Red Bull KTM contender third in Saturday’s main event.
Image: Supplied.
Frenchman Marvin Musquin believes he was in for a stronger race at Atlanta’s ninth round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship on Saturday night.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing positioned himself second early on in the main event, apply pressure to eventual winner and teammate Cooper Webb, however a mistake in the closing stages saw him relinquish P2 to Blake Baggett (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM) and ultimately had to settle for third.
Musquin is yet to taste victory in the 2019 season, however he’s been extremely consistent, landing on the podium six times in the first nine rounds.
“It felt like it was going to be a better race for me,” Musquin admitted. “I had a great start so I was running second, which was good but I was eating a lot of sand in the sand section it was definitely tough.
“I was pushing really hard – I was better than Cooper in some areas of the track, so I was able to really put pressure on him in some areas but then I would go through the sand and I had to go in the main line because it was the safest and the quickest line but you kind of had to follow.
“I made a mistake and went off the main line and then Baggett got me. At this point, I just could not make the pass on Blake, even though I showed some really good speed. It’s only a third place tonight and I’m not very happy with the result.”
The AMA Supercross series heads to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the 10th stop of tour.
Latvian talent makes premier class debut at season-opener.
Image: Supplied.
Former MX2 world champion Pauls Jonass has expressed satisfaction in the decision to line-up for yesterday’s opening round of the 2019 MXGP World Championship, marking his debut in the premier class.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider experienced a shortened pre-season after undergoing knee surgery at the conclusion of his 2018 campaign, casting doubt over his entry for last weekend’s opener.
Transitioning both to 450 machinery and the Husqvarna brand for 2019, Jonass pieced together a respectable 10-9 scorecard for 10th overall at the Neuquen circuit in Argentina, forming a strong base to build from this year.
“Considering the limited time I had on the bike during the off-season, I am really happy with my results here in Argentina,” Jonass commented. “I had two decent motos, made no mistakes and learnt a lot. This was my first race in the MXGP class on the FC 450 and everything was new for me.
“I have to take this experience and continue working to become a better 450 rider. The races in this class are a lot more intense and also the starts are massively important for each moto. I’m happy we took the decision to come here in Argentina and I’m motivated to get back to work as soon as we return to Europe.”
Nine-time world champion Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took out both motos for the overall, joined on the podium by Tim Gajser (Honda HRC) and Jeremy van Horebeek (Honda SR Motoblouz).
Atlanta, Georgia hosted the ninth round of the AMA Supercross Championships over the weekend and it was an all KTM podium in the 450 class with championship leader Cooper Webb taking the win over Blake Baggett and Marvin Musquin.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
Adam Cianciarulo who won the first of the 250 East/West Shootouts ahead of Dylan Ferrandis and Austin Forkner.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
450SX Report
The KTM trio of Webb, Musquin and Baggett led the pack out of the first corner with Aaron Plessinger and Ken Roczen in tow while Chad Reed and Eli Tomac sat in eighth and 11th respectively.
450 Main gets underway in Atlanta
As Tomac slowly worked his way up the field it was Webb, Musquin and Baggett no more than a few bike lengths from each other until lap 14 when Musquin made a small mistake in the tricky sand section and lost a spot to Baggett who then reeled in Webb and started making life tough for the championship leader.
Cooper Webb, Marvin Musquin and Blake Baggett
Meanwhile, back in the pack, Plessinger was holding off Roczen for fourth as Tomac had brushed aside Reed, Tyler Bowers, Dean Wilson and Justin Brayton to move into sixth place. On the lap 17 Plessinger went down in the sand and Roczen made his way by for fourth, well back from the three KTM riders.
Aaron Plessinger leads Ken Roczen
When the chequered flag dropped Webb won his fifth 450 main event of the 2019 season by just 1.1 seconds over Baggett who had a similar gap back to Musquin. We had to wait another 18-seconds before we got to see Roczen cross the line ahead of Plessinger, Tomac, Brayton, Wilson, Joey Savatgy and Cole Seely.
Cooper Webb takes fifth victory of the nine AMA SX rounds staged so far this season and extended his championship lead over Roczen to 13-points
Unfortunately, Chad Reed stalled his Suzuki late in the race to drop back to a disappointing 13th place but the Aussie still sits seventh in the championship, two spots ahead of Justin Barcia who was forced to sit out the event due to suffering a concussion after crashing during the week.
