Nine in a row is how Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) arrives into one of his best venues: the Sachsenring. A region that has a long racing history, it’s been reigned by Marquez in every class he’s competed in since 2010, with his success there often a pivotal part of his own history. Leading ahead of the summer break is a good prize and, although Marquez can’t cede the lead in the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, he can extend it and head into the break with a firmer hold on the top.
Will Marquez make it ten in a row in Germany….?
One venue earlier this season had hosted Marquez supremacy before 2019, however…and then everything went wrong. The Circuit of the Americas and Marquez’ crash out the lead show he’s not infallible, although the factors contributing to that crash, he says, are understood and overcome. So can it happen again? Or can he be beaten?
Marc Marquez
“The first back to back race of the season, I am excited. We had a good weekend in Assen and I am motivated as we now arrive at one of my favourites tracks. Of course, past results don’t mean a lot once we start on Friday so we have to keep working hard with the Repsol Honda Team to stay in front. Everyone says I am the favourite because I won in the past few years, but this sport is unpredictable and everyone said the same in Austin and I crashed. Then we will start just thinking about the weekend as every race.”
Marc Marquez – German GP 2018 – Image by AJRN
Two of the key challengers last season could prove true again. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) arrives flying high from his stunning win at the TT Circuit Assen, and the Sachsenring saw him take a podium last year.
Maverick Vinales got one over Marquez last week at Assen
Yamaha have also come closest to deposing Marquez recently when Jonas Folger also took the fight to the reigning Champion in an incredible rookie ride in 2017. And Viñales’ team-mate Valentino Rossi beat him to second in 2018 and has winning form there, as he does everywhere. Despite a recent tough run for the ‘Doctor’, it was a sublime roll of form earlier in the year and everything can switch again in an instant.
Rossi was on the podium last year in Germany – Image by AJRN
That’s certainly proved true for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) since his heartbreak in Jerez, and the French rookie now has two premier class podiums to his name despite still recovering from arm pump surgery.
Team-mate Franco Morbidelli has also been impressing and took a top five in Assen, splitting the Ducati Team duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, who had a more difficult weekend seemingly exacerbated by the heat. The field is so tight, those needing to gain points on Marquez or put in some solid damage control face far more than an easy ride to the podium.
It was a hectic three-rider battle for much of the Assen TT
Dovizioso is that man more than any other as it stands, as he remains the man closest to Marquez in the Championship. In the Dutch TT, however, the gap increased once again as he missed out on the podium. Can Germany see him close in a little? Traditionally it’s a tougher track for the red machines, but anything can happen in such close racing…and the weather can throw up some surprises too, traditionally a strong point for both ‘DesmoDovi’ AND Petrucci.
This is about as close as Dovizioso got all race last weekend before drifting back into the clutches of Petrucci and Morbidelli as the race progressed
One man who could be a very interesting question mark is Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Qualifying woes were nowhere to be found at Assen, and the Spaniard got a great start to lead the way…and then crashed.
Alex Rins led a Suzuki 1-2 in the opening stages of the Assen TT
But before the blip Rins’ points scoring run has been impeccable and previously it was Germany last season the Suzuki rider last failed to score. What does that mean? It means we don’t have a good reference for his speed at the track, which has sky-rocketed everywhere in 2019 anyway, and that combined with the sweet-handling Suzuki could make an interesting addition to the stakes at one of the tightest and twistiest venues of the year.
Rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) got back on form at Assen too, and although he trails Quartararo by a margin in the fight for Rookie of the Year, he joined the Frenchman in leading a premier class race for the first time, albeit briefly.
Joan Mir showed flashes of brilliance at Assen
There’s another interesting addition in the battle in Germany, too. Jorge Lorenzo remains sadly sidelined at the Repsol Honda Team, and it’s a home hero taking his place: test rider Stefan Bradl. The German has podium form in the premier class and even in wildcard appearances since, he’s impressed to bother the tight fight for Q2 and the big points finishes. What can he do on home turf?
Stefan Bradl
“I’m very excited to join the Repsol Honda Team in Germany. It’s a special race for me as my home race, obviously I am very sorry for Lorenzo and I wish him the fastest recovery possible and to come back strong. I am glad to be able to help the team and HRC, let’s see what this weekend brings. We have been working well with Honda and I am grateful to them for this opportunity.”
Stefan Bradl
KTM are eager to make further steps forward. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) suffered with some pain from a crash in the Barcelona test last time out so he’ll be hoping to be back up to full speed, and team-mate Johann Zarco also suffered in Assen. KTM will be hoping for more in Germany.
The fight for top Independent Team rider is also tight. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) leads the way despite a tougher Assen, but Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) isn’t far behind.
Jack Miller didn’t have an easy time at Assen but stayed on the bike to bag good points
Crutchlow’s team-mate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) had some awful luck last time out as Rossi skittled him out of contention, but he’s been on some serious form and has recently beaten Crutchlow a few times.
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini could also make some bigger steps forward in Germany, with Aleix Espargaro having a few more days to recover and Andrea Iannone making some solid progress for his first top ten of the season last week in the Netherlands.
Andrea Iannone showed serious speed at times during the Assen TT weekend
Tyres
Germany’s Sachsenring is a 3,671m anti-clockwise circuit which places huge stresses on the left-hand-side of the tyre. The 10 left and 3 right turns, with just a 700m straight, equates to the tyre spending more time on a left lean angle than upright and with this replicated over the 30-laps of the MotoGP race it means the Michelin Power Slicks have a specific and demanding requirement placed upon them. The allocation sees the first time this season when the whole range will be asymmetric, with all front tyres and all rears featuring a hard left, with the right being a much softer compound to warm up quickly when the rider needs the grip in one of the three right turns.
Marking the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship halfway point, the Southwick National visited The Wick 338 sand track, with Marvin Musquin carrying the momentum following his first overall win of the season the previous weekend in Florida. He kept it going at the sandbox with an impressive performance that saw him become the first rider this season to capture back-to-back victory.
Southwick AMA Pro Motocross
The win also vaulted the Frenchman up to second in the 450 Class standings, where he’ll look to keep chipping away at his deficit to Eli Tomac over the second half of the summer.
Marvin Musquin 1-2
“Qualifying first meant a whole lot coming into the races today. I was so pumped to grab the holeshot in the first moto! It was a long moto, when you lead like that the whole time it feels like forever but it was super important to win that one because everyone was right there. I didn’t get the same start in the second moto but I worked my way through to second and it was good for the overall. It was tough out there physically, but we stayed consistent and came away with the overall.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Dean Ferris was happy to fight his way to a top ten result in Moto 1 from a poor start, while a crash in Moto 2 saw him finish just outside the top 10 in 12th, for eighth overall.
Dean Ferris 8-12
“I had a terrible start in moto one and had put in a really big fight. I am quite happy with the moto and wasn’t too far behind some really big guys. In moto two, I ended up going down and it was really physically demanding. I’m glad it’s over and we can focus on the next race.”
Dean Ferris – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Roczen showed impressive speed in the early going of both motos at Southwick, setting quick lap times and making strong passes, only for his physical limitations to then thwart his progress and see him overtaken by several competitors, with a 12-10 result netting ninth overall.
Ken Roczen
“I was coming into Southwick fairly excited, though struggling a little bit recovering from last weekend’s race. Still, I came in with full motivation and a new fork setting that unfortunately didn’t work out very well for me in the first moto. On top of that, I could’ve recovered a little better from the weekend before, but I knew that I went out there and gave my best. For sure it wasn’t what we were looking for, but we’re going to continue working hard on the bike and I’m going to continue working on myself to get back in top shape and get back to winning races. For now I have to take it as it is, but I’m going to keep my head up and hope for a much, much better result from RedBud. I’m going to do everything I can throughout the week to prepare myself and get back to the very top. Other than that, there’s not much to say about my result besides we’re not very happy with it and are looking to turn it around next weekend.”
Ken Roczen – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
In the 250 Class, Adam Cianciarulo was in search of a rebound after his four-round winning streak was snapped in Florida. The championship leader rose to the occasion in Southwick, and emerged with his fifth win in six races to extend his lead in the championship standings.
Adam Cianciarulo 1-2
“I try to make good decisions [when I’m out there]. The more I mature as a racer, the more you just learn [how to handle situations]. I managed that [second moto], for sure. I’m not sure if I had Dylan’s pace in that [second] moto. He deserved that one. I tried to follow, but I’ll admit, I was a little bit fatigued. We still leave here with another win, and it’s amazing what we continue to accomplish as a team.”
Adam Cianciarulo – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (1-2)
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (3-1)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (2-3)
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (4-4)
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (7-5)
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (6-6)
Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Honda (5-7)
Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha (8-12)
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (12-10)
John Short, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda (15-9)
450 Class Championship Standings
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 257
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 231
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda – 229
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 227
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 212
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 202
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 159
Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha – 136
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 131
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM – 117
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (1-2)
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (3-1)
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (2-3)
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (4-4)
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (6-7)
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki (10-5)
Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., Yamaha (7-8)
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (5-11)
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, KTM (11-6)
Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Yamaha (12-9)
250 Class Championship Standings
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 269
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 246
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 232
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 178
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 167
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 165
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 162
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna – 148
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 143
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 108
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Jared Mees tops 2019 Lima Half Mile
AFT Twins images courtesy of Scott Hunter
Defending multi-time Champion Jared Mees claimed the AFT Twins Lima Half-Mile over the weekend at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, in what was arguably the most thrilling of the 2019 American Flat Track season and one with massive championship implications – both factors working decidedly in Mees’ favor.
Jared Mees – Lima Half Mile 2019
The opening several laps featured an intense head-to-head showdown that pit Mees up against championship leader Briar Bauman. That duel was cut short by a red flag on lap 7, which altered the complexion of the Main dramatically.
Mees got a stellar jump at the restart, while Bauman was sucked into a battle for second with Jeffrey Carver Jr., Henry Wiles, and rookie Brandon Price. Bauman’s luck only got worse from there, as his rear tire came clean off the rim on lap 10. That unusual mishap put an end to his perfect season’s podium streak while instantly eliminating the bulk of his hard-earned championship padding.
