
Justin Rodbell 373
Richie Evans 372
Jesse Dobson 360
Dylan Long 325
Jayden Rykers 300
2019 MX2 Championship Final Points
Wilson Todd 562
Kyle Webster 536
Jay Wilson 523
Nathan Crawford 492
Aaron Tanti 460
Dylan Wills 394
Bailey Malkiewicz 387
Ricky Latimer 360
Cooper Pozniak 345
Morgan Fogarty 327
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Bartosz Zmarzlik wins Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
World No.2 Bartosz Zmarzlik raced to Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland glory on Saturday night and declared the epic event “the best GP in history.”
2019 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
The Polish icon raced to his second win of 2019 and the second of his career on home soil – five years on from his unforgettable 2014 Gorzow SGP triumph as a wild card, which saw him become the youngest SGP winner of all time at the age of 19.
Zmarzlik topped the podium ahead of Martin Vaculik and Leon Madsen, and now leads the World Championship standings on 61 points – level with Emil Sayfutdinov and Madsen, but ahead of his rivals by virtue of his FIM ranking.
It was an incredible night of action which saw passing aplenty as Wroclaw staged its first SGP event in 12 years in a sold-out Olympic Stadium.
Zmarzlik was delighted to take the win a huge 17-point haul, but admits he had to fight for it.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“I think that was the best GP in history because there were so many riders changing places all night. It was nice speedway. I’m very happy because this is my first win in Poland away from my home track Gorzow. I am very happy because I scored good points and it was a good meeting. It was good work today. It wasn’t so easy at the start, but the last heats were the best.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik – Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
Zmarzlik is nicely placed in his quest to become Poland’s third world champion, following in the footsteps of his former Gorzow team mate and mentor Tomasz Gollob in 2010.
But he’s not taking anything for granted at the championship’s halfway stage, with five rounds still to race.
Next up is the Scandinavian SGP at Malilla’s G&B Arena on August 17. Zmarzlik triumphed there in 2016 and has been in extraordinary form in the Swedish Elitserien this season, leading the average charts on 2.900 per race – from a maximum of 3.000.
Vaculik was pleased to pick up his third SGP second place of the season and 15 valuable points. He’s now just two off top spot with 59, occupying fourth place. But the Slovak admits he’s determined to convert his next final appearance into a victory.
Third-placed Madsen produced a show reel of epic rides on his way to the final. While he admits his starts forced him to go on the offensive, he was pleased to have the pace to pull off some big moves to stay among the championship frontrunners.
Bartosz Zmarzlik tops the 2019 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland podium
Speedway GP World Championship Standings
Bartosz Zmarzlik 61
Emil Sayfutdinov 61
Leon Madsen 61
Martin Vaculik 59
Patryk Dudek 55
Fredrik Lindgren 47
Janusz Kolodziej 44
Maciej Janowski 36
Jason Doyle 35
Artem Laguta 34
Betard Wroclaw SGP Scores
Bartosz Zmarzlik 17
Martin Vaculik 15
Leon Madsen 14
Janusz Kolodziej 15
Emil Sayfutdinov 14
Maciej Janowski 12
Patryk Dudek 8
Antonio Lindback 7
Artem Laguta 7
Tai Woffinden 6
Jason Doyle 5
Fredrik Lindgren 5
Maksym Drabik 4
Max Fricke 4
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Dan Reardon joins CDR Yamaha for 2019 Australian SX
Former multi-time Australian Supercross champion, Dan Reardon, will re-unite with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team for the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship starting on October 12 in Brisbane.
Dan Reardon on the podium for the SX1 Overall at the Aus-X Open in 2018 Jason Anderon 75 Dean Wilson 62 Daniel Reardon 60
Reardon, who finished third in the 2018 championship on board a YZ450F, has joined forces with the most powerful team in Australian motocross and supercross and already deep into his preparations for the coming season.
In a deal that sees Reardon combine the championship winning formula of the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team, he has also been able to bring his own sponsors to the effort to create a unique and powerful team.
Dan Reardon
“It’s awesome to be back with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team and working with a great group of guys. We won the championship together in 2015 and I have built a close bond to CDR and Yamaha over the years. Last year I did my own program together with the help of Yamaha but the logistics of managing that and also preparing to race become more time consuming than I anticipated. It’s great to be back with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team again as I know that all the background work is taken care of and my sole focus is to win races and get the job done with no distractions. Craig has been great to work with in putting this deal together and we have been able to put together a deal that allows me to keep my global deals in place with companies like Fasthouse, DR Homes, Bell, Go Pro and Boost, but also take on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team sponsors, infrastructure and support. I’m excited to go racing again and really looking forward to a successful year and a great championship battle in 2019.”
Dan Reardon – Image by TBG
The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team were on the look out for another rider for the 2019 supercross season as Kirk Gibbs is contracted for the MX Nationals only. After assessing all options, team owner Craig Dack, felt Reardon was the right man for the job and with previous success, Dack hopes to build on the already proven platform.
Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha Team Owner
“Dan is obviously a talented, highly skilled and well credentialled supercross rider who has had a long term relationship with Yamaha here in Australia and the US. On limited budget in 2018, he was able to put together an impressive season and now with the extra support and infrastructure the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team can provide, we hope to take it to the next level with Dan in 2019. He is already comfortable with the Yamaha YZ450F and well under way in his preparation for the series. We are happy to put this deal together with Dan and some of his partners that have been behind him in recent years and feel we have the riders and the team to challenge for the 2019 SX1 supercross championship.”
CDR Yamaha’s Craig Dack
The opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship gets under way on Saturday October 12 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre before travelling through Adelaide, Wollongong and Auckland before the grand final at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on November 30.
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Cole Seely announces retirement
Team Honda HRC rider Cole Seely announced his retirement from professional racing after over a decade competing at the highest level in both the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross series. Seely has dedicated nearly his entire professional career to the Honda brand, riding for a Honda satellite team throughout most of his 250 tenure before spending five years aboard a factory CRF450R.