Cooper Webb – P1
“Yeh, it was tough, the track was changing a lot but I knew where I was good but there were also places where Marv would catch me, I knew where he was catching me but I didn’t know what line he was using, it is hard when you are leading so I just hit my marks and they weren’t working as good as I would have liked so I started changing things up, made a few mistakes in front of Blake who I knew would be good through the whoops but towards the end I found some lines so another win, that was sweet.”
Cooper Webb
Blake Baggett – P2
“It was really hard to pass, you could make a run on someone but to get by was another thing, Marv and Cooper were making runs at each other, I could see it going on in front of me then I got into second and could do the same but when they have that horseshoe sand section over the tunnel I will hands down voice my opinion that I am not for it, it is supercross with steep obstacles and no sand.”
Blake Baggett
Marvin Musquin – P3
“It felt like it was going to be a better race for me – I had a great start so I was running second, which was good but I was eating a lot of sand in the sand section it was definitely tough. I was pushing really hard – I was better than Cooper in some areas of the track, so I was able to really put pressure on him in some areas but then I would go through the sand and I had to go in the main line because it was the safest and the quickest line but you kind of had to follow. I made a mistake and went off the main line and then Baggett got me. At this point, I just could not make the pass on Blake, even though I showed some really good speed. It’s only a third place tonight and I’m not very happy with the result.”
Marvin Musquin
Aaron Plessinger – P5
“Atlanta supercross was pretty awesome! I was struggling in the first practices a little bit, but we made a little shock change and it was definitely for the better. I qualified thirteenth and went into the heat race with a pretty good gate pick. I came out pretty bad on the start, but I made it work and was able to come back to fifth. Then the main event, I lined up in a pretty good spot and yanked a really good start. I was running fourth for a while and crashed right in the sand, then got up in fifth and stayed there. We made a lot of steps in the right direction. I’m really, really excited about tonight and looking forward to Daytona next weekend!”
Aaron Plessinger
Eli Tomac – P6
“I was feeling great all day, especially with the fastest lap time in qualifying. I made a few errors in my heat race but still felt confident heading into the main, I just wasn’t able to get out in front off the gate and it really cost me. I’m glad we were able to make up some positions and wrap up the first half of the season healthy. I’m really looking forward to Daytona next weekend, it’s definitely one of my favorite tracks and a great one to kick off the second half of the series.”
Eli Tomac chasing Dean Wilson
Dean Wilson – P8
“I think it was a pretty positive day, I qualified third and was riding really well in my heat race. In the Main Event, I kind of didn’t get a great start and just pushed all the way through the checkers. Unfortunately, I only ended up with an eighth and that’s not where I want to be but I’m just going to keep pushing every week and aim for that podium because I know that’s where I can be. I’ve been through a lot, so I’m happy to just be at every race but the big goal for me is the podium because that’s where I really want to be.”
Dean Wilson
Joey Savatgy – P9
“Another top-10 finish for my rookie year. I’m still learning quite a bit and adjusting to the longer, full season in the 450SX class. Obviously, I would like to be up on that podium but it’s all about progress and I feel that’s exactly what we continue to do each week. I’m looking forward to another round close to home and I’ve always loved racing Daytona, so I feel we have a real shot at a podium next weekend!”
Joey Savatgy
450SX Main Event Results
Cooper Webb
Blake Baggett
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen
Aaron Plessinger
Eli Tomac
Justin Brayton
Dean Wilson
Joey Savatgy
Cole Seely
Justin Hill
Tyler Bowers
Chad Reed
450SX Main Event Results Cooper Webb Blake Baggett Marvin Musquin
450SX Points after 9 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 199
Ken Roczen – 186
Marvin Musquin – 182
Eli Tomac – 177
Blake Baggett – 142
Dean Wilson – 137
Chad Reed – 124
Aaron Plessinger – 122
Justin Barcia 120
Justin Brayton – 113
250 East-West Shootout Report
The first of the East West Shootouts in Atlanta was highly anticipated with all of the talk about the thus far undefeated Austin Forkner and the not so consistent Adam Cianciarulo. Both are leading their respective championships, and going head-to-head it was Forkner who quickly shot into the lead at the start of the 15-minute main event while Cianciarulo was just outside the top five.
Austin Forkner leads Adam Cianciarulo
Chase Sexton sat in second place for seven laps until Cianciarulo sliced up the inside in the right hand turn after the whoops and the troubles didn’t end there for Sexton with Dylan Ferrandis clocking the fastest time of the race as he inched closer to the Honda pilot.