Following Bauman’s exit, Carver ate up the gap to Mees, and the two then engaged in their own wild shootout for the lead. Running divergent lines, Mees and Carver proceeded to trade the position back and forth multiple times per corner for several laps in succession.
Carver attempted to square up the final turn but Mees powered neatly around the outside line, beating his opponent to the checkered flag by 0.199 seconds. Wiles came home third another 0.668 seconds in arrears.
Combined with Briar Bauman’s DNF and Brandon Robinson failing to make the Main 1 event after cashing in his only provisional start of the season, Mees’ triumph elevated him to second in the standings, a mere 13 points back of Bauman (145-132).
Jared Mees
“When you’re battling up in the cushion like that, it wears you out twice as fast. You’re wrestling the bike, and the bike’s jumping around. Hats off to Jeffrey; I work out so hard, and I didn’t have nothing left — I was done. I just want to give a big shout out to Jeffrey [Carver, Jr.] and Henry [Wiles] for a hellacious, awesome race.”
Jared Mees – Lima Half Mile 2019
2019 American Flat Track – Lima Half Mile Main Event
Jared Mees 25 Laps (winner)
Jeffrey Carver Jr. +0.199
Henry Wiles +0.867
Brandon Price +4.487
Bronson Bauman +10.639
Robert Pearson +11.127
Bryan Smith +11.715
Davis Fisher +15.156
Stephen Vanderkuur +17.956
JD Beach +18.463
2019 American Flat Track Point Standings – AFT Twins
Briar Bauman – 145
Jared Mees – 132
Brandon Robinson – 108
Bronson Bauman – 101
Henry Wiles – 96
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 90
Jarod Vanderkooi – 85
Robert Pearson – 78
Jake Johnson – 75
Sammy Halbert – 74
AFT Singles
For the second consecutive year at the Allen County Fairgrounds, Shayna Texter was simply unstoppable in the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys Main Event.
Shayna Texter – Lima Half Mile 2019
After dominating the program in the lead-up to the Main, Texter found herself shuffled down to fourth as she fishtailed off the line. Undeterred, Texter put on a flat track masterclass as she propelled her way forward.
Shayna Texter
“My Red Bull KTM backed by Roof Systems motorcycle was just working so good. I couldn’t figure out how I won this race last year. I sat around for 365 days and thought, ‘Man, how did I win Lima?’ So, to win it twice is incredible. It’s a dream come true.”
Max Whale had a rough day but finished 13th in the Main event.
Max Whale
“Struggled all day on my A bike. Switched to the back up bike and was happy to make the main. Tried my hardest and all I could salvage was a 13th. Happy to still be running eighth in the championship. Keep moving forward!”
2019 American Flat Track – Lima Half Mile Singles Main Event
Shayna Texter 15 Laps (winners)
Dan Bromley +2.570
Chad Cose +4.693
Mikey Rush +4.915
Ryan Wells +5.098 …13. Max Whale
AFT Singles Podium – 1) Shayna Texter, 2) Dan Bromley, 3) Chad Cose – Lima Half Mile 2019
2019 American Flat Track Point Standings – AFT Singles
Mikey Rush 156
Dalton Gauthier 144
Dan Bromley 134
Jesse Janisch 129
Ryan Wells 105
AFT Production Twins
Chad Cose earned his first-career American Flat Track victory following a race-long scrap with runaway AFT Production Twins title leader Cory Texter. Texter entered Lima with a perfect three-for-three wins record on the season and threatened to make it four-for-four by storming to the holeshot and opening an immediate gap.
However, Cose exploited the high line to perfection for the short time it existed and managed to steal away the lead while the contest was still in its early stages. Texter reclaimed the advantage for a single straight at mid-distance, but Cose pounced in the very next corner to counter. Texter then hounded his rival to the flag but was never able to find another hole in Cose’s defense.
Cose’s maiden win comes after more than a decade on the scene and after finishing the 2018 season ranked sixth overall in the premier AFT Twins class with a podium to his name.
Chad Cose
“I’m so happy for my team. It feels good for me, and I knew I was capable all along. But it’s tough. Nobody sees the behind-the-scenes stuff and everything like that. I’m so happy for my team — they work so hard for me.”
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Toni Bou wins Belgium TrialGP Round 5
Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Team) has secured another victory in the 2019 TrialGP championship to further extend his lead at Round 5 in Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium. Hot conditions proved a challenge to competitors, with constant refreshment required while the two fiften section laps were complete.
Toni Bou – TrialGP of Belgium Round 5, 2019
Proving strong competition throughout the day was Jeroni Fajardo, with Bou taking the lead in the final section of the last lap to claim the win. This is Toni Bou’s fifth victory of the season, with a 19-point lead that seen him on the top step of the podium since Andora last year.
Teammate Takahisa Fujinami came in fourth, narrowly missing the podium, and holds the same position in the standings.
Toni Bou – P1
“Today was a very tough race. It was very easy to fail but very difficult to recover. On the first lap we had Fajardo ahead who had a great trial, but on the second I was able to come back and put up with the pressure well. I was able to take the win in the final section in front of the spectators, which was very nice. Looking ahead to the championship, today has been a very important day to take things one step further. Congratulates also to Fujinami, who today also had a great ride opening the track.”
Toni Bou – TrialGP of Belgium Round 5, 2019
Belgium TrialGP Result
BOU Toni – Repsol Honda Team
FAJARDO Jeroni – Gas Gas
RAGA Adam – TRRS Factory Team
FUJINAMI Takahisa – Repsol Honda Team
BUSTO Jaime – Vertigo Factory Team
Toni Bou topped the podium from Fajardo and Raga – TrialGP of Belgium Round 5, 2019
TrialGP Standings following Belgium
BOU Toni – 100 points
RAGA Adam – 67
FAJARDO Jeroni – 67
FUJINAMI Takahisa – 66
BUSTO Jaime – 51
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Australian ISDE Team update & controversy
The November 2019 FIM International Six Days’ Enduro (ISDE) inches ever closer, as Team Australia gets set to head to Portugal to defend their title, and Motorcycling Australia announce an update to the team line-up.
With Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and his fiancé expecting their first child in October, Milner opted to not risk missing the birth and as a result he won’t defend his personal and team title in 2019.
Daniel Milner
“My fiancé and I are super excited to announce that we are expecting Baby Milner in October! We can’t wait for parenthood and what the rest of this year has to bring! Unfortunately, my commitments to my family mean I have withdrawn from the RecoveR8 Australian ISDE Team. Sadly, I will be unable to defend my individual and team title.”
Daniel Milner at the ISDE in 2018
Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team’s Fraser Higlett will step in the RecoveR8 Australian World Trophy Team, returning to the team after a strong performance at the 2018 ISDE, in Chile, where he finished ninth in the E1 class and 38th overall.
Fraser Higlett
“This has been a unexpected but super positive surprise! I’m really honoured to be returning to the ISDE for a second year and representing my country. 2018 marked my first year in the team, and I learnt a lot which I’ll take into Portugal to help defend our title.”
Fraser Higlett – 2018 ISDE Day 1 – Chile – Image by John Pearson Media
There was some controversy over why 2018 competitor Josh Strang hadn’t been picked for the team with Strang sharing he missed initial selection due to the level of support it was believed he would receive and the reliability of his machine. He then shared that he was asked to fill in for Milner, but declined the position while congratulating Milner on his expectant fatherhood.
Josh Strang (on FB)
“Figured I could answer a few questions about ISDE now everything has all been settled. First off – I missed selection in the first pick due to the support I was able to receive or what the selectors presumed I would receive and the reliability of my machine. This made me even more upset about the choice that was made. Now this week I was asked to fill in again after [Daniel Milner] @milner_31 withdrew but it has been two months so I have made plans and I wasn’t chosen in the first place so why should I go now. I wish all the boys luck and I hope next year when I put my hand up I will be chosen the first time around. I’m an Aussie so you gotta put your 2-cents in when the time is right. Pumped for Milner, you don’t wanna miss the first few weeks with your kid mate! At least the rentals will be safe this year!”
Josh Strang joined Kawasaki for 2019 with the Babbit’s Kawasaki Racing Team
2019 RecoveR8 Australian World Trophy Team:
Joshua Green
Fraser Higlett
Daniel Sanders
Luke Styke
2019 RecoveR8 Australian Women’s World Trophy Team:
Jessica Gardiner
Tayla Jones
Mackenzie Tricker
2019 RecoveR8 Australian Junior World Trophy Team:
Michael Driscoll
Wil Ruprecht
Lyndon Snodgrass
Team Manager:
Don Atkins
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Jorge Prado signs with Red Bull KTM until 2023
Defending MX2 World Champion Jorge Prado has confirmed he’ll remain with the Red Bull KTM in the MXGP Championship until 2023, with a contract extension made in Germany.
Jorge Prado
“KTM have supported me since I started racing and winning my first world title in the 65s. They offered me a great opportunity for MXGP because if I win this year then I’ll need to be on a 450 and so this all came together very easily. I’m very happy to stay another four years and we’re both excited about it. Since I joined this team and worked with Claudio [De Carli] I’ve really felt that my place was to stay here and learn. He has a lot of experience and I’m sure we’ll make a good pass to the 450s. I have a great team behind me and it is difficult to find a better place than where I am right now.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
18-year-old Prado took his first GP podium in 2016 in Assen and by 2018 was MX2 world championship, while 2019 has seen him on track for another win having claimed nine round victories from the ten he’s contested, with 14 holeshots to boot.
He currently holds a 44-point lead in the standings and is aiming for back to back championships, which would put him in the history books alongside Marvin Musquin and Jeffrey Herlings.
Claudio De Carli – Red Bull KTM MXGP Team Manager
“In our sport we can never take anything taken for granted, so it is always satisfying when renewals like this happen and we can continue our journey. It is the sign that we are working in the right direction and the continuity in relationships means that the group is solid and close-knit. With Jorge I have had again the chance to help a young rider, which has always been one of my priorities, and I thank KTM for this. In the last two years I can only say that with Jorge we have always worked with the utmost commitment and with a smile, even in difficult times. He is a fantastic boy that deserves all his success.”