At 29, Seely has accomplished a number of milestones. After turning pro in 2009, he signed with the then-Honda-backed Troy Lee Designs team in 2010. During his five-year stint with that team, Seely captured five 250SX victories and finished runner-up in the 2014 250SX West title chase.
In 2015, he was awarded 450SX Rookie of the Year honors after finishing third overall in the AMA Supercross series, highlighted by his first 450cc victory, at the Houston Supercross. Seely also represented Team USA at the 2017 Motocross of Nations.
Cole Seely – Image by Hoppenworld
Over the past few seasons, Seely has been plagued by injuries, which contributed to his decision to retire.
Cole Seely
“These past two years have been very difficult. Last year’s injury was severe and very tough on me both mentally and physically. I fought hard to return this season, but it was much more challenging than I anticipated. Now with this recent shoulder injury, it’s just another setback. This decision definitely wasn’t easy, but I think it’s the right choice. I’m grateful for having been given the opportunity to do something I’ve loved since I was a kid and to make it into my career. I’m grateful for the support from my fans and many sponsors throughout the years. I’d especially like to thank Honda, who has been behind me for my entire career, supporting me through the ups and downs. I’m grateful to have been partnered with such a great brand. I’m looking forward to this next chapter and to seeing where the future takes me.”
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Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
The MXGP of Belgium hosted the presentation of the Belgian team for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Presentation was held at the public area of the Lommel GP in front of a huge crowd of Belgian fans.
Team Belgium Manager Johan Boonen presented the 2019 Line up representing the Belgian colors in Assen on September the 28thand 29th.
Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
Jeremy van Horebeek will lead the team riding the MXGP class, while Jago Geerts will compete the MX2 class and veteran Kevin Strijbos rounded up the Squad representing Belgium in the Open class.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Red flagged mud fest at Hattah 2019
Eli Tomac & Dylan Ferrandis top RedBud National
Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado win MXGP of Indonesia
Sam Sunderland wins Silk Way Rally Round 2
Emil Sayfutdinov claims first SGP win for six years in Sweden
2019 Speedway of Nations Finals teams announced
Rockhampton to host 2020 KTM AJMX
Dean Wilson confirmed to join AUS-X Open Melbourne
Red flagged mud fest at Hattah 2019
The 2019 Hattah Desert Race will go down in history as one of the most challenging, yet shortest races since it began. Heavy rain and hail pounded the event shortly after the scheduled eight-lap race commenced. The sheer volume of water restricted emergency vehicle access and the decision was made to cut the event short to four-laps.
Daniel Milner – Image by John Pearson Media
KTM duo Daniel Milner and Lyndon Snodgrass delivered a spectacular 1-2 finish, despite the conditions, with Milner having qualified fastest following Saturday’s Prologue with a blistering 2m45.417s lap-time set in the Top 10 Shootout, while Snodgrass recorded the third-fastest lap overall.
Contested in difficult, muddy conditions after rain arrived on Sunday morning, Milner claimed his second-career Hattah victory and clinching the Over 450cc 4-Stroke class win in the process. Milner’s effort was even more remarkable since he has been recovering from a broken collarbone sustained six weeks prior to Hattah, as well as tendonitis, limiting his seat time in the lead-up to what is recognised as one of the most gruelling races in the sport.
Daniel Milner – P1
“It’s such a good feeling to win Hattah after breaking my collarbone six weeks ago and undergoing surgery before I then had tendon problems in the opposite arm once I was back on the bike. I’d only had four days on the bike and one day of testing, so to bring it home is an unbelievable feeling and the KTM 500 EXC-F is such a weapon to ride! Things went our way in the race and we didn’t miss a beat – the bike was very similar to how I rode it last year in terms of set-up. It really was a matter of making sure we could get through the race and it became a case of survival, so I was being as consistent as possible. The decision to cut the race short was the right one in those conditions and I’m really happy to get another outright win here, that’s for sure.”
Daniel Milner – Image by John Pearson Media
Snodgrass also put forward a phenomenal ride on the KTM 450 EXC-F to not only claim an outright podium, but also comfortably score the 251cc-450cc 4-Stroke class win over eight minutes clear of his closest rival.
Lyndon Snodgrass – P2
“Today was a crazy one with all that rain coming down, making it a really tough mud race in the desert, so to finish second outright and first in class was definitely awesome. The Prologue was important and we did well in that, so today I tried to have the cleanest race possible all the way through to the end – it was a matter of survival in those conditions by the time we got to the last lap and especially towards the end. The KTM 450 EXC-F was faultless all weekend and we managed to get one position better than last year, so I’m rapt with that result.”
Lyndon Snodgrass – Image by John Pearson Media
KTM riders filled four of the top five positions outright, including Lachlan Terry in fourth and Davey Motorsports KTM’s Mason Semmens in fifth. Semmens won the Under 19s division, while KTM-mounted Jess Moore was also victorious in the Ladies Tenacious Women of Hattah category.
Claiming second in his class and an very impressive third outright was Josh Green, who on board the WR450F contested the 251 to 450cc 4 stroke class and was in good form all weekend. Despite a heavy fall on lap two, Green soldiered on for a top result in his typical style.
Josh Green
“This race is always one of the toughest of the year in dry conditions so when you add a heap of rain, it just becomes even tougher,” Green begins. “My first lap was pretty good but then on lap two, with the track getting hammered by the rain, I went over the ‘bars as I tried to plough through a deep, boggy spot. I have done some damage to my wrist and I will need to get hat checked out this week as its really sore now but while I was still warm and had some grip strength, I kept on going. If it had gone the full distance, I’m not sure if the wrist would have held up but I was fortunate to get to the finish line with a good result. Thanks to the team again. They earned their money from this event.”