Austin Forkner leads Chase Sexton
Forkner was riding smooth and fast but by lap 10 Cianciarulo had chopped the margin to just one second. A few seconds further back Ferrandis got around Sexton for third with Justin Cooper, Shane McElrath and Colt Nichols all moving into the top seven after poor starts.
Chase Sexton and Adam Cianciarulo
On lap 11 Cianciarulo made the pass on Forkner, with Ferrandis surprisingly moving around Forkner with four minutes to go but there was no catching Cianciarulo. The East Coast championship leader took the win by four second over Ferrandis, who dropped Forkner by seven seconds while Sexton, Cooper, McElrath, Nichols, Martin Davalos, Michael Mosiman and Brandon Hartraft rounded out the top ten.
Adam Cianciarulo
Adam Cianciarulo – P1
“I learned a lot throughout the day, kept a positive attitude to not let the bad moments of the day get to me. This is the best Pro Circuit bike I’ve ridden and I think it shows with both Austin and I leading laps. My team never stops pushing for the best and I’m very grateful to give them another win. It’s crazy because I never even had two wins in a row and now I have three. It feels great.”
Adam Cianciarulo
Dylan Ferrandis – P2
“Last year I left here with a broken arm, a busted jaw and broken teeth so it is good to be on the podium tonight, we showed that the West Coast series is strong, AC was fastest tonight but all up I am happy.”
Dylan Ferrandis
Austin Forkner – P3
“I tried to latch on the Adam after he passed me but they were just a little quicker than me, particularly in the whoops, I crashed twice there in practice and didn’t want a repeat of that so I told myself that I was just going to jump through them, then bam, Dylan got me but I had a good gap (to the next rider) so I figured that this is still a win for the East Coast as far as I am concerned and after the day that I have had I am happy to salvage a third.”
Adam Cianciarulo and Austin Forkner
Justin Cooper – P5
“The bike was awesome all day. We didn’t play around with the settings much, I felt pretty comfortable all day with the bike. The track conditions were deteriorating every lap out there so it was pretty tough to hit your marks every lap, but all in all I’m very happy with both of my starts tonight, I just didn’t get aggressive enough through the first turn. I’m still making little steps forward each weekend and am happy with the progress. It was another solid night with positives to take away. It’s time to turn up the heat because we are hungry for more!”
Justin Cooper
Colt Nichols – P7
“I just got a bad start on a night when I didn’t need to get a bad start. The bike was great. I didn’t really make any changes to it all night, but the track conditions were really tough. It was very, very technical and hard to do the same thing lap after lap. It made it really critical to not make any mistakes, and I didn’t do that very well. So I’m a little upset looking back on the night, but it’s all good. I still salvaged some decent points. Now it’s just get ready for Seattle.”
Martin Davalos – P8
“It felt really good to be back in Atlanta, especially since some of my best finishes have been earned here. The bike felt good all night and I felt that my speed was there but with the shootout format and all of the riders in the mix made it a little more difficult. There is a lot of great talent out here so I’m proud of a top-10 position, but I’m always looking to improve. We’ll get back to work and be ready for Daytona.”
250SX East/West Shootout Results
Adam Cianciarulo
Dylan Ferrandis
Austin Forkner
Chase Sexton
Justin Cooper
Shane McElrath
Colt Nichols
Martin Davalos
Michael Mosiman
Brandon Hartranft
Jacob Hayes
RJ Hampshire
Chris Blose
Alex Martin
Kyle Cunningham
Cameron Mcadoo
Jordan Bailey
Jordon Smith
Anthony Rodriguez
Garrett Marchbanks
Kyle Peters
Joshua Osby
250 East Coast Report
For the current top three riders in the East Coast series the shootout did them no harm, with Forkner’s third place earning him a handy 18-point margin back to Cooper who in turn has a two-point buffer back to Sexton.
The big losers on the night were championship contenders Jordan Smith and Alex Martin who came home 18th and 14th respectively to drop them more than a whole round points-wise back from the championship leader.
250 East Coast Points after 4 of 9 Rounds
Austin Forkner – 99
Justin Cooper – 81
Chase Sexton – 79
Jordon Smith – 70
Alex Martin – 60
Martin Davalos – 58
Brandon Hartranft – 54
Kyle Cunningham – 51
Mitchell Oldenburg – 50
Kyle Peters – 46
West Coast Report
The shootout couldn’t have gone better for Cianciarulo who now holds a 15-point lead over Ferrandis who moved into second in the championship by two points over McElrath.