Jorge Prado and Claudio De Carli – Red Bull KTM MXGP Team Manager
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Tommy Searle joins KRT for MXGP
Tommy Searle will join the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team for the remainder of the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship, with both factory riders injured. BOS GP agreed to allow Searle to move from their team to the Factory team, starting with the Czech Republic round in July.
Searle currently leads the British Championship and will undergo several testing sessions on the Factory machine before competing.
Tommy Searle
“I’m obviously very happy to have this opportunity to ride for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team and I want to thank everyone involved for their support. I will work hard with them in the coming weeks to be ready and prepared for the Czech GP, and will also do my best in the British series to claimed this title for Kawasaki and BOS who gave me this opportunity this season.”
Tommy Searle – MXGP of Portugal
François Lemariey – Monster Energy KRT Team manager
“It’s great to see that all the parties involved made this possible, as we need to line up our Factory bike behind the gate as soon as possible again after the injuries to Clément and Julien. Julien underwent successful surgery last Monday to his arm; he is now recovering as well as Clément but we know that both will need time before getting back to racing. Tommy did most of his GP career with Kawasaki and we are pleased to welcome him in the team; several testing sessions are already planned so we can prepare together in good shape at the MXGP of Czech Republic. It was impossible to fly to Indonesia as the crates had to be delivered earlier his week, and we want Tommy to test the bike thoroughly before racing the GPs with us. ”
DPH Husqvarna leads MX Nationals to Round 7
Following a strong start to the second half of the 2019 MX Nationals season, the DPH Husqvarna Factory Racing Team head to Round 7 in Maitland with both the MX1 and MX2 leads, with Todd Waters and Wilson Todd. Teammate Bailey Malkiewicz also holds seventh in the MX2 standings.
Todd Waters
Boyd Hocking – DPH Husqvarna team manager
“I’m really happy with how things came together [at Round 6]. With all three racers being full of confidence after the break in the season, we all felt it would be a strong weekend but to finish the weekend leading both championships is unbelievable. With four rounds over three weekends still to go, a lot can happen, but we’re in a good position. Toddy (Todd Waters) and Wilbur (Wilson Todd), they continue to show that they are in it to win, and they’re the benchmark riders in their classes. When things don’t go exactly to plan, they consolidate, work hard and make it a positive result, and when it does go to plan, they cross the line first. I can’t wait for round seven!”
Wilson Todd
The seventh round of the MX Nationals is scheduled for Maitland, NSW on July 14.
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Fly Racing sponsors 2019 Australian Supercross Rounds 1-3
Fly Racing Australia has come on board with the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship as a major partner, coverings Rounds 1, 2 and 3 which well be held in Brisbane (Oct 12), Port Adelaide (Oct 19) and Wollongong (Novemer 9) respectively.
Australian Supercross Championship
The partnership was announced by Troy Bayliss with Fly Racing the naming sponsor for Round 2 at Gillman Speedway in Port Adelaide.
Troy Bayliss
“We are pleased to welcome Fly Racing’s partnership with Round 1,2 and 3 of the Australian Supercross Championships, Fly Racing has been a big supporter of Supercross athletes and teams around the world and it’s exciting to see that support expand to Supercross events here in Australia.”
Penrite Honda’s Justin Brayton and Brett Metcalfe in 2018
McLeod Accessories’ Brand Manager and Race Support Duncan Hale was also excited with the partnership, with Fly Racing currently supporting the Penrite Honda Racing team which returns in 2019 with the same team as 2018, including Justin Braytin and Brett Metcalfe.
Duncan Hale
“McLeod Accessories and Fly Racing are honoured to commence our partnership with Troy Bayliss Events and the Australian Supercross Championship for 2019. Our constant goal at McLeod Accessories and Fly Racing is to always provide the highest quality service to our dealers and the very best products to their customers. McLeod’s and FLY have a strong passion for the Local Motorcycle industry, and this is a great way to demonstrate our long term commitment to the growth of the sport in Australia. Troy Bayliss Events vision for the long-term health and growth of Australian Supercross is shared by McLeod Accessories. That like-minded thinking, coupled with the entire organization’s passion for the sport, made them an ideal partner for the Fly Racing brand. The 2019 Australian Supercross Championship is a great opportunity for us to showcase the all new mind blowing 2020 Fly Racewear, both on and off the track.”
Justin Brayton – Australian Supercross 2018
The Australian Supercross Championship is sanctioned by Motorcycling Australia (MA).
Australian Supercross Championship Ticket Sales
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Joeys reach 2019 FIM Team Speedway U21 final
Team Australia, consisting of Captain Jaimon Lidsey and team members Jordan Stewart, Kye Thomson, Zac Cooke and Matthew “Happy” Gilmore, fought tooth and nail in Vetlanda, Sweden to successfully secure their place in the FIM Team Speedway U21 World Championship final.
The Joeys were runner up at the recent Swedish round, claiming a place in the final – Image by Ian Charles
Clocking up a total of 40 points overall, the Joeys finished just behind the evening’s victor, Denmark, on 50 points. Team Captain, Lidsey, shone all evening to score the greatest sum of points for Team Australia, with 17 points. Happy Gilmore and Stewart followed on the success from Lidsey with 10 and nine points for the night, respectively.
Jaimon Lidsey
“A great result for Team Australia, in our semi-final and scoring enough points to secure a spot in the final in Manchester on the 12th of July. We’re absolutely pumped!”
Australia’s Joeys now head to Manchester, UK for the Final on Friday 12th July. Lidsey is set to be right at home come July, with the Final kicking off at his SGB Premiership home track in Manchester. Team Australia will now go head to head with 11-time FIM Team Speedway U21 World Champions, Poland, as well as Denmark and Great Britain, who finished second and third in the 2018 edition of the World Championship.
2019 Team Australia MXoN applications open!
2019 will see Assen, the Netherlands play host to the FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN), kicking off on September 28 and Motorcycling Australia has just opened applications to join Team Australia.
MXoN 2018
The 2018 MXoN saw Team Australia finish in fourth overall behind France, the Netherlands and Great Britain, while 2019 will see Australia return stronger than ever and eager to reach the podium.
There are three classes available for riders to nominate for including MX1, MX2 and Open. Riders can nominate for more than one class and applications must be submitted by no later than COB Friday 26th July, with selected team members away for approximately seven days, with final details to be confirmed at a later date.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Mount Kembla motocross fatality
In a tragic turn of events, experienced motocross rider 51-year-old Neville Turner has passed away following a collision with a tree on Sunday during a social ride on the practice track, at the Mt Kembla dirt bike complex.
A fundraiser on GoFundMe.com has been started to support Mr. Turner’s wife and family. You can find the GoFundMe page here:
Youthstream have announced the entry list for the 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, and 65cc World Cup, which will be held in Pietramurata, Trentino on July 13-14.
FIM Junior Motocross World Cup
The FIM Junior Motocross World Championship includes the 125cc and 85cc two stroke categories plus the 65cc FIM Junior Motocross World Cup featuring young talents coming from all over the world competing not only for their national flag but to be crowned World Champions or World Cup winner.
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, reached the halfway point of the 2019 season on Saturday with its annual visit to New England’s infamous The Wick 338.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
The most storied sand track in American motocross was the setting for an exceptional day of racing at the MB Tractor & Equipment Southwick National, where Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin took his second straight 450 Class victory.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo added to his dominant start to the season with his fifth victory in six rounds.
450 Moto One
Musquin picked up where he left off to start the opening 450 Class moto by grabbing the MotoSport.com Holeshot over Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Musquin, Tomac
The Frenchman dropped the hammer on the opening lap to establish a lead over the field, while Tomac, the reigning series champion, began to drop positions, first to Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen and then to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne. This shuffled Tomac off the podium and into the clutches of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb.
Musquin was able to distance himself from everyone else and soon enjoyed a multi-second lead.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Musquin
As the moto wore on, Roczen started to lose pace and lost his hold of second to Osborne.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Roczen
Tomac was able to regroup from his sluggish start and march his way back to the front. The Kawasaki man got around Roczen to get back into podium contention in third, and continued to push his way up to Osborne. The rookie held the champ at bay for a few laps, but Tomac made an impressive pass to return to third. However, by this point Musquin was simply too far out front.
Musquin was flawless en route to his second moto win of the season, with a wire-to-wire effort that saw him take the checkered flag 9.1 seconds ahead of Tomac. Osborne followed solidly in third, with Webb fourth and JGRMX Suzuki’s Fredrik Noren earning a season-best moto result in fifth.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Musquin
Roczen, who led the points multiple times this season and has two overall wins to his credit, continued to lose ground, eventually dropping outside the top 10 for a season-worst 12th-place finish.
450 Moto One Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Interval
1
Marvin Musquin
KTM
16 Laps
2
Eli Tomac
KAW
+09.113
3
Zachary Osborne
HQV
+24.280
4
Cooper Webb
KTM
+37.136
5
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
+41.215
6
Justin Barcia
YAM
+43.854
7
Jason Anderson
HQV
+55.702
8
Dean Ferris
YAM
+1:00.718
9
Benny Bloss
KTM
+1:15.255
10
Blake Baggett
KTM
+1:19.344
11
Justin Bogle
KTM
+1:32.735
12
Ken Roczen
HON
+1:34.872
13
Henry Miller
KTM
+1:52.914
14
James Weeks
YAM
+2:12.480
15
John Short
HON
15 Laps
16
Ryan Dowd
SUZ
+06.866
17
Coty Schock
KTM
+15.916
18
Aaron Plessinger
YAM
+24.511
19
Tyler Bowers
KAW
+27.218
20
Toshiki Tomita
HON
+30.002
21
Chris Canning
KAW
+38.096
22
Tristan Lane
KTM
+48.968
23
Conor Sheridan
KTM
+1:04.250
24
Aaron Lampi
KTM
+1:08.168
25
Ben Lamay
HON
+1:11.307
26
TJ Albright
KTM
+1:28.064
27
Eric Grondahl
HQV
+1:34.497
28
Brian Borghesani
KTM
+1:43.675
29
Derrick Barnaby
HQV
+1:47.937
30
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ
+1:48.370
31
Taiki Koga
KAW
+1:53.493
32
Jeremy Smith
HON
+2:04.213
33
Jared Lesher
HON
+2:31.012
34
Jacob Runkles
KTM
14 Laps
35
Tyler Stepek
YAM
10 Laps
36
Joseph Savatgy
KAW
7 Laps
37
Dakota Kessler
YAM
+2:11.009
38
Nick Fratz-Orr
KTM
5 Laps
39
Heath Harrison
KAW
2 Laps
40
Lorenzo Locurcio
KAW
DNF
450 Moto Two
The final moto of the afternoon saw Webb capture the MotoSport.com Holeshot, with Osborne and Musquin in tow while Tomac found himself just outside the top 10.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Webb had a solid hold on the top spot, but a bobble on the opening lap opened the door for Osborne to storm into the lead, dropping Webb into second just ahead of his hard-charging teammate.