Josh Green – Image by John Pearson Media
The Motul Pirelli Sherco duo of Andy Wilksch and Nathan Trigg also began the Hattah Desert Race weekend in good form. Trigg posting the sixth fastest qualifying time and Wilksch just missing out on the top ten in eleventh. When the main race began and the heavens opened up, both riders put their 500 SEF Factory models to task while mayhem spread through the field.
At the completion of the fourth lap, Wilksch had powered his way to sixth with Trigg close behind in seventh. It was a solid performance by both riders in incredibly wild conditions.
Andy Wilksch – P6
“Our weekend came together pretty good in the end. The race was short and sharp in comparison to what we prepared for and the 500 Factory definitely played a part in our success. The extra power made it easy and our bikes didn’t wear out. Reliability was key in those conditions. Our bikes are strong and reliable and with the track deteriorating so rapidly each lap, the power of the 500 let me make passes down the straights. The bikes just ate the conditions with ease. I’ve never been able to crack the top ten at Hattah before so to get sixth feels like a bonus.”
Andy Wilksch – Image by John Pearson Media
Nathan Trigg was relishing the challenge and despite suffering a crash while avoiding a lapped rider, Trigg thoroughly enjoyed the experience of a wet Hattah, and took seventh overall.
Nathan Trigg – P7
“I had a couple of stacks in the rain, but somehow I was having fun. It was actually the most fun I’ve had at Hattah. I was hoping to qualify a bit higher up the order for a better starting position, but I still got going okay. The bike was awesome and really strong. It was just unreal, and I had a ball riding it. I didn’t even know what position I was in towards the end, but I rode the best I could and was happy to get a good result.”
Nathan Trigg – Image by John Pearson Media
Jack Simpson was able to take third in the 450cc 4-stroke class, after qualifying seventh outright, while a scary crash in lap one cost him dearly as he lost precious time on the leaders.
Jack Simpson – P8
“I lost it on the first lap. I had one of the biggest crashes in my life, several riders commented on it after the race, one saying it was the biggest crash he had ever seen. I am lucky to have gotten away with only bumps and bruises and I am fortunate that the bike was still rideable. The crash rattled me but once I got going I was riding on adrenalin. The hardest part was racing in the conditions. The track was flooded in some areas, people were creating new lines, and some parts of the track became 50 meters wide. It ended up being a battle of survival.”
Jack Simpson
Michael Driscoll took the win in the up to 250cc 4 stroke class on his WR250F and regardless of the conditions, was well in control of his division after a common sense start saw him soon gain the lead and never let it go, in a strong performance for the 19 year old off road gun, with 13th in the outright result as well.
Michael Driscoll – P13
“I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry after all that. I was so looking forward to this race and I know how much work everyone on the team put in for it, so it was such a shame to have these conditions to race in. The bikes are destroyed and it was sketchy getting around out there as the rain, the mud, the bog holes as well as fallen or stranded riders meant it was like riding through a mine field. It was good to get the class win and tick off another goal for the season but I feel for the guys having to clean all this mess up and get our team bikes back into good condition again. Thank you to them and all our team sponsors for a huge effort that will still be going long after this weekend is over.”
Defending Hattah Desert Race champion Daniel Sanders and the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team had a rough weekend, in contention for victory until encountering difficulties in the closing stages. Sanders had immediately established himself at the front of the field on race-day Sunday, which was greeted with torrential rain-soaked, muddy conditions.
It appeared Sanders was on his way to the win until the prevalent water caused a suspected problem with the electrics, forcing him to stop and rectify the issue with timely assistance from his Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team crew. He went on to claim 14th position outright despite losing 20 minutes and seventh in the Over 450cc 4-Stroke category.
Daniel Sanders – P14
“It’s very disappointing because the team and I put a lot of effort into this one event each year. Obviously the weather today played a part and we started strongly, but unfortunately, the issue meant we gave away the win because I felt as though the race was mine at that point. The track was full of puddles because of the rain falling and we were hitting them at high-speed, so that could have led to the problem. We ended up getting going again and I brought it home to the finish, but it wasn’t to be today.”
Daniel Sanders – Image by John Pearson Media
Penrite Honda Racing’s 250cc rider Mark Grove pushed as hard as he could in the challenging conditions to take second in his class.
Mark Grove – P19
“It was harder to see than explainable, racing the 250cc in these conditions was twice as tough as it be if it was dry, the bigger bikes were creating roost that would fill your goggles in, people were crashing and it was even hard to see fallen riders. I understand why they cut it short. It was the toughest Hattah I have ever done.” Grove commented.
Mark Grove
Emma Milesevic, a Honda Genuine Ride Red rider also excelled on her way to second in the women’s class and 37th outright. This year marked the first time women had finished inside the top 40 outright and the team were very pleased with her commitment to the race.
Emma Milesevic
Honda’s Junior Factory Rider Madi Healey, of team BCP Pro Circuit Honda took first place in the Junior girls class on the CRF250R, and convincingly so, winning by over 20 minutes. This was Healey’s hat trick event at Hattah, having won the last three years in a row.
Madi Healey
The second of the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team entries, Fraser Higlett, encountered difficulties of his own in qualifying and started from 38th, but quickly sliced his way to sixth in the opening laps before the treacherous conditions ultimately ended his day on lap three of the four run.
Fraser Higlett – DNF
“Today was a rough one for me in the end, but I did my best toward the start of the race and we were looking good for a number of laps. I charged through the field in the tough conditions all the way up to sixth, so that was positive and I was feeling good in the mud. To start out of 38th definitely made things harder than they could have been and I’m disappointed with how the race finished for me, but we will be back and I will see what I can do next year.”