McElrath in turn has a three-point lead over Nichols but the big loser was RJ Hampshire who ended the shootout in 12th which has dropped the Honda rider to 54 points behind Cianciarulo.
Other West Coast riders who had sub-par finishes at the shootout were Chris Blose (13), Cameron Mcadoo (16) and Garrett Marchbanks (20) while Jimmy Decotis didn’t even make it to the main event after finishing ninth in the LCQ.
Youthful talent consistently quick during testing at Losail International Circuit.
Image: Supplied.
Winding up P3 on the timesheets on the final day of Moto2 World Championship testing at Losail International Circuit in Qatar has injected confidence into Remy Gardner ahead of the season-opener at the venue this weekend.
Quickly adapting to the new Triumph powerplant along with new surroundings in ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team, the Australian was consistently quick during testing, falling just 0.055s shy of pace-setter Alex Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) on day two before being 0.316s off the British talent on Sunday’s final outing.
“It was a good test, we ended up being fast although we did not have the best time but I felt really comfortable.” Gardner explained. “We have made many changes over the weekend and we have greatly improved the configuration of the bike.
“We made the race simulation with a good steady pace at the time of the fastest lap and I feel very confident for the next weekend. I am really happy with the equipment and the work done.”
Landing inside the top 10 at the Jerez test, and now being on pace in Qatar, it’s evident Gardner’s transition the SAG Racing squad is a promising one in just the early stages.
Gardner enters the 2019 season coming off one of the best campaigns of his career, where he earned his maiden front row start – which he was later denied of due to Silverstone’s cancellation – while also recording a career-best result of fifth at Valencia’s finale.
Factory Yamaha rider fifth at Atlanta’s ninth round of supercross.
Image: Supplied.
A suspension adjustment made prior to the night show at Atlanta’s ninth round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship has led to Aaron Plessinger’s best finish since entering the premier class this season.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider admits he struggled in the initial practice sessions, however a change of setting to his rear shock offer him the comfort needed to experience a strong evening out on-track, winding up a respectable fifth in the main event despite a late-race mishap.
“Atlanta supercross was pretty awesome,” Plessinger stated. “I was struggling in the first practices a little bit, but we made a little shock change and it was definitely for the better. I qualified thirteenth and went into the heat race with a pretty good gate pick.
“I came out pretty bad on the start, but I made it work and was able to come back to fifth. Then the main event, I lined up in a pretty good spot and yanked a really good start. I was running fourth for a while and crashed right in the sand, then got up in fifth and stayed there.
“We made a lot of steps in the right direction. I’m really, really excited about tonight and looking forward to Daytona next weekend!”
Jim Perry, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s team manager, added: “It was a great night for Aaron Plessinger. He started the day off in a good place and made improvements throughout the day in practice. He built on that with a solid heat race and got off to a great start in the main event and rode with the lead pack for half the race.
“Unfortunately, he had a small tip-over in the deep sand, but got up and continued to charge on and rounded out the top five. He’s been working really hard and with a good start tonight it showed and paid off.”
The main event was won by points leader Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ahead of Blake Baggett (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM) and Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
New penalty on offer for MotoGP stewards this year.
Image: Supplied.
A long lap penalty will be introduced to the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, the Grand Prix Commission has confirmed.
When the FIM MotoGP stewards impose a change of position penalty on a rider, for track limits or any other reason, there is a possibility of it being unfair, and it’s also difficult to monitor when there are multiple infractions.
To make a more fair and verifiable penalty, the Grand Prix Commission, after consultation with the Safety Commission, have agreed to introduce a new long lap penalty.
At every circuit a route will be defined and marked at a safe point around the track, usually an asphalt runoff area outside of a turn, which is some seconds slower than the normal racing line. The penalised rider must ride through the defined area within three laps of being notified, thereby suffering a penalty equivalent to several seconds on that lap.
Procedures will be in place to enable the stewards to use an equivalent time penalty in case the rider is unable to complete the long lap, such as in the case of a red flagged race.
This penalty will be added to the list of sanctions available to the FIM MotoGP stewards, and whilst it is primarily intended for track limits violations, it may be used in any circumstances deemed appropriate by the stewards. The drop position penalty will continue being available to the stewards.