Musquin gave chase, but just after the completion of the opening lap Roczen, who was looking to rebound from his tough first moto, passed him for third. Roczen didn’t stop there. He kept his charge going and after a persistent chase of Webb, he successfully made the pass for second. Not long after that, Musquin took advantage of an opportunity to pass Webb for third.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Musquin, Roczen
The intense battle between Roczen, Musquin and Webb allowed Osborne to open a gap of more than three seconds. Roczen briefly settled into second, but Musquin was able to attack and take away the position.
As all this action unfolded, Tomac quietly moved his way up into the top five and had the lead group in his sights. Roczen started to lose pace again a little more than 10 minutes into the moto, and quickly fell from third to fifth as both Webb and Tomac got around. The German continued to drop back deep into the top 10.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Cooper Webb
Tomac proceeded to stalk Webb for third as they approached the halfway point of the moto. The KTM rider was able to hold off the champ for several laps, but Tomac eventually made the pass and move into podium position. At this point, Tomac went to work to try and chip away at his deficit to the lead duo. He sat about three seconds behind Musquin for second, and after several laps he closed to within a few bike lengths of his longtime rival. Musquin responded by picking up his pace, responding to the threat.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Musquin, Tomac, Osborne
Out front, Osborne managed the moto with the poise of a veteran, despite being a rookie in the 450 Class. The 29-year-old rider took his first moto win in the premier division by 11.1 seconds over Musquin, who capped off his winning afternoon with a second. Tomac soldiered home in third.
Musquin’s 1-2 effort also sees him as the only rider to claim back-to-back victories thus far this season. He also successfully defended his Southwick win from a year ago.
Marvin Musquin 1-2
“Qualifying first meant a whole lot coming into the races today. I was so pumped to grab the holeshot in the first moto! It was a long moto, when you lead like that the whole time it feels like forever but it was super important to win that one because everyone was right there. I didn’t get the same start in the second moto but I worked my way through to second and it was good for the overall. It was tough out there physically, but we stayed consistent and came away with the overall.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Marvin Musquin
Zach Osborne 3-1
“I had a really good day,” Osborne said. “I did struggle badly in qualifying but all-in-all I had a good day with 3-1 finishes. I was able to get my first moto-win in the 450 class and I’m super stoked to get that out of the way and really happy to just keep making progress.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Zach Osborne
Cooper Webb 4-4
“Southwick was a step in the right direction for me. The day went well and it’s definitely the best I’ve ridden so far. Heading to RedBud, I really enjoy racing there and hopefully I can get on the podium.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Cooper Webb
Justin Barcia 6-6
“In moto one, on the start I clicked neutral and pretty much came from outside the top 30 to sixth. I felt like I rode well but not one of those races I’m really thrilled with. The second moto I just missed my gear and had a bad start. Just one of those days and we’ll keep plugging along. Red Bud is a good track for me and I’m looking forward to next weekend.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Justin Barcia
Dean Ferris 8-12
“I had a terrible start in moto one and had put in a really big fight. I am quite happy with the moto and wasn’t too far behind some really big guys. In moto two, i ended up going down and it was really physically demanding. I’m glad it’s over and we can focus on the next race.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Dean Ferris
450 Moto Two Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Interval
1
Zachary Osborne
HQV
15 Laps
2
Marvin Musquin
KTM
+11.136
3
Eli Tomac
KAW
+19.516
4
Cooper Webb
KTM
+31.965
5
Jason Anderson
HQV
+59.853
6
Justin Barcia
YAM
+1:03.081
7
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
+1:04.894
8
Joseph Savatgy
KAW
+1:07.970
9
John Short
HON
+1:36.526
10
Ken Roczen
HON
+1:45.303
11
Lorenzo Locurcio
KAW
+2:05.203
12
Dean Ferris
YAM
+2:22.202
13
Justin Bogle
KTM
14 Laps
14
Coty Schock
KTM
+00.755
15
Tristan Lane
KTM
+01.691
16
Aaron Plessinger
YAM
+13.251
17
Ben Lamay
HON
+15.846
18
Blake Baggett
KTM
+21.678
19
Chris Canning
KAW
+25.342
20
Taiki Koga
KAW
+33.914
21
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ
+53.743
22
Aaron Lampi
KTM
+1:16.921
23
Eric Grondahl
HQV
+1:25.791
24
Ryan Dowd
SUZ
+1:34.599
25
Conor Sheridan
KTM
+1:40.611
26
Tyler Stepek
YAM
+1:45.449
27
James Weeks
YAM
+1:52.421
28
Luke Neese
HON
+2:55.289
29
Shane Kelleher
HON
13 Laps
30
Jacob Runkles
KTM
+02.883
31
TJ Albright
KTM
+33.819
32
Jeremy Smith
HON
+1:15.088
33
Heath Harrison
KAW
12 Laps
34
Brian Borghesani
KTM
11 Laps
35
Nick Fratz-Orr
KTM
8 Laps
36
Toshiki Tomita
HON
5 Laps
37
Derrick Barnaby
HQV
+16.462
38
Henry Miller
KTM
4 Laps
39
Benny Bloss
KTM
+1:14.766
40
Tyler Bowers
KAW
3 Laps
450 Round Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
M1
M2
Rnd PTS
1
Marvin Musquin
KTM
1
2
47
2
Zachary Osborne
HQV
3
1
45
3
Eli Tomac
KAW
2
3
42
4
Cooper Webb
KTM
4
4
36
5
Jason Anderson
HQV
7
5
30
6
Justin Barcia
YAM
6
6
30
7
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
5
7
30
8
Dean Ferris
YAM
8
12
22
9
Ken Roczen
HON
12
10
20
10
John Short
HON
15
9
18
11
Justin Bogle
KTM
11
13
18
12
Blake Baggett
KTM
10
18
14
13
Joseph Savatgy
KAW
36
8
13
14
Benny Bloss
KTM
9
39
12
15
Coty Schock
KTM
17
14
11
16
Lorenzo Locurcio
KAW
40
11
10
17
Aaron Plessinger
YAM
18
16
8
18
Henry Miller
KTM
13
38
8
19
James Weeks
YAM
14
27
7
20
Tristan Lane
KTM
22
15
6
21
Ryan Dowd
SUZ
16
24
5
22
Ben Lamay
HON
25
17
4
23
Chris Canning
KAW
21
19
2
24
Tyler Bowers
KAW
19
40
2
25
Taiki Koga
KAW
31
20
1
26
Toshiki Tomita
HON
20
36
1
27
Aaron Lampi
KTM
24
22
0
28
Conor Sheridan
KTM
23
25
0
29
Eric Grondahl
HQV
27
23
0
30
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ
30
21
0
31
TJ Albright
KTM
26
31
0
32
Tyler Stepek
YAM
35
26
0
33
Brian Borghesani
KTM
28
34
0
34
Jacob Runkles
KTM
34
30
0
35
Jeremy Smith
HON
32
32
0
36
Derrick Barnaby
HQV
29
37
0
37
Heath Harrison
KAW
39
33
0
38
Nick Fratz-Orr
KTM
38
35
0
39
Luke Neese
HON
/
28
0
40
Shane Kelleher
HON
/
29
0
41
Jared Lesher
HON
33
/
0
42
Dakota Kessler
YAM
37
/
0
450 Championship Points
For the first time in 2019 a rider will sit atop the 450 Class standings for consecutive weekends, with Tomac maintaining his hold on the championship lead.
Musquin moved up to second place in the season standings on the back of his Southwick performance and is now 26-points adrift of Tomac.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Ken Roczen, who finished a season-worst ninth (12-10), drops to third, 28-points off the championship lead.