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2019 Hattah Desert Race Outright Top 20
Daniel MILNER 2:14:22.051
Lyndon SNODGRASS 2:17:43.210
Joshua GREEN 2:26:02.086
Lachlan TERRY 2:26:03.909
Mason SEMMENS 2:26:17.291
Andrew WILKSCH 2:27:16.808
Nathan TRIGG 2:28:35.600
Jack SIMPSON 2:31:21.448
Jeremy CARPENTIER 2:31:52.831
Alex BOLTON 2:31:55.139
Stefan GRANQUIST 2:32:52.585
Sam DAVIE 2:33:07.569
Michael DRISCOLL 2:33:40.942
Daniel SANDERS 2:34:34.965
William PRICE 2:35:27.517
Lee STEPHENS 2:35:27.958
Geoff BRAICO 2:37:40.882
Broc GRABHAM 2:38:30.951
Mark GROVE 2:38:40.017
Jesse LAWTON 2:39:37.173
Senior Race
Daniel MILNER 2:14:22.051
Lyndon SNODGRASS +3:21.159
Joshua GREEN +11:40.035
Up-to 250cc 4stroke
Michael DRISCOLL 2:33:40.942
Mark GROVE 2:38:40.017
Hunter SEMMENS 2:39:37.576
Up-to 250cc 2stroke
Danielle FOOT 3:00:07.677
Jacob EUSTACE 3:00:23.466
Nathan HOWE 2:14:53.708
251cc & over 2stroke
Sam HANDLEY 2:15:51.541
Michael COLLINS 2:42:29.845
Trent PUDDY 2:45:31.076
251-450cc 4Stroke
Lyndon SNODGRASS 2:17:43.210
Joshua GREEN 2:26:02.086
Jack SIMPSON 2:31:21.448
Ladies Tenacious Women of Hattah
Jessica MOORE 2:46:54.604
Emma MILESEVIC 2:49:28.301
Jessica GARDINER 3:06:28.552
Under 19s
Mason SEMMENS 2:26:17.291
William PRICE 2:35:27.517
Korey MCMAHON 2:41:00.258
Veterans 35-44yrs
Lee STEPHENS 2:35:27.958
David JONGEBLOED 2:53:43.870
Steven POWELL 2:14:47.039
Masters 45yrs & over
Kevin ARCHER 2:58:42.708
Peter TAYLOR 2:16:24.770
Lou STYLIANOU 2:18:12.841
Juniors – Small Wheel
Angus RIORDAN 1:56:50.679
Samuel PRETSCHERER +1:26.648
Blake HOLLIS +3:45.381
Juniors – Big Wheels
Angus RIORDAN 1:56:50.679
Samuel PRETSCHERER +1:26.648
Blake HOLLIS +3:45.381
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Eli Tomac & Dylan Ferrandis top RedBud National
The American motocross Independence Day tradition brought the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to the seventh round of the 2019 season, with Michigan’s RedBud MX celebrating the 4th of July by kicking off the second half of the racing series with the RedBud National.
The storied track produced heated competition across both classes, with Eli Tomac and Dylan Ferrandis claiming victory. Aussie Hunter Lawrence also went 8-4 for fifth overall.
RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
Tomac’s third win of the season further strengthened his hold on the championship lead in the 450 Class. One year after he endured a misfortune-plagued afternoon at RedBud, the reigning champ returned in search of redemption and successfully grabbed his second victory in three years at the track. He’s now more than 30-points clear of Marvin Musquin in the standings.
Eli Tomac
“Overall, it was a really good day for us, I had been feeling good all day. It has been a little bit rough the last couple of weeks, but the first moto was a really good way to start the day and get things turned back around. I think that I had some better lines in the first moto, but I was able to move up and get the job done in the second moto.”
Eli Tomac – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (1-2)
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (2-4)
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (7-1)
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (3-5)
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (6-3)
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM (4-6)
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (5-9)
Benny, Bloss, Oak Grove, MO., KTM (9-8)
Dean Wilson, United Kingdom, Husqvarna (12-7)
Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Suzuki (8-13)
450 Podium 1) Eli Tomac, 2) Jason Anderson, 3) Marvin Musquin – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
450 Class Championship Standings
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 304
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 270
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda – 264
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 252
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 238
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 227
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 170
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 159
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM – 150
Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha – 136
Ferrandis had been knocking on the door of his first win of the 250 Class season for several weeks, and he finally broke through with a dominant outing at RedBud.
Dylan Ferrandis – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
The Frenchman put forth the first 1-1 outing of the season in the division, which resulted in the third victory of his career. It marked the fifth RedBud victory for Star Yamaha in the past six seasons, and the win also moved Ferrandis into second in the 250 Class standings.
Dylan Ferrandis
Finishing the day with two moto wins and the overall, honestly I couldn’t have expected a better weekend. My bike was really good, and I felt very comfortable on it today. We improved a lot on it with the team, and I want to thank them all for the hard work they put in every day for me to get the best bike possible. Getting ready for the outdoors is tough after a long Supercross season, so it took me time but finally we are where we want. Now we’re going take some rest before getting back to work and get ready for Millville in two weeks.”
Dylan Ferrandis – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (1-1)
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (5-2)
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (3-6)
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (2-8)
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda (8-4)
Ty Masterpool, Paradise, Texas, Yamaha (4-11)
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (11-5)
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna (10-7)
Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., Yamaha (6-12)
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, KTM (9-10)
250 Podium 1) Dylan Ferrandis 2) Adam Cianciarulo, 3) Justin Cooper – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
250 Class Championship Standings
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 307
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 282
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 281
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 204
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 200
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 193
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna – 173
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 167
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 165
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 129
The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will take a weekend break before resuming on Saturday, July 20, from Spring Creek Raceway.
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Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado win MXGP of Indonesia
MXGP rolled into Palembang for the first of two back-to-back rounds in Indonesia, with Tim Gajser claiming the overall win despite tough competition from Romain Febvre, with consistency proving key, and Gajser now sitting on 488 points, with Antonio Cairoli in second place in the standings on 358 but continuing to recover from injury, prematurely ending his title fight.
Race 1 saw Tim Gajser take a clear win from Max Anstie and Jeremy Seewer, while Romain Febvre missed the podium in fourth.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Romain Febvre made his come-back in Race 2 with Tim Gajser taking runner up position, just 3.2-seconds back, with Glenn Coldenhoff taking the final podium position. Jeremy Seewer was just off the podium in fourth and currently sits third in the standings.