The opening round of MotoGP World Championship is scheduled for this weekend at Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
Youthful Australian highly-impressive at Argentina’s opening round.
Image: Supplied.
Queenslander Mitch Evans has landed on the podium while making his debut in the 2019 MX2 World Championship yesterday at Neuquen in Patagonia Argentina, marking an incredible start to his full-time international career.
The Team Honda 114 Motorsports rider demonstrated strong form in Saturday’s qualifying race, charging to an inspiring sixth place result to kick-start the year.
He returned to the circuit on Sunday in supreme form, placing fifth in the opening encounter before racing to an impressive third in the final outing, granting him the final position on the podium.
“I couldn’t be any happier, I didn’t really know what to expect being my first GP,” Evans explained. “I enjoyed every moment of it, it was awesome being here, the fans were awesome so I really enjoyed it. I knew the work that we put in during the off-season and the pre-season races, that we had if I got good starts, I could run with these boys.”
Calvin Vlaanderen (Honda HRC) and Henri Jacobi (F&H Racing Team) were fourth and fifth respectively – both tied on points with Evans for third, with the Australian being credited the higher place on countback.
The overall win was taken out by reigning world champion Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ahead of Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing).
Jorge Prado claims the MX2 win – Mitch Evans third
The 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship kicked off at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina over the weekend, marking the fifth running at this location, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claiming top honours across both MXGP and MX2 classes thanks to the efforts of Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado, who each won both of their races.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina
20-year-old Mitchell Evans from Far North Queensland in Australia also put in an extremely strong showing to the season, claiming third overall in the MX2 class thanks to a fifth place finish in Race 1 and claiming the final podium spot in Race 2. New Zealands Dylan Walsh also claimed a 13-18 result, netting 11 championship points to sit 15th in the standings.
MXGP Qualifying
When the time came to line up for the Qualifying Race Romain Febvre was first on the grid with the top time but when the gate dropped, he found himself in fifth. Meanwhile Tim Gajser was in the early lead followed by Julien Lieber.
When it came to the fnish line, Romain Febvre took an impressive win considering his last MXGP event was the MXGP of Turkey last season. The top five spots where filled out by the three Belgians of Julien Lieber, Jeremy Van Horebeek, and Clement Desalle, along with Brit, Max Anstie.
MXGP of Patagonia – Qualifying Top Ten
Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 24:21.194
Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:04.306
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:06.536
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:10.377
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:13.962
MXGP Race 1
Antonio Cairoli was the favourite for the first MXGP round of 2019 but it wasn’t an easy weekend by any means for the nine-time champion. Saturday’s Qualifying races left the #222 on the far outside gate after not finishing due to a bike issue yesterday.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer
When the racing kicked off Cairoli’s KTM was back better than ever, but Julien Lieber took the Fox Holeshot. The lead for Lieber was short-lived as Cairoli took over on the first official lap.
Romain Febvre, who came into the race as the qualifying winner, was into second position by the end of the first lap leaving Lieber to fight for position with his teammate Clement Desalle and Tim Gajser. The pair also dispatched #33 pushing him to fifth.
During the next three laps Lieber dropped two more spots, first to Gautier Paulin and next to fellow Belgian Jeremy Van Horebeek on his Honda.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Tim Gajser was the rider on the move in race one though as he passed Desalle for second then reeled in Febvre and took second. With five laps remaining Cairoli was long gone in the lead but Gajser keep pushing to open a gap over Febvre.
The race win went to Cairoli in a dominating performance with Gajser, Febvre, Desalle, and Paulin rounding out the top five. Arminas Jasikonis and Pauls Jonass battled throughout the late stages of the race after both made it by Jeremy Seewer. Jasikonis eventually came out ahead of Jonass as the pair finished eighth and ninth and Seewer took the final spot in the top ten.