Pos
Name
Bike
Total
1
Eli Tomac
KAW
257
2
Marvin Musquin
KTM
231
3
Ken Roczen
HON
229
4
Zachary Osborne
HQV
227
5
Jason Anderson
HQV
212
6
Cooper Webb
KTM
202
7
Justin Barcia
YAM
159
8
Dean Ferris
YAM
136
9
Blake Baggett
KTM
131
10
Justin Bogle
KTM
117
11
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
111
12
Cole Seely
HON
59
13
Ben Lamay
HON
56
14
Lorenzo Locurcio
KAW
55
15
Joseph Savatgy
KAW
54
16
Justin Hill
SUZ
51
17
Todd Waters
HQV
46
18
Tyler Bowers
KAW
46
19
Benny Bloss
KTM
39
20
John Short
HON
36
21
Henry Miller
KTM
36
22
Jake Masterpool
HON
35
23
Toshiki Tomita
HON
21
24
Dylan Merriam
HQV
18
25
James Weeks
YAM
13
26
Taiki Koga
KAW
12
27
Coty Schock
KTM
11
28
Aaron Plessinger
YAM
8
29
Kyle Chisholm
SUZ
7
30
Tristan Lane
KTM
6
31
Cody Cooper
HON
6
32
Matthew Hubert
HQV
5
33
Ryan Dowd
SUZ
5
34
Erki Kahro
KTM
5
35
Mathias Jorgensen
HON
3
36
Chris Canning
KAW
2
37
Dare Demartile
HON
2
38
Felix Lopez
KTM
1
39
Brandan Leith
KAW
1
40
Heath Harrison
KAW
1
250
The first 250 Class moto of the afternoon saw championship rivals Cianciarulo and Justin Cooper cross the MotoSport.com Holeshot side-by-side, with Cianciarulo just barely getting the edge aboard his Kawasaki.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Cooper ultimately emerged with the early lead on his Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha, but Cianciarulo went on the attack and forced his way into the lead. From there, the points leader sprinted out to an advantage of just over two seconds by the time the field completed the opening lap.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Cianciarulo
The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM duo of rookie Derek Drake and Shane McElrath followed right behind in third and fourth, respectively.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Ferrandis
Cianciarulo continued to build on his lead over Cooper, who soon settled into second. Behind them, the battle for third intensified between the KTM teammates, which ultimately allowed Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis to close in from fifth. With pressure from behind, McElrath forced the issue on Drake and took over third.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Drake
It wasn’t long before Ferrandis made his way around the rookie to move up to fourth. The focus then shifted to a head-to-head battle between McElrath and Ferrandis. Their pace allowed them to close in on Cooper in second, and as McElrath looked to potentially make a challenge for the runner-up spot, Ferrandis utilized some alternate lines to surge into third.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Ferrandis
The Frenchman was mere bike lengths behind his teammate for second, and appeared to be the faster rider. However, as he began to apply pressure he carried too much speed into a corner and went off track. While he was able to resume without losing a position, Ferrandis lost valuable time to Cooper that he’d be unable to recover.
Out front, Cianciarulo was dominant en route to his fifth moto win of the season. He crossed the line 11.1 seconds ahead of Cooper, who rode solidly in second the entire moto. Ferrandis held off a late charge from GEICO Honda’s RJ Hampshire to finish third, while Monster Energy Yamaha’s Colt Nichols rounded out the top five.
250 Moto One Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Interval
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
16 Laps
2
Justin Cooper
YAM
+11.124
3
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
+15.525
4
RJ Hampshire
HON
+17.041
5
Colt Nichols
YAM
+18.166
6
Shane McElrath
KTM
+42.781
7
Brandon Hartranft
YAM
+56.517
8
Ty Masterpool
YAM
+1:00.492
9
Hunter Lawrence
HON
+1:09.638
10
Alex Martin
SUZ
+1:12.750
11
Cameron Mcadoo
KTM
+1:27.158
12
Jacob Hayes
YAM
+1:31.340
13
Chase Sexton
HON
+1:38.346
14
Jerry Robin
KTM
+1:45.880
15
Jordan Bailey
HQV
+1:49.194
16
Kyle Peters
SUZ
+1:50.204
17
Nick Gaines
YAM
+1:51.308
18
Ramyller Alves
KTM
+2:06.933
19
Mitchell Oldenburg
YAM
+2:19.840
20
Justin Thompson
YAM
15 Laps
21
Derek Drake
KTM
+04.348
22
Martin Davalos
KAW
+11.869
23
Gabe Gutierres
KTM
+18.833
24
Kevin Moranz
KAW
+33.652
25
Cody Williams
HQV
+42.934
26
Joshua Prior
HQV
+53.790
27
Jake Pinhancos
KAW
+56.325
28
Hayden Halstead
YAM
+1:12.053
29
Corey Ridel
HQV
+1:31.280
30
Joshua Berchem
KTM
+1:32.436
31
James Harrington
YAM
+2:09.197
32
Bryton Carroll
YAM
+2:26.313
33
Jeffrey Walker
HON
14 Laps
34
Aaron Zielfelder
HON
+02.459
35
Jonathan Mayzak
KTM
+19.970
36
Stephen Czarnota
KTM
+31.839
37
Cody Williams
KTM
+43.877
38
Austin Brooks
YAM
+2:18.710
39
Walter White
KTM
13 Laps
40
Zane Merrett
KTM
6 Laps
250 Moto Two
Cianciarulo made it a clean sweep of the MotoSport.com Holeshots when he emerged from the first turn with the lead to start Moto 2. Cycle Trader Yamaha’s Brandon Hartranft followed in second, with Red Bull KTM’s Cameron McAdoo in third, just ahead of both Ferrandis and Cooper.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Cianciarulo tried to duplicate the early pace he showed in the first moto, but the field kept him within reach. Ferrandis proved to be the first rider to make a move, fighting his way around both McAdoo and Hartranft to surge from fourth to second. Just about a second separated the lead pair as they came to complete Lap 1.
Cianciarulo and Ferrandis started to inch away from the rest of the field, setting up a two-rider showdown for the win. This forced Cooper to dig deep from fifth, and he successfully got around McAdoo for fourth. A lap later he worked his way by Hartranft to take over third, but faced more than an eight-second deficit to the top two. Up front, the gap between Cianciarulo and Ferrandis hovered around a second for half of the moto, with the duo trading fast laps.
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Ferrandis
As the moto surpassed the halfway point, Ferrandis began to lose patience and started to force the issue. He was able to learn in his pursuit of the Kawasaki and found a couple spots on the track where he could make a move.
With about 13-minutes left in the moto, the Frenchman pulled the trigger and sped by Cianciarulo, who put up little fight knowing he still had the overall in hand. Once out front, Ferrandis was able to quickly build an insurmountable advantage. He carried on to take his second win in the last three motos, 10.6-seconds over Cianciarulo, while Cooper followed in a distant third.
Cianciarulo’s 1-2 effort gave him the sixth overall victory of his career, five of which have come this summer alone. He also became the 27th different winner in 34 seasons of 250 Class racing in Southwick.
Adam Cianciarulo 1-2
“I try to make good decisions [when I’m out there]. The more I mature as a racer, the more you just learn [how to handle situations],” explained Cianciarulo. “I managed that [second moto], for sure. I’m not sure if I had Dylan’s pace in that [second] moto. He deserved that one. I tried to follow, but I’ll admit, I was a little bit fatigued. We still leave here with another win, and it’s amazing what we continue to accomplish as a team.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Cianciarulo
Dylan Ferrandis 3-1
“I feel like even with the heat, I’m still alright. It’s nice to get another moto win. We improved between the motos after going the wrong way for moto one. We talked a lot and we figured it out for moto two. I’m exhausted but happy to be up here and we’ll go after the overall again next weekend.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Ferrandis
Justin Cooper 2-3
“The track was the roughest I’ve ever ridden Southwick. Not that I’ve been here much, but even watching it on TV has never seemed to be this rough. I made some good changes between motos but the breaking bumps were really tightening my back up and I just wanted to make sure we maintained through the whole moto. It was gnarly and a really physically and mentally demanding track. I gave it my all out there today.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Justin Cooper
Colt Nichols 5-11
“Bike was great all day and I’m honestly happy with the changes we have made in the past week or so. Conditions were brutal. The typical Southwick rough and tough you could say. I’m bummed I had a crash first lap of the second moto but that’s racing. We get to try again next weekend.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick – Nichols
250 Moto Two Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
15 Laps
2
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
+10.690
3
Justin Cooper
YAM
+28.357
4
RJ Hampshire
HON
+41.007
5
Alex Martin
SUZ
+52.192
6
Cameron Mcadoo
KTM
+1:01.582
7
Shane McElrath
KTM
+1:01.870
8
Brandon Hartranft
YAM
+1:17.963
9
Jacob Hayes
YAM
+1:20.057
10
Nick Gaines
YAM
+1:27.269
11
Colt Nichols
YAM
+1:49.882
12
Ramyller Alves
KTM
+1:56.727
13
Hunter Lawrence
HON
+2:04.333
14
Mitchell Oldenburg
YAM
+2:21.530
15
Ty Masterpool
YAM
+2:28.314
16
Kevin Moranz
KAW
14 Laps
17
Jerry Robin
KTM
+09.403
18
Jordan Bailey
HQV
+27.973
19
Hayden Halstead
YAM
+32.039
20
Justin Thompson
YAM
+53.572
21
Zane Merrett
KTM
+1:02.268
22
Joshua Prior
HQV
+1:35.238
23
Derek Drake
KTM
+1:38.267
24
Jake Pinhancos
KAW
+1:41.747
25
Corey Ridel
HQV
+1:58.652
26
Joshua Berchem
KTM
+2:05.808
27
Aaron Zielfelder
HON
+2:36.150
28
Jonathan Mayzak
KTM
+2:47.798
29
James Harrington
YAM
13 Laps
30
Stephen Czarnota
KTM
+35.171
31
Bryton Carroll
YAM
+35.921
32
Cody Williams
KTM
+1:06.856
33
Hunter Stempel
HON
+1:29.476
34
Austin Brooks
YAM
+1:39.885
35
Kyle Peters
SUZ
9 Laps
36
Cody Williams
HQV
+29.752
37
Gabe Gutierres
KTM
6 Laps
38
Jeffrey Walker
HON
5 Laps
39
Walter White
KTM
+39.788
40
Martin Davalos
KAW
4 Laps
250 Round Results
Ferrandis’ win in the second moto carried him to back-to-back runner-up finishes (3-1), while Cooper earned his fifth overall podium result of the season in third (2-3).