Tim Gajser
“I am really happy on how the GP went today, because after yesterday I knew it would bed hard to do two good races. The first race I could extend the lead and the second I had an amazing jump out of the gate and I was leading then I made a mistake and Roman and Jeremy passed me, but I managed to pass Jeremy but I didn’t even push for Roman as he was too far ahead. Eventually I felt really comfortable and I want to say a huge thanks to the team.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Romain Febvre
“It has been too long since I won a race. I knew I had the speed since many GPs but I couldn’t make the start. I was frustrated. I had a good start in the second race, I was third, took the lead and made a gap and it was much easier than the first race. Now I am really looking for an overall win.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Jeremy Seewer
“It was a tough race even if my starts were great. This is one of the toughest races of the year for me but I’m happy on how the GP went. Now I just want to relax a bit before the next week in Semarang but it’s good that I could take some breathe on the championship chase. My season didn’t start really well but now that I’m having consistent results I just wish to keep going.”
Romain Febvre & Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
MXGP – GP Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 47 points
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 43
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 37
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 36
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 30
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 27
Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 22
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 22
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 21 …15. Lewis Stewart (AUS, KTM) 13 …16. Adam Coles (AUS, Husqvarna) 11
MXGP – World Championship Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 488 points
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 327
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 318
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 304
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 271
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 256
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 246
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 245
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 227
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In MX2 Jorge Prado added another win to his tally, however it wasn’t a clean sweep, with Thomas Kjer Olsen taking the Race 2 win, leaving Prado with 47-points to extend his championship lead, while Tom Vialle was second overall thanks to going 2-2, with Kjer Olsen third overall thanks to a 6-1 result.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Race 1 went to Jorge Prado, with a clear win from Tom Vialle, while Maxime Renaux completed the podium. Aussie Jed Beaton came home in fifth.
In Race 2 Thomas Kjer Olsen took the win from Jorge Prado, with a consistent Tom Vialle third. Jed Beaton likewise remained consistent with another fifth place finish, claiming the same position and 32 championship points for the round.
Jorge Prado
“I was feeling good all weekend, the first race after the crash was quite difficult, but I could make it. I messed up the second race a bit, but I got to second and another GP victory. At the second race I had a good start, got into first, but my teammate was pushing and passed, and I got him at the end. The lap times were short and I struggled a bit. I am just happy with the win for the moment and I’m looking forward for next week.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Tom Vialle
“I am really happy to have another fantastic weekend, it was very hot and the last five minutes of the second race were very hard, but I am very happy with this podium.”
Tom Vialle – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“The first race was a struggle and I didn’t feel like myself and I was just trying to keep with my team-mate Jed who was riding good. The second race I think everyone was tired, but I really wanted that win and I made it, keeping my energies until the very end.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Jed Beaton
“It’s been another good GP for me. I felt like Germany was a really good step in the right direction, and that I was finally managing to put things behind me and deliver the pace I know I can. I kind of kept that momentum going here with two more strong results. It was a tough GP, we all knew the heat wasn’t going to be too much fun, but both races went well for me. I’m pleased things are moving in a good direction now, hopefully next weekend will be another positive weekend, too.”
Jed Beaton – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
MX2 – GP Classification Top 10
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 47 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 42
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40
Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 34
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 32
Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 28
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 26
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 24
Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 24
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 21
MX2 – World Championship Classification
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 494 points
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 443
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 334
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 326
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 307
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 246
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 228
Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 224
Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 209
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 192
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Sunderland wins Silk Way Rally Round 2
Sam Sunderland has taken the win at Stage 2 of the Silk Way Rally in Russia, with 413.63 kilometres covered on similar mixed terrain to the opening stage. A 212km timed special offered an additional challenge, including fast hazardous stony tracks.
Kevin Benavides retains the Rally lead, despite Sam Sunderland taking the Stage 2 win
Sunderland had completed Stage 1 in fifth and had his work cut out for him, in moving towards the series lead, which is still retained by Kevin Benavides, with eight seconds separating the two.
Kevin Benavides was lumped with opening the track for Stage 2 following his Stage 1 win, which he did from start to finish over 212 kilometres of special stage, full of narrow potholed track studded with rocks.
Sam Sunderland
“I’m happy to get stage two finished safely. The day started on similar terrain to yesterday on the forest tracks with lots of trees, vegetation and water splashes. It was extremely important to take note of every single kilometre on your road book and the dangers listed there. It was really important to concentrate on your notes and take in which danger was which. It was hard to get a reference today as there was no refuel, so I wasn’t sure how my pace was all day. It’s always great to win a stage but it wasn’t our strategy for today so we’ll move on an see how the remaining eight days go for us.”
Sam Sunderland – Image by Rally Zone
Kevin Benavides
“I opened the whole stage. We knew it would be hard and very technical with many stones and mud. The narrow tracks were difficult, but I enjoyed it in spite of it being very hard. I think I did it well and I was in a good position. It was technical, fast and with navigation over the final 50 kilometres. I nearly crashed into an animal but luckily he dodged out of my way! You have to be very attentive to everything. The rally is a game of chess, so let’s see how it turns out. I am happy with the result.”
Kevin Benavides
Joan Barreda managed to make it through the tricky stage despite struggling to get the right feel and finished 2’40 adrift of the winner on the day and occupies fifth position in the general standings at a similar distance from the leader.
Joan Barreda
“I felt very good on the slopes today with lots of mud and some potholes with big rocks. I could not find the right feelings and I was looking forward to getting past this section. Then there was a faster part and I felt a lot better there. We finished the day without any problems; I am well placed at a minimum time behind the leader. Everything is going well. I hope that in Mongolia we will find more open stages and I can find places that suit my riding style better.”
Joan Barreda
Stage 1 runner-up Luciano Benavides was second away for Stage 2 and the young Argentinian chose to back off slightly to ensure a safe result in the special. Luciano crossed the line in seventh place, close to three minutes down on Sunderland, and now lies fourth in the overall standings.