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 1
Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:41.270
Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:06.253
Febvre, Romain FRA Yamaha +0:09.838
Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:11.464
Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:02.566
Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:32.226
Lieber, Julien BEL Kawasaki +0:39.435
Jasikonis, Arminas LMSF Husqvarna +0:49.752
Jonass, Pauls LAT Husqvarna +0:50.285
Seewer, Jeremy SUI Yamaha +0:59.164
MXGP Race 2
MXGP Race 2 started with another Fox Holeshot from Julien Lieber while Cairoli came out of the first turn around 5th avoiding a crash that involved Paulin, Desalle, and Seewer. Seewer was the first get going coming across the first lap in 15th while Desalle was 16th and Paulin 19th. Lieber lost the advantage earned by his holeshot when he fell on the opening lap as well getting back up in 18th.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Clement Desalle
Febvre took over the lead from Lieber with Gajser giving chase and Cairoli closing in to the fight for the lead. Tommy Searle was in fourth but dropped a spot to Van Horebeek early in the race while Ivo Monticelli took 6th from Shaun Simpson.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer
Max Anstie took 6th from the Italian on the fifth lap and then sized up fellow Brit Tommy Searle for fifth position. Meanwhile the battle for the lead turned into an all-out but short-lived brawl as Cairoli miraculously passed both Gajser and Febvre in the same section.
With Cairoli taking the spot from Febvre the Slovenian of Gajser found a way past the Frenchman as well. On the 14th lap of 18 Febvre crashed out of the race in the roller section giving Van Horebeek third and moving Anstie and Searle into the top five.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Desalle and Paulin worked forward together throughout the race after the first turn crash with Paulin taking 5th from Searle with three laps to go while Desalle made a pass on the #100 in the last lap.
At the finish it was Cairoli who managed to hold of a consistently fast Gajser for the first MXGP overall victory of 2019 and his 16th consecutive season with a GP victory. Gajser’s pair of second place finishes took him to the podium as well while Van Horebeek surprised many with his 6-3 race finishes to earn third and his first podium since the 2017 season where he finished third at MXGP of Europe in Valkenswaard and second at this same venue prior.
Tony Cairoli – P1
“I’m really happy about this race because we unfortunately had a problem yesterday and on this track the start is really important because there is not much difference between the riders and the lap-times. I did my best to get to the front both times and it worked; I was in the top ten and could manage to work my way through. It was a nice race and nice event. So many fans, it is like being in Italy for me!”
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer
Tim Gajser – P2
“I’m really happy to start the season strongly with a podium, and to feel really good on the track. In the first race I didn’t get the best of starts and it took me a couple of laps to find a good rhythm and to find the nice lines but once I did that, I passed a lot of the guys in front of me and finished in second. That was a great way to start the season off. Then in second moto, it was even better as I almost took the holeshot and I led for a lap but I was riding tight and not enjoying my riding so Romain (Febvre) and Toni (Cairoli) passed me. After this, I found my rhythm and found the flow around the track and was able to move into second and just start enjoying riding again. Two second places is a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to the next races. A big thanks to the whole team around me, who help me out and put together this amazing CRF450RW.”
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Jeremy Van Horebeek – P3
“It is still unbelievable, until two weeks ago I didn’t know we would be here so it has been a crazy ride since last year. I am so thankful to this team for giving me the chance. I am thankful and I am going to keep on working to make this a great season.”
Clément Desalle – P4
“It was a solid weekend and it was great to be back racing GPs as you can’t find these conditions when you train. We saw that we have a great new bike and Julien proved the performance at the starts. I scored a fourth position in the first moto; the rhythm was really high and I finished not so far from the top three. I’m just disappointed with the second start; I had a good jump off the gate but they ripped the ground in the first corner and I was surprised in a rut and touched handlebars with another rider. I was last but I came back to sixth, which is not so bad as my front brake lever was bent in the crash. It’s good to be going back home fourth in the series; we now have three weeks to work on small details we have learnt at this first GP.”
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Clement Desalle
Gautier Paulin – P5
“The bike was working good today. We have been working hard this winter and we had to put the bike in the crate even with some more things to work on. But today, I just had to put my helmet on and go racing. We know there are things we still need to improve but it is what it is. The bike is working really good. The chasis is awesome on the Yamaha, I really enjoy it, and the engine too. With the little improvements we can make, I am really looking forward to it, and I need to keep working myself also. I feel like I had a good weekend, just had bad luck with another rider hitting me in the first turn. I think his bike hit my bike and I went over the ‘bars big time. But overall I feel strong and fifth place to start the season, close enough to the podium is a good start. I really enjoyed the racing.”