Pos
Rider
Bike
M1
M2
Rnd PTS
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
1
2
47
2
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
3
1
45
3
Justin Cooper
YAM
2
3
42
4
RJ Hampshire
HON
4
4
36
5
Shane McElrath
KTM
6
7
29
6
Alex Martin
SUZ
10
5
27
7
Brandon Hartranft
YAM
7
8
27
8
Colt Nichols
YAM
5
11
26
9
Cameron Mcadoo
KTM
11
6
25
10
Jacob Hayes
YAM
12
9
21
11
Hunter Lawrence
HON
9
13
20
12
Ty Masterpool
YAM
8
15
19
13
Nick Gaines
YAM
17
10
15
14
Ramyller Alves
KTM
18
12
12
15
Jerry Robin
KTM
14
17
11
16
Mitchell Oldenburg
YAM
19
14
9
17
Jordan Bailey
HQV
15
18
9
18
Chase Sexton
HON
13
8
19
Kevin Moranz
KAW
24
16
5
20
Kyle Peters
SUZ
16
35
5
21
Hayden Halstead
YAM
28
19
2
22
Justin Thompson
YAM
20
20
2
23
Derek Drake
KTM
21
23
0
24
Joshua Prior
HQV
26
22
0
25
Jake Pinhancos
KAW
27
24
0
26
Corey Ridel
HQV
29
25
0
27
Joshua Berchem
KTM
30
26
0
28
James Harrington
YAM
31
29
0
29
Gabe Gutierres
KTM
23
37
0
30
Zane Merrett
KTM
40
21
0
31
Aaron Zielfelder
HON
34
27
0
32
Cody Williams
HQV
25
36
0
33
Martin Davalos
KAW
22
40
0
34
Jonathan Mayzak
KTM
35
28
0
35
Bryton Carroll
YAM
32
31
0
36
Stephen Czarnota
KTM
36
30
0
37
Cody Williams
KTM
37
32
0
38
Jeffrey Walker
HON
33
38
0
39
Austin Brooks
YAM
38
34
0
40
Walter White
KTM
39
39
0
41
Hunter Stempel
HON
/
33
0
250 Class Championship Standings
Cianciarulo was able to add to his lead in the 250 Class standings, where he now enjoys a 23-point lead over Cooper. Ferrandis remains solidly in third, 37 points out of the lead.
Pos
Name
Bike
Total
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
269
2
Justin Cooper
YAM
246
3
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
232
4
Colt Nichols
YAM
178
5
Chase Sexton
HON
167
6
RJ Hampshire
HON
165
7
Hunter Lawrence
HON
162
8
Michael Mosiman
HQV
148
9
Alex Martin
SUZ
143
10
Shane McElrath
KTM
108
11
Ty Masterpool
YAM
83
12
Brandon Hartranft
YAM
73
13
Jacob Hayes
YAM
72
14
Garrett Marchbanks
KAW
63
15
Cameron Mcadoo
KTM
58
16
Wilson Todd
KTM
56
17
Martin Davalos
KAW
54
18
Derek Drake
KTM
50
19
Christian Craig
HON
48
20
Jordan Bailey
HQV
48
21
Jordon Smith
KTM
38
22
Kyle Peters
SUZ
36
23
Mitchell Oldenburg
YAM
31
24
Nick Gaines
YAM
30
25
Pierce Brown
KTM
18
26
Jerry Robin
KTM
15
27
Ramyller Alves
KTM
13
28
Kevin Moranz
KAW
11
29
Thomas Covington
HQV
10
30
Killian Auberson
KTM
6
31
Justin Thompson
YAM
5
32
Challen Tennant
KTM
4
33
Martin Castelo
HQV
4
34
Zane Merrett
KTM
3
35
Yusuke Watanabe
YAM
2
36
Hayden Halstead
YAM
2
Up Next
The second half of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship begins next Saturday, July 6, with American motocross’ own Independence Day tradition from Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX.
“It feels like I’m dreaming. These have been difficult times for me, because I’ve been out of the three tracks where I thought I had the most potential with the bike. My season has been difficult, but I’ve tried to keep the momentum from Catalunya, because I felt really good on the bike. I’m so grateful to the team, because they did a great job this weekend and prepared well for the last laps of the race. I was strong, even one-to-one on the brakes, I knew I could make the overtakes. It was very important to relieve some of the pressure by taking a victory. I think the team will be more relaxed now. Being back on the top step of the podium again feels really good and bringing Yamaha back to its winning ways is the most important to me. We knew we had the potential but hadn’t been able to show it. It’s always a combination between the team’s, the rider’s, and the bike’s efforts. Sachsenring is a track I’m usually fast at, so we’ll try our best.”
Maverick Viñales
Marc Marquez – P2
“An amazing weekend here in Assen overall. I chose the soft tyre and targeted the podium so this is like a victory as we have again increased the advantage in the championship. I saw Viñales was faster than me and I tried to stay with him to avoid a battle with Quartararo at the end. I was behind Viñales for a few laps and then I saw he was faster than me today, congratulations to him on the victory. The most important part is we have extended our lead in the championship at a circuit where we struggle. Thank you Assen, see you next year!”
Marc Marquez
Fabio Quartararo – P3
“It’s been a great weekend, although the race was very tough. Leading the race was one of the best moments of my life. When I was a kid I watched these races, and today I managed to lead one. When I got overtaken for the lead, I knew I couldn’t do anything to respond because of my arm problems. The chasing pack was further behind, so I chose to manage the distance and ensure I placed on the podium. My arm bothered me a lot because there were several bumps and a lot of wind, which made the bike move around a lot. We have taken another podium, and yesterday I got on pole, so I couldn’t be happier. The goal in Qatar was to get into the top ten frequently this season, but little by little we have been raising our targets. I’m looking forward to Germany.”
Fabio Quartararo
Andrea Dovizioso – P4
“Looking at the positives, we managed to score the best possible result for us today. After a tricky qualifying session and the start from fourth row, it would have been easy to make mistakes and get involved in risky situations in the chasing group, but we were able to quickly recover positions and take home some important points. Unfortunately, on tracks such as this one our limitations are a bit more evident and everything becomes more difficult. The gap on the finish line can’t make us happy, so we need to keep working hard to make further progress in the areas in which we struggle the most, and we’ll try to do that starting from next weekend at Sachsenring.”
Andrea Dovizioso
Franco Morbidelli – P5
“I matched my best result in MotoGP to date, so I am very happy today. It was very important to finish the race, and above all to achieve a good position here. It was a tough race, because to begin with I didn’t feel like I had enough speed to stay with the front group. However, towards the end of the race my feeling improved and I was able to ride faster than those in front of me. I was able to gain several positions and finish fifth. I’m very happy with this result, and I thank the team and my crew.”
Franco Morbidelli
Danilo Petrucci – P6
“It’s been a bit of a strange weekend, because we started off on the right foot and we were always among the frontrunners in free practice. I was feeling really confident onboard my Desmosedici GP, but the rising temperatures complicated the situation because, when the grip level goes down, we struggle more than our rivals and today it wasn’t possible to match the pace at the front. In the second half of the race Andrea and I engaged in a fun battle against other riders, but unfortunately I lost one position at the very last corner. On the bright side, I’m now third in the Championship and we’re headed to Sachsenring: I barely missed the podium there last year, and this time we’ll try to make sure we step on it.”
Danilo Petrucci
Cal Crutchlow – P7
“I think we salvaged not a bad position considering the weekend we had. Midway through the race I was the fastest guy on the circuit, but I didn’t feel good with the bike on the first three or four laps and I got passed a lot. Then I was able to do my own pace which was faster than the guys ahead, but when I got to them I made too many mistakes – I ran off the track three or four times. We tried our best and that was it, we have to work on the negatives of the bike, but we’re working well as a team and I think we did a good job to be able to be competitive enough today. As I said, my pace in the middle of the race was very, very good and we need to work on being able to go faster at the start.”
Cal Crutchlow
Joan Mir – P8
“I’m so happy about the weekend in general. Although it was still a bit of a shame, because I expected a little bit more. I was fighting really hard throughout the race, but I didn’t have much grip on the rear towards the end and I thought it was better to finish than fight. I’m looking forward to Sachsenring because I have been feeling much better recently, and I feel that I’m close to achieving some really strong results.”
Joan Mir
Jack Miller – P9
“It’s been a very difficult weekend. During the race I tried to push but the tyre didn’t help me. I’m disappointed because I thought I could do better. We finished by taking some important points for the classification but the result could have been better.”
Jack Miller
Andrea Iannone – P10
“Besides the position, which is my best result with Aprilia, I am especially pleased with the nice pace I maintained throughout the race. With better qualifiers, we would have had a chance for a much better finishing position. This result is the fruit of constant and consistent work, on my part and by the entire team. We have faced some difficult moments, but neither my commitment nor our reciprocal trust have waned. Today we are all happy and I wish to thank all the guys from Aprilia, but we certainly don’t think that this is enough. This is a good starting place and we need to keep working, improving and growing constantly, race after race.”
Andrea Iannone
Pol Espargaro – P11
“It was the hardest race to handle the pain but not so much for the riding because I was not on the limit. At the beginning of the race I was quite comfortable. I tried to stay calm and fresh and then I pushed behind [Francesco] Bagnaia. The pain started about 12 laps before the end and then 5 laps to go I couldn’t manage. Entering the fast right corners was quite dangerous for me. So I just rolled off and stayed in that position which was not that bad. I was the first KTM…with problems, so this is good. Hopefully with three days the injury can come a bit better and with some painkillers we can do a good race in Germany.”
Pol Espargaro
Aleix Espargaro – P12
“It was a very difficult race. I struggled from the beginning to move around on the bike because of the injuries to my left leg, and that penalised our performance. I used all the muscles I could, but it was difficult to turn the bike on a track like this one that is very physical. Now I will focus on recovering in order to arrive in Germany in better physical condition.”
Aleix Espargaro
Miguel Oliveira – P13
“It has been a tough race today. For sure, the starting position didn’t help at all. In the first laps I couldn’t overtake anyone but in any case, I had a strong pace at the end. I could be competitive and fight with other riders, so I think finally, to finish in the points was the target and we did it. I’m quite happy for the weekend. This is a small step but we are getting there. Collecting more information for the future is also important.”
Miguel Oliveira
Pecco Bagnaia – P14
“I tried being with the Top 10 group. I pushed a lot but in the last laps I didn’t have any more grip. We’ll look at the data to see what happened. We still got 2 points and we have a lot of room for improvement.”
Pecco Bagnaia
Hafizh Syahrin – P15
“It was a really good race in the beginning. From eight laps to go, I lost rear grip on the right side and don’t know why. I tried to manage it with the traction control but it was not working. So, I’m a bit disappointed, because I know I could have been close to Pol and maybe also in front of my teammate. But this is the race. Now we further try to improve our weak points and understand the bike better and better.”