Luciano Benavides
“Overall, it was a good day for me. I was able to keep to a solid pace and really enjoyed the first half of the stage. Towards the end I lost my focus a little, the tracks were really fast with some tricky sections and I lost a little time there. After such a challenging stage I’m happy to reach the finish and now look forward to what tomorrow brings.”
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Emil Sayfutdinov claims first SGP win for six years in Sweden
Russian racer Emil Sayfutdinov has celebrated his first FIM Speedway Grand Prix win for six years in Hallstavik, Sweden. Sayfutdinov had not celebrated an SGP success since topping the podium at the 2013 British SGP in Cardiff in a year which saw him mount a title charge, before his hopes were dashed by injury.
Speedway GP of Sweden 2019
The Salavat-born star heads to the Speedway of Nations finals in Russian on July 20 and 21 as World Championship leader after winning the Norrbil Swedish SGP final ahead of Martin Vaculik, Maciej Janowski and first-time finalist Max Fricke.
After a three-year absence from the series, Sayfutdinov has been battling to get back on top of the SGP rostrum since 2017. But despite achieving that aim in Hallstavik, he’s not going to celebrate this success for long with six riders separated by five points at the top of the standings.
Emil Sayfutdinov
“It feels amazing. I have been working for that for a long time – six years. When I came back to the SGP series in 2017, it was hard for me. I had my goal and a plan, but it didn’t work. Today everything worked very well and my team is also working very well, so I say thank you to them. I’ll just keep going and looking forward. I scored some good points and now I am leader with Dudek and Madsen. I am really happy about that. But to be honest, I have now forgotten about today. I am just concentrating and I know we have a lot more rounds and heats to come. We need to keep scoring the points and it will be good.”
Speedway GP of Sweden 2019
Slovak star Vaculik is firmly in the title hunt as he holds fifth place on 44 points – level with Bartosz Zmarzlik in fourth. While he was unable to take victory in Hallstavik, he was glad to pile up the points.
Third-placed Maciej Janowski – last year’s Hallstavik winner – was delighted to get back on to the SGP podium after a tough start to the season, hampered by the shoulder ligament injury which kept him out of the opening round in Warsaw.
Max Fricke took fourth in Sweden to claim 11-points, while Jason Doyle was 11th, with Doyle currently sitting eighth in the standings, and Fricke 12th.
Speedway GP of Sweden Podium – 1) Sayfutdinov, 2) Vaculik, 3) Janowski
SGP World Championship Standings
Emil Sayfutdinov 47
Patryk Dudek 47
Leon Madsen 47
Bartosz Zmarzlik 44
Martin Vaculik 44
Fredrik Lindgren 42
Niels-Kristian Iversen 32
Jason Doyle 30
Janusz Kolodziej 29
Artem Laguta 27
Matej Zagar 27
Max Fricke 27
Maciej Janowski 24
Robert Lambert 24
Antonio Lindback 23
Tai Woffinden 15
Bartosz Smektala 10
Oliver Berntzon 7
Vaclav Milik 4
Matic Ivacic 2
Norrbil Swedish SGP Scores
Emil Sayfutdinov 17
Martin Vaculik 16
Maciej Janowski 13
Max Fricke 11
Matej Zagar 10
Fredrik Lindgren 10
Bartosz Zmarzlik 8
Niels-Kristian Iversen 8
Leon Madsen 7
Oliver Berntzon 7
Jason Doyle 7
Patryk Dudek 7
Antonio Lindback 6
Artem Laguta 5
Janusz Kolodziej 3
Robert Lambert 3
Pontus Aspgren DNR
Kim Nilsson DNR
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2019 Speedway of Nations Finals teams announced
The FIM Speedway of Nations Finals teams have been confirmed as defending champions Russia name an unchanged team for their title defence in Togliatti on July 20 and 21. With this year’s hosts making history when they won the inaugural SON Finals in Wroclaw last June – Russia’s first senior speedway World Championship of any kind.
Individual World Championship leader Emil Sayfutdinov, Artem Laguta and joint FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship front-runner Gleb Chugunov will bid to win back-to-back titles in front of a passionate home crowd in the biggest shale meeting ever staged in Russia.
2019 Speedway of Nations Finals teams announced
They face stiff competition from Poland, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, Australia and Denmark, who all make the trip east in search of gold.
Poland welcome back Maciej Janowski, who was forced out of Race Off 1 in Landshut on May 4 after suffering shoulder ligament damage in a crash 24 hours before the German showdown. He takes Patryk Dudek’s place in the side, partnering world No.2 Bartosz Zmarzlik, with former World Under-21 champion Maksym Drabik named as their junior ahead of Bartosz Smektala.
Sweden name an unchanged team following their Race Off 1 triumph, with world No.3 Fredrik Lindgren partnering the in-form Peter Ljung and Filip Hjelmland named as their under-21.
Great Britain have been forced into a change since their Race Off 2 win in Manchester on May 11 after world champion and captain Tai Woffinden was sidelined with a fractured TH4 vertebra and a broken shoulder blade.
Former FIM Speedway Grand Prix regular Chris Harris steps in for Woffy, joining stand-in skipper Craig Cook and under-21 man Robert Lambert in a side bidding to build on the silver medal they clinched in Wroclaw.
Australia have drafted in Jason Doyle for the trip to Togliatti. He returns in place of Chris Holder after sitting out Race Off 2 due to injury. Hot on the heels of reaching his first ever SGP final in Hallstavik on Saturday, Max Fricke partners Doyle with national under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey named as their junior.
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Danish boss Hans Nielsen tracks the same three stars who battled their way through Race Off 2 as World Championship frontrunner Leon Madsen links up with seven-time national champion Niels-Kristian Iversen. Frederik Jakobsen is their under-21 rider.