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 2
Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:56.475
Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:02.386
Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:37.829
Anstie, Max GBR KTM +0:42.332
Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:43.070
Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:47.509
Searle, Tommy GBR Kawasaki +0:49.602
Jasikonis, Arminas LTU Husqvarna +0:58.810
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM +1:01.941
Tonus, Arnaud SUI Yamaha +1:03.513
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Tony Cairoli claimed the overall win from Tim Gajser and Jeremy Van Horebeek
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Standings
Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 50
Gajser, Tim SLO HON 44
Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 35
Desalle, C. BEL KAW 33
Paulin, G. FRA YAM 32
Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 26
Searle, Tommy GBR KAW 22
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 22
Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 21
Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 21
MX2 Qualifying
MX2’s qualifying racing was just as exciting as the MXGP, if not more so, with an epic three-way battle for the win. The early practice sessions were dominated by Thomas Kjer Olsen while reigning MX2 World Champion, Jorge Prado had the fifth fastest times in each.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
As the qualifying race came to life with the MX2 field barreling into the first corner it was the 2018 Fox Holeshot winner Jorge Prado leading. Prado was chased by his new teammate Tom Vialle and Henry Jacobi.
Olsen had a front row seat just behind the two leaders and took advantage with a quick pass on Prado as the finish neared, while the Dane continued his charge and got Jacobi with three laps to go. Prado was still in the hunt however and took Jacobi wide on the final lap to finish second. Behind Prado and Jacobi it was Ben Watson and Calvin Vlaanderen.
MX2 of Patagona – Qualifying Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 24:24.613
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:02.267
Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:03.547
Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:18.925
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:26.119
Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:28.658
Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:33.941
Alvin Östlund (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:35.687
Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:36.072
Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:38.221
MX2 Race 1
MX2 Championship racing kicked off the day as an early unexpected turn of events happened with Tom Vialle taking the Fox Holeshot in his first ever FIM Motocross World Championship race.
Vialle’s lead quickly went to the defending MX2 World Champion but the young French rider held his own as the race progressed. Henry Jacobi took second during lap 2 and then worked to catch Prado.
Saturday’s Qualifying winner, Thomas Kjer Olsen, spun off the gate and fought his way forward from outside the top five in the early stages of the race. Between Vialle in third and Olsen was Mitch Evans, Calvin Vlaanderen, and Jago Geerts.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
However, in only five laps Olsen moved up four positions to just behind Jacobi who was in second. During this time Prado had done damage to anyone else’s chance of winning by putting in three consecutive fastest laps of the race and growing a massive gap.
It took three laps for Olsen to make a pass on Jacobi stick as the Kawasaki rider didn’t let the spot go easily. Prado’s gap proved to be too big for Olsen to overcome and the Spaniard took the race win, while Jacobi finished third, Vlaanderen fourth, and MX2 rookie Mitch Evans took fifth.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Calvin Vlaanderen – Image by Bavo
Race 2 was another Red Bull KTM holeshot but this time it went to Jorge Prado with Evans running in second and Olsen third. Ben Watson was off to a good start as well, but a handful of mistakes dropped him from fourth to outside the top ten early.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Vlaanderen took over the fourth position vacated by Watson, while Vialle moved to fifth and at the front Prado again pulled a gap. Olsen was able to get by the #43 of Evans and closed slightly on Prado but was still several seconds in arrears.
Adam Sterry and Henry Jacobi were making progress, as Sterry took fifth from Vialle who then dropped another spot to Jacobi. Sterry stayed in fifth for nearly five laps but crashed just before the challenging wave section. The fall gave Jacobi fifth but dropped Sterry to ninth where he would finish.
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Mitch Evans – Image courtesy of Team 114 Motorsports Facebook Page
At the finish line it was Jorge Prado who took the overall win and 50 points allowing him to retain the red plate earned last season. Olsen took second overall matching his 2018 result in Patagonia while Australia’s Mitch Evans took third overall in what was his first ever MX2 race!
Jorge Prado – P1
“It’s great to be back at the GPs and I had a lot of fun. I had two really good starts and that was important for the racing here. The priority was to get this first race done with good points and to be healthy and in the end we managed a win in both motos. I felt very good on the bike today and physically very strong. I couldn’t start the season in a better way. We’ll keep working hard up to the next round in England.”
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Thomas Kjer-Olsen – P2
“I’m quite happy to start this season with a second-place overall result here in Argentina. As a racer I’m always looking for race wins, but it is really good to start the season on the podium. In the first moto I spun out of the gate and gave myself some work to do. I managed to get up to second on lap 10, so I was pleased with that. The second moto went well. I moved from third to second and spent the whole race there. It’s going to be a long year with plenty of racing to be done, so I am happy to head back to Europe second in the championship. The plan now is to get back to work. I want to make the most of this short break in the series and continue working before the next round at Matterley Basin.”