Hafizh Syahrin
Tito Rabat – P16
”Complicated weekend. Assen is a very physically demanding circuit and even more considering that I came from an operation in the leg and my tendon hurted behind the knee. The first two days hurted more, today in the warm up the pain disappeared down but it has returned in the race. It penalized me because it is one of the worst circuits for the Ducati, you have to change a lot of direction. In the race I tried to follow the group in front but I made a mistake and when I was alone I could not go full throttle on the straights, I had to use the rear brake even in sixth gear because the bike moved a lot. After half a race, the rear brake temperature went up and sometimes it stopped working. I tried to get some points but it was not possible today. The positive part is that we have another race next week to get rid of the thorn.”
Tito Rabat
Karel Abraham – P17
”It was a bad day today. Friday and Saturday were good and I was happy with everthing, I think we did a really good job with lap times. I felt relaxed for the race and strong to fight for 12th or 13th. However, after the start, which was really bad, I couldn’t do anything as I wasn’t fast. We made a few mistakes in the set up that I would like to change for Sachsenring and I just didn’t have a good feeling with both front and rear tyres. I couldn’t follow the riders that overtook me as Oliveira or Tito himself. Then, I was just trying to finish the race but unfortunately I lost the front in a corner. I picked up the bike and continued in order to finish the race.”
Karel Abraham
Alex Rins – DNF
“I did a really good start, and I was riding with a lot of confidence. But then, on the exit of Turn 8, the front came up a little bit more than usual and then I braked really hard getting into Turn 9 and I lost the front immediately. It was a real shame because I was doing well, with a good rhythm and good pace. I’m sure I would have stayed with the front riders. The good news is that I’ll be back on the bike in less than a week, at Sachsenring, and I’m really excited.”
Alex Rins
Valentino Rossi – DNF
“I was quite fast, so I tried to recover some positions. I was battling with Nakagami and I tried to overtake him, entering Turn 8, but I was a bit too much off the line, I think. When I entered the corner, I lost the front and unfortunately I also took out Nakagami, so that’s a great shame and I have to say “sorry”. It was a mistake and a pity, because today, after being slow this weekend, we had found something, so during the race I was good. I felt good with the bike. So, on one side this makes it an even bigger shame, but on the other side it’s also important to realise that I was suffering too much this weekend and that we need to be stronger.”
Valentino Rossi
Takaaki Nakagami – DNF
“It was an unlucky day, we made a good start at the beginning and I tried to follow the top group. Then I was fighting with Cal (Crutchlow), Jack (Miller) and Valentino (Rossi), and on that lap he (Rossi) overtook me in turn one and I overtook again in turn two, then in turn eight he tried to overtake again from inside but I saw him lose the front end and I had no time to recover and he took me out. It was an unlucky crash, but although I’m not 100 percent ok, I’ve not got any injuries which is good as it was a nasty crash. I hit the fence and I can’t completely remember what happened, but I want to thank all my staff for helping me.”
Takaaki Nakagami
Johann Zarco – DNF
“It is a hard track for all the riders I think and I got this problem, which I was able to control the last two years and this year not. The good thing was the first ten laps and to be able to catch the others with pace and be able to overtake as a racer. We are working a lot and changing the bike a lot to give me this feeling or possibilities to improve. After ten laps I did a few mistakes. I had the feeling I was not holding the bike any more and before something bad happened I had to stop.”
Johann Zarco
Team Managers
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha
“We start with the positives. Maverick was strong all weekend and started the Dutch GP with the same confidence level he had in Barcelona. To have him battle at the front, which is where he belongs, and win in such a convincing manner is fantastic, especially in hot weather, the circumstances in which we struggled in the past. This win is an indication that we‘re heading in the right direction and is a very important reward for both Maverick, his team, and Yamaha, because they have been working very hard. It also slightly makes up for the misfortune our team encountered in Catalunya. However, as much as we are happy for Maverick, we are disappointed for Valentino. The race is always tricky when you‘re starting from more towards the back, but he had found something he liked in the morning and was on his way up the order when he crashed. It‘s a shame, and also very unlucky that Nakagami was taken down too. In any case, we have learned from this weekend and head to the Sachsenring fully motivated to get to work.”
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Razlan Razali – Petronas Yamaha SRT Team Principal
“What a fantastic Dutch GP! To achieve a podium finish, in only the next race from our first-ever podium finish, is really quite remarkable and it’s incredible to think that this team is only eight races old. Fabio performed excellently all weekend and the entire team did a tremendous job. Franco had a superb race, and a fine fifth is just reward for his efforts. This weekend PETRONAS debuted their Sprinta engine oil in the Yamaha YZR-M1 and were rewarded with pole position and a podium finish. This is a great endorsement of their technical prowess and a well-deserved reward for the support they have given this team. This is a very happy team today but we remain focused to keep improving and delivering at the very best we can.”
Razlan Razali and Fabio Quartararo
Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas Yamaha SRT Manager
“It’s our best result as a team to date. Having our MotoGP riders finish third and fifth is a bit unexpected. If we were offered these results for the rest of the season, we’d take it – it would be fantastic. Fabio had a great race, leading for 12 laps and claiming another podium – the second for the team. We are very satisfied. Franco had a very steady race. He made a good start, and although he lacked some pace at the beginning, when the other riders started to lap slower he was able to maintain his speed and overtake on the final laps. He should be very proud of himself after this race in Assen. We come out of this weekend with much more energy and we are looking forward to the next round. The goal for Germany will be to try to make sure Fabio goes into the weekend in the best physical condition, and we hope that Franco can take another step forward, although we are more than satisfied with the results that both riders have provided us with up to now.”
Petronas Yamaha SRT Team
Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager
“Today we expected a very strong race for both our riders, so it was a pity that we couldn’t get the results we hoped for. We need to investigate exactly what happened to Alex. Joan lost some places and that was a pity too, but he still had a good finish and took good points within the second group. Things have been improving for him in the last few rounds.”
Davide Brivio
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“Today was disappointing for Alex because he and Joan had great starts and Alex just made a small mistake and went down. Joan fought well, even though he had to back off a bit towards the end of the race. Despite everything, we’re still confident because in general our pace and form are very good at the moment. We’re looking forward to trying again in Germany next week.”
KTM – Assen TT 2019
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“Pol had a great weekend in the circumstances. He went from the hospital to the garage and there were a lot of question marks as well as pain for him in the sessions. He did a great qualifying and that was the base of this result today. If someone asked me after FP1 if Pol would finish the race on Sunday I would have said ‘no chance’. To ride a MotoGP bike is not like riding a scooter in the paddock: it is a tough job. He did brilliantly. Johann did well in the beginning and was in the group fighting for tenth position but then dropped away dramatically. So we’ll have to analyse what happened but I could see there were riders with other brands that were suffering on track. We’ll have to look if we can give our best at Sachsenring. It was great to see the Red Bull Tech3 guys both in the points again and looking more competitive.”
Assen TT 2019
Piero Taramasso – Michelin
“This has been a very good weekend for us as the performance, grip and durability was at the forefront all the time. We set very fast times and broke the outright lap record more than once and if the weather hadn’t been different today I am sure we would have seen more records broken. All six compounds were used, which is again a testament to making tyres that all can use. Maverick became the fifth winner of the season from the fourth different manufacturer, this again reiterates our intention of producing tyres for all bikes to give them the chance of the best performance. We now head to Germany and Sachsenring, which can be a very demanding track, both from a layout and weather point of view, we will also see the first running of the MotoE Grand Prix, so that gives us another new challenge and one we are looking forward to taking.”
Danny Buchan of the FS3-Racing Kawasaki team took victory in the opening race at Knockhill, marking the fifth different winner in the premiere class in five rounds.
Scott Redding scored top honours in the second bout to reclaim the championship lead from Tommy Bridewell.
Danny Buchan
Josh Brookes went 8-4 for the weekend, while fellow Aussies Jason O’Halloran and Ben Currie failed to finish either race.
Jason O’Halloran suffered machine problems in both races which saw organisers give him the black-orange flag forcing his retirement from both races.
For Ben Currie his return from injury turned out to be a little premature with his injured foot not coping with the stress of the racing conditions which forced the young Victorian to pull out of the races.
Josh Brookes
In Superstock 1000 Levi Day suffered a DNF in race one due to a loosening boot starting to come adrift from his foot which forced him to pit. He then closed out the weekend with a 14 place result.
Levi Day in the wet conditions
British Superbikes
BSB Superbikes Race 1
At the start of the opening race Tarran Mackenzie launched off the front row to lead the pack from pole-sitter Xavi Forés and Buchan with Christian Iddon and Jason O’Halloran in close contention. A moment for Forés dropped him behind Buchan on lap five and then the FS3-Racing Kawasaki rider was hunting down Mackenzie at the front.
Jason O’Halloran
Buchan was piling the pressure on Mackenzie at the front and with a decisive move at the Hairpin on lap five and then posted consistent lap times to begin to make a break from the pack. Mackenzie though crashed out of contention before mid-race distance ending his chance of a podium finish.
Buchan was untroubled at the front but behind the battle for second place went down to the wire as Scott Redding was cutting through the pack from his 16th place grid start; by the final ten laps the Be Wiser Ducati rider had closed down the battle for second with Forés leading Iddon.
Danny Buchan
Redding had closed the gap and with three laps to go he made a move at turn five on Iddon to move ahead of the Tyco BMW rider and then repeated the move a lap later to move into second place as Forés held third.
Redding celebrated a determined second place finish ahead of Forés and Iddon who claimed Tyco BMW’s best result of the season. Tommy Bridewell was fifth ahead of Bradley Ray and Luke Mossey. Luke Stapleford and Glenn Irwin completed the top ten.
Christian Iddon
BSB Superbikes Race 2
In race two Redding returned to the top of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship podium at Knockhill, mastering the Scottish circuit to claim the race two victory for Be Wiser Ducati and move back to the top of the standings by four points.
Scott Redding
At the start of the race Mackenzie claimed the initial advantage into turn one, but Buchan carved ahead just a corner later to put the FS3-Racing Kawasaki back at the front of the field. Redding was in third and he moved second on lap two with a move at the Hairpin on the Be Wiser Ducati.