Germany complete the Finals field with Erik Riss replacing Martin Smolinski in the side, with Kai Huckenbeck serving as captain. Lukas Fienhage is selected ahead of Michael Hartel as their under-21 man.
The seven sides will compete over 42 heats – 21 heats on Saturday and 21 on Sunday, with the top scorers progressing automatically into the Grand Final. The second and third-placed countries will then compete in the semi-final for the right to race the leaders for the world title.
Should the semi-final end as a 3-3, the team that scored the most points over 42 heats will progress to the Grand Final. And if the Grand Final ends all square, a run-off featuring one rider from each team will decide the world title.
Speedway of Nations 2019 Preview
2019 Speedway of Nations Final Team Line-Up
RUSSIA: 1 Emil Sayfutdinov (captain), 2 Artem Laguta, 3 Gleb Chugunov (U21). Also in squad: Grigory Laguta, Roman Lakhbaum (U21). Team Manager: Igor Dmitriev.
SWEDEN: 1 Fredrik Lindgren (captain), 2 Peter Ljung, 3 Filip Hjelmland (U21). Also in squad: Antonio Lindback, Alexander Woentin (U21). Team Manager: Morgan Andersson.
POLAND: 1 Maciej Janowski (captain), 2 Bartosz Zmarzlik, 3 Maksym Drabik (U21). Also in squad: Patryk Dudek, Bartosz Smektala (U21). Team Manager: Marek Cieslak.
GERMANY: 1 Erik Riss, 2 Kai Huckenbeck (captain), 3 Lukas Fienhage (U21). Also in squad: Martin Smolinski, Michael Hartel. Team Manager: Herbert Rudolph.
GREAT BRITAIN: 1 Craig Cook (captain), 2 Chris Harris, 3 Robert Lambert (U21). Also in squad: Tai Woffinden, Dan Bewley (U21). Team Manager: Alun Rossiter.
AUSTRALIA: 1 Jason Doyle (captain), 2 Max Fricke, 3 Jaimon Lidsey (U21). Also in squad: Chris Holder, Jordan Stewart (U21). Team Manager: Mark Lemon.
DENMARK: 1 Leon Madsen, 2 Niels-Kristian Iversen (captain), 3 Frederik Jakobsen (U21). Also in squad: Michael Jepsen Jensen, Patrick Hansen. Team Manager: Hans Nielsen.
Speedway of Nations Final Day 1 Draw
A: Germany
B: Denmark
C: Australia
D: Poland
E: Russia
F: Sweden
G: Great Britain
Speedway of Nations Final Day 2 Draw
A: Germany
B: Australia
C: Sweden
D: Poland
E: Russia
F: Great Britain
G: Denmark
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Rockhampton to host 2020 KTM AJMX
With the 2019 running of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) to be held in Gillman, South Australia, Motorcycling Australia have now also announced the 2020 location, with Rockhampton, Queensland locked in for July 6-11, 2020.
AJMX 2018 – Penguin, Tasmania
The KTM AJMX attracts competitors from all across Australia, as well as international hopefuls seeking to make their mark in Australia’s highly competitive MX scene.
Peter Dark – Rockhampton and District MX Club President
“It is a complete honour, and a reward for the effort our members have given to the sport for many years. The event will bring approximately 500 of Australia’s best junior racers from across every state in Australia, including a few international racers.”
Motorcycling Queensland General Manager Kim Rowcliffe said that the Rockhampton District Motocross Club was chosen to host the 2020 Australian Junior Motocross Championships due to its very strong credentials in delivering well run, well promoted, and successful motorcycle events.
Dean Wilson confirmed to join AUS-X Open Melbourne
AUS-X Open promoters have confirmed Dean ‘Deano’ Wilson will be back for his third consecutive year to compete at this year’s Monster Energy AUS-X Open at Marvel Stadium on November 30. The Scottish Thunder will return Down Under after fan outcry to bring the world Number #6 back to Australia left event organisers in a spin.
Dean Wilson – Image by Hoppenworld
The 27 year old raced to a career-best sixth overall during this year’s Monster Energy FIM World Supercross Championship as well as a third-place finish at the Houston round, but after an injury forced him out of the last two rounds, Wilson says he’ll be back for redemption in November and hopes to finish the year off with a bang.
Dean Wilson
“I’m super excited to be returning to the AUS-X Open again this year, my 2019 season was up and down, but I’ll be pushing hard for it in Melbourne, I’ll be definitely out there to get my redemption and come out on top. Obviously I’ve had some amazing results the past two years at AUS-X winning the Saturday night in 2017, and coming in second last year, I feel like I have what it takes third time around Down Under. Australia is such a sick place to visit and this time to be in Melbourne for the first time, I think it will make for the best year of AUS-X yet, the line-up is stacked and I can’t wait to take on the world’s best.”
Dean Wilson – Image by Hoppenworld
Wilson will head to Melbourne for the first time ever, and go up against what is shaping up to be the best International Supercross line-up Australia has ever seen, consisting of two-time World Champion Chad Reed and 2018 World Champion Jason Anderson, world number 10 Justin Brayton, world number eight Joey Savatgy and many more local and international stars. Check out the video below to see Dean receiving his invitation.
Moto News Wrap for December 25, 2018 by Darren Smart
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What Went Down Last Week?
2019 AORC Support Classes and SA Location Announced
Yamaha backs New 2 Stroke Nationals Series For 2019
Taree Kicks Off 2019 Dirt Track Season
McAdoo Slots in for Injured Sexton at Geico Honda
Kawasaki’s Off-Road Programs Expands in USA
Kyle Chisholm Signs with H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki for 2019
Stefan Everts Up-Date
2019 AORC Support Classes and SA Location Announced
Luke Styke – AORC Omeo 2018
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has confirmed Coonalpyn, South Australia as the location for rounds 8 & 9, running from August 30th to September 1st.
Expanding from two to three weekends running across Rounds 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and 10 & 11, the new and improved 2-Stroke Cup will cater to bikes ranging from 125cc up to 250cc. 2019 will also see the return of the Pony Express (All Powers) supporting class which will run at Round 7 of the 2019 AORC season at Broken Hill.