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Thomas Kjer Olsen
Mitch Evans – P3
“I couldn’t be any happier, I didn’t really know what to expect being my first GP. I enjoyed every moment of it, it was awesome being here, the fans were awesome so I really enjoyed it. I knew the work that we put in during the off season and the preseason races that we had if I got good starts I could run with these boys.”
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Mitch Evans – Image courtesy of Team 114 Motorsports Facebook Page
Calvin Vlaanderen
“It was a solid and consistent day today. I’m reasonably happy with how it went and obviously I want to be on the podium at the end of the day but we’ll take fourth overall and it’s a good base for the season. It’s important to come out of the first round healthy and get rid of the nerves and just ease into the season after all the hype that comes with round one. I had two pretty good starts on my CRF250RW and could ride quite comfortably at the speed I was going and although I was a little bit off the speed of the first three guys, I feel like that will come on a different track. Overall I’m happy with how the day went and it’s a good weekend to build from.”
2019 MXGP Round 1 – Argentina – Calvin Vlaanderen – Image by Bavo
Henry Jacobi
“I think it was a really good weekend for me, especially as you never know where you really are before the first GP. To start the season like this is really good. I’m OK with the result, even if I am a little bit disappointed after the race to miss the podium so narrowly; we were all close in the points but we have still eighteen rounds to get podiums. I’m happy with the entire weekend; I was so close here, even though I don’t particularly like this tricky track. I was just surprised in race two when the gate dropped so fast; usually I count to three when they show the five seconds board and then focus on the gate, but after three the gate was already down. After that I was actually riding better in the second race than in the first one, but I lost too much time at the start.”
Former world champion Romain Febvre was hospitalised during yesterday’s opening round of the 2019 MXGP World Championship in Neuquen, Patagonia Argentina.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider looked primed for a strong start to his 2019 campaign, taking out victory in Saturday’s qualification race before finishing third in the opening moto.
Leading portions of race two, the Frenchman relinquished positions one and two, however while maintaining third, a critical mistake throughout the roller section resulted in a heavy fall.
Landing heavily on his right leg, Febvre was transported to hospital for further evaluation, with his injuries still to be confirmed.
The overall win was ultimately captured by nine-time world champion Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), followed by Tim Gajser (Honda HRC) and Jeremy van Horebeek (Honda SR Motoblouz).
Australia’s Gardner third as Fenati tops Moto3 category.
Image: Supplied.
Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Sam Lowes has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the opening race weekend of the season after ending the Moto2 and Moto3 Qatar test quickest, his 1m58.439s on the final day enough to beat second place Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) by 0.224s.
The entire top 10 on the combined standings set their quickest laps on day three at Losail International Circuit, with Lowes’ time quick enough to put him on pole for the MotoGP race that took place at the venue in 2004!
The aforementioned Luthi was the British rider’s closest rival, with Australian Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) continuing his impressive preseason speed with third, 0.316s off P1. Fourth went the way of Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP 40), his 1m58.775s leaving him just 0.002s two from Gardner, with Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) just another 0.030s back in fifth.
EG 0,0 Marc VDS’ Xavi Vierge ends the three-day test just ahead of Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) and Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) as the three Spaniards occupy sixth, seventh and eighth respectively. Ninth goes to Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), his 1m58.980s putting him 0.541s off Lowes, with day one’s fastest rider Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the top 10.
In Moto3, Romano Fenati (Snipers Team) ended the test at the top of the timesheets after going quickest on the final day, setting a best time of 2m05.285s to head teammate Tony Arbolino by 0.230s. With many focusing on a fast lap – and some on trying to get a tow – it was a frantic final day of action.
All of the lightweight class riders, except the injured Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), went quicker on the third and final day of testing at Losail International Circuit. But it was the Snipers Team duo who locked out the top two positions at the end of play, just like they have done on the previous two days. Their closest challenger was Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), with 0.368s splitting him from Fenati in third.
Fourth fastest was Leopard Racing’s Lorenzo Dalla Porta, the only other rider within half a second of Fenati, with Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing a top five covered by 0.507s.
John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) ended the test in sixth place with a best time of 2m05.899a, the British rider sitting 0.131a ahead of seventh-placed Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing). Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was eighth, just ahead of Sky Racing Team VR46 duo Dennis Foggia and rookie Celestino Vietti – it was ninth and 10th on the timesheets for the Italians respectively.