The Vintage (Evo Pre 86) supporting class will run to the same format as seen in 2018. Featuring at Round 3 and 4 in Dungog, New South Wales (NSW) as an Enduro, the Vintage class will run as a precursor to the Vintage Enduro at the Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE), held the following month.
All other classes from the 2018 season will remain unchanged for 2019 and Supplementary Regulations will be released in early 2019.
2019 AUSTRALIAN OFF-ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
Round 1 & 2: Gympie, QLD – 9 – 10 March 2019
Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW – 6 – 7 April 2019
Round 5 & 6: Kyogle, NSW – 20 – 21 July 2019
Round 7: Broken Hill, NSW – 10 – 11 August 2019
Round 8 & 9: Coonalpyn, SA – 31 August – 1 September 2019
Support Classes (*only at selected rounds) 2-Stroke Cup (125cc and 250cc) (*Round 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 10 & 11) Pony Express: All Powers (*Round 7) Vintage: Evo Pre 86 (*Round 3 & 4)
Yamaha backs New 2 Stroke Nationals Series For 2019
Yamaha Motor Australia is proud to announce a new partnership with Williams Event Management (WEM), as the naming rights sponsor of the 2019 Australian 2-Stroke national series which will be known as the Yamaha bLU cRU 2-Stroke Amateur Nationals, the series is open to all makes of two-stroke machines, with classes available for junior and senior amateur racers of all skill levels.
Announcing YMA’s involvement in the three-round championship through its bLU cRU sponsorship strategy, Matthew Ferry, National Sales and Marketing Manager Yamaha Australia said the series would provide an opportunity for junior racers to compete at a national level on three different circuits.
“During the 2018 MX Nationals, we had the opportunity to run the YZ65 Cup and found people were seriously enthusiastic about two-stroke junior racing, so when Kevin Williams from WEM spoke with us about the series, we were very excited. This will be an excellent opportunity for juniors to race nationally and develop their skills in this great sport.”
Five classes will contest the 2019 season, with the three-round series visiting Victoria, ACT and Queensland between February and April. The season kicks off at Traralgon in Victoria on 10 February, before heading north to Coolum, QLD, for round two on 3 March. The season finale will take place at Canberra, ACT, on 27 April.
Classes contesting the series are
Junior – 65cc; 85cc and 125cc
Senior – Two-Stroke All powers; Retro All Powers for motocross bikes aged 20 years or more
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Taree Kicks Off 2019 Dirt Track Season
For many years the Old Bar track near Taree had the honour of opening, and closing, the dirt track racing calendar in New South Wales and that tradition will continue in 2019 with the scheduling of the Twilight Open meeting for Saturday, January 19.
From 2014 to 2017 the Troy Bayliss Classic meeting opened the calendar and despite that event closing down the Taree Motorcycle Club is determined to put on a race meeting that will kick off the 2019 season with a bang.
The dirt track scene of course continues to produce exciting action for fans at the same time as producing exciting young talent progressing through the junior ranks in to other disciplines of the sport like speedway and road racing.
The twilight meeting will give riders the chance to blow away the cobwebs after a break from competition over the Christmas – New Year period.
As well as senior and junior 2-wheel action there will also be sidecar and ATV racing with entries closing on January 11, but Race Secretary Lyndel Butler has encouraged riders to get their entries in early as there will be a cap on entries for some classes to ensure a streamlined program for riders and fans alike.
Max Whale at Taree
McAdoo Slots in for Injured Sexton at Geico Honda
The dramas continue at Geico Honda with the news that Chase Sexton is inured hot on the back of the news that Jeremy Martin will not compete in the 2019 season.
Sexton hurt his collarbone in a mountain bike crash and will now switch from 250SX West Region to 250SX East Region, giving him time to recover so Cameron McAdoo will join RJ Hampshire on a GEICO Honda CRF250R in the West while GEICO Honda will have Sexton, Christian Craig, and Hunter Lawrence racing 250SX East.
Cameron McAdoo seen on the grid here in Dallas 2018 – Hoppenworld Image
Kyle Chisholm Signs with H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki for 2019
After missing the 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross due to a knee injury sustained at round four at High Point, Kyle Chisholm will join Alex Ray and Adam Enticknap in the H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki team in 2019.
Chisholm moved back down to the 250 class in 2018 with 51Fifty Energy Drink Yamaha and finished eighth in the 250SX West Region while scoring five top ten finishes in the 450 class at a few East Coast race.
Chisholm underwent surgery in June to fix a torn meniscus and ACL and is looking forward to the new season – he posted this on social media:
‘Even though it’s no secret I haven’t officially posted about it, but I’m happy to be working with the @hepmotorsports@suzukicycles team for the 2019 @supercrosslive season. Thanks to all of the team’s sponsors. Looking forward to a good and fun season with the team.’
Stefan Everts Up-Date
Stefan Everts was hospitalized in Belgium early in December after he contracted malaria while participating in a charity event in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the family requested privacy during this difficult time so the news on Stefan’s condition have been scant but thankfully the family released some good news to Belgian media just before Xmas.
Below is part of the statement the family released (translated by Google)
‘The situation of Stefan Everts, who has been affected by malaria, is developing favourably and his condition is no longer critical, which is why the ten-time world champion in motocross no longer needs a sedative. Everts is still in intensive care at the University Hospital of Leuven, where he is closely monitored and only his family members are admitted. About the effects of malaria or about the duration of the recovery, nothing can be said at the moment. The Everts family wants to thank everyone for the many statements of support and the encouraging words, we cannot possibly answer them all personally, that is why she (his wife) does it through this way: ‘A big thank you all to give us a heart in this difficult period.’
The family also asks, just like the past weeks, to give them the necessary rest so that she can concentrate fully on Stefan. In the case of new developments, communication will again take place via a press release.’
Stefan EvertsSmarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
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