Iddon had been sitting in eighth place but a crash at turn four on the third lap left the Tyco BMW with a fractured left fibula. The BMW Safety Car was deployed and as the pack formed up behind, Buchan, Redding and Mackenzie were the leading trio with Josh Brookes, Ray and Bridewell next in line.
Danny Buchan would also crash out in Race 2
Redding was instantly on the attack when the race resumed and after two laps he had pulled a decisive move on Buchan to take the lead. Buchan and Mackenzie then were embroiled in a battle for second, but Bridewell was also on the move and desperate to forge his way further up the order.
By lap 17 Buchan had made a move on Redding to regain the lead, but a lap later an unfortunate crash saw the FS3-Racing Kawasaki rider tumble out of the action unhurt. That gave Redding the advantage he needed and he was able to hold the advantage until the race was red flagged on lap 25 when Ray suffered a mechanical failure and subsequently affected the track conditions.
Scott Redding claimed the Race 2 win for an overall victory and championship lead
Mackenzie had been eager to make amends for his race one crash and he was able to hold off Bridewell in the closing stages as the pair completed the race two podium with Brookes and Andrew Irwin completing the top five.
Peter Hickman had been giving chase to Ray before his technical problem and that meant the Smiths Racing BMW rider claimed sixth place ahead of Dan Linfoot and Mossey who held off Glenn Irwin and James Ellison.
Danny Buchan – Race One Winner
“It’s still not sunk in yet and I’m pretty overwhelmed by it, it was such a long first race. At the beginning of the race I actually hit Taz (Mackenzie), I hit his exhaust going down the straight. It was a good race and I knew I could do a good job, mid race onwards I settled into a rhythm and brought the bike home and took my first win. Credit to the FS3 team for all their hard work that they have put in, to pick up my first win and the team’s first BSB win, it has been a long time coming. I’ve been trying and trying it’s been a stressful three years for everyone around me. Thanks to all my family and friends who have always supported me.”
Danny Buchan on the podium in Race 1
Scott Redding – Race Two Winner
“Scotland is great! Danny (Buchan) is the man at Knockhill this weekend – he has been strong in the wet and dry. He won the first race so he had that confidence, I was confident as well as I came through I knew I had the pace. I didn’t really want to lead. I wanted to learn as I am still learning the tracks so when he came by he was pulling away, but I could catch him so I was like, just stay there. The Safety Car came out and I just thought, ‘ok regroup’, we went again and he had a little moment and I thought should I just stay behind? And I thought no I will just try and lead a little bit and see how it goes. I led a couple of laps and felt good, then I think I ran a bit wide in to one of the corners and Danny came by and I thought, that’s alright I will try and stay and learn. I learnt a little bit through the chicane and I thought I will just stay here and have a dig at the end and he lost the front and I thought, oh now I am leading again! I picked my pace up and then it was done. The race was good, I am happy to have the win with the second this morning; people said will Redding manage the British tracks once we get to Knockhill – now we know!”
Scott Redding claimed the Race 2 win and top overall honours with a 2-1
Josh Brookes – 8-4
“To be honest, I’m glad to be leaving Knockhill as it hasn’t been a great weekendand I’m disappointed for the whole team as everyone’s been working hard and putting in as much effort as always. It just hasn’t clicked for me this weekend and although it started well on Friday, it came to a halt after that and we never really progressed with our pace stuck at that level. The weather made it tough although it was the same for everyone, but we made some small improvements for the second race and salvaged a half decent result with fourth. I wish we were going to Snetterton straightaway to clear my head but it’s been a good circuit to me in the past and I’m confident the Be Wiser Ducati will work well there so I’ll be looking to bounce back strongly and get back to the front.”
Josh Brookes
Xavi Forés – 3-11
“It’s been a bitter sweet weekend at Knockhill, but we do have many positives to take away. I wasn’t expecting at all to take the pole position yesterday, or finish on the podium! Being back on the podium after the results at Brands was like a victory for me and the team, I’m happy as we were there in dry conditions, so we are making good steps with the Fireblade, but we do still have some work to do. The second race was hard, I started from 13th and made it hard work for myself to get back up into the leading pack. During the race I felt I was defending rather than attacking and it was hard work, the wind at the circuit also picked up and that didn’t help. But I think moving to the next round we have to take the positives with us from this weekend and remind ourselves that we can be up there, have the pace and finish on the podium.”
Xavi Fores
Tarran Mackenzie – DNF-2
“I’m leaving with a smile on my face, which is nice I was very annoyed with myself for crashing out of the first race. There was a backmarker in front of Danny and I tried to stick to the left as the inside of the track was so wet and I was on the dirty part of the track and it caught me out. Fortunately we made amends in race two. I put together a good pace towards the end of the race, Scott was probably a bit too far away but it got cut short anyway. It’s nice after what happened at Brands, I’m happy to finish second and come away with some solid points.”
Tarran Mackenzie
Jason O’Halloran – DNF-DNF
“We worked hard this weekend and were fourth quickest overall after practice. Then the rain came for qualifying and I ended up eighth on the grid but I was feeling good for race day. Conditions were really hard in race one with a narrow dry line. I was up to fifth when I unfortunately had to retire with a technical problem. I was given a penalty for race two and ended up 21st on the grid, but I made my way into the group fighting for the top ten before unfortunately having to retire again with a technical problem. Snetterton is up next, somewhere I love racing so I’m looking forward to that already.”
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took a stunning Grand Prix win at the Motul TT Assen, stalking the front before striking for the lead and stretching his legs to pull away from reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in the closing stages of what had been an exciting race.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) followed up his record-breaking pole position on Saturday with another podium, impressing once again even as he continues to recover from arm pump surgery.
Alex Rins took the holeshot from third on the grid, the Suzuki man streaking away from the line and soon joined by impressive rookie teammate Joan Mir as he slotted into second with pole-sitter Fabio Quartararo in third follwed by Maverick Vinales. Marquez was next up, with Andrea Dovizioso and his Ducati team-mate Danilo Petrucci just behind.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Alex Rins was leading the race and looking very strong before the Suzuki man made a mistake under brakes and slid out of the lead, and the race. That left his team-mate Joan Mir in the lead of a MotoGP race for the first time ahead of fellow rookie Quartararo.
Mir ran a little wide while being pressured from behind which allowed Quartararo, Vinales and Marquez all through, demoting the #36 Suzuki back to fourth in one foul swoop.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Dovizioso had worked his way past Petrucci and then made short work of Joan Mir.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Vinales made a small mistake which allowed Marquez through to second place where the Honda man was tight on the back wheel of Quartararo. Marquez tried to attack, Quartararo resisted. After a slight lapse in momentum Viñales got back on their tail and it was a trio locked together in the lead.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
They all made their mistakes in the ensuing laps. Viñales overcooked Turn 1 but reeled them back in, Marquez attacked Quartararo a lap later after the Frenchman’s Yamaha had a few too many head-shakes at speed and forced Fabio to get out of the throttle. Then Marquez had his own moment and the rookie was back in the lead. The trio were once again line astern, uneasily holding station.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
With 11 laps to go, Viñales broke the stalemate. He attacked Marquez and got through before then homing in on Quartararo, pouncing at the same spot that Marquez had earlier as the Frenchman struggled again with more head-shake at high speed.
Marquez then sneaked past Vinales for the lead but the Yamaha man was having none of it, Maverick was riding with maximum aggression and determined to make this day a mark of triumph.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
With six laps to go Vinales and Marquez were still both locked together and there was nothing in it, before gradually Viñales started to eke out a tenth here, and a tenth there. Vinales had finally broken Marquez and the Repsol Honda man was forced to relent as the risks became too high and the #93 looked to settle for second place and the 20-points that comes with it.
The top three all had their share of mini dramas during the race, but Viñales was then pitch perfect to the flag. Eventually, the gap was nearly five-seconds over the line and the Spaniard celebrated in style. It’s his first win since Phillip Island last year, Yamaha’s first of the season and one of his most impressive rides.
Quartararo took his second podium in succession in third after being in the heat of the battle for the first half of the race. The young Frenchman was clearly spent when he arrived in Parc Ferme, his recovery from recent arm pump surgery not yet quite complete.
Dovizioso had been locked in battle with Petrucci and Franco Morbidelli for much of the race before winning that war for fourth place.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Morbidelli eventually just beat Petrucci to complete the top five and equal his best ever premier class result.
Cal Crutchlow recovered from a big moment to take P7 and overhaul Mir impressive performance as the rookie finished eighth.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Jack Miller crossed the line in ninth after a trying weekend for the Aussie while Andrea Iannone completed the top ten for his best result of the season so far and some valuable points and encouragement for the Aprilia squad.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Pol Espargaro the first KTM home after escaping a battle behind that saw Aleix Espargaro best Miguel Oliveira with Francesco Bagnaia and Hafizh Syahrin also in the points, and all incredibly close all the way to the line.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
There were a few names missing from the finishers along with Rins, the biggest of which was Valentino Rossi. The ‘Doctor’ had started from P14 on the grid and was making little headway before a mistake under brakes saw the #46 Yamaha go down, skittling LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami in the process.
MotoGP 2019 – Round Eight – Assen
Next up is the Sachsenring and that’s one of Marquez’ signature venues, so there will be some ominous music as the reigning Champion makes the short trip south. But with Viñales on form, Quartararo ever-closer despite his recent surgery and the likes of Rins with speed if not always luck, the last race before the summer break will be unmissable. And we only have days to wait as MotoGP reconvenes this weekend in Germany, a race meeting that will also herald the debut of the new MotoE category.
Australian Rennie Scaysbrook took an incredible victory at Pikes Peak overnight on a factory backed Aprilia RSV4. Scaysbrook is only the second foreigner to win the infamous Pikes Peak Hill Climb, a race steeped in American racing folklore since its first running more than a century ago.
Ducati’s Carlin Dunne had taken pole position for the famous event and it was shaping up to be an epic battle betwee Dunne and Scaysbrook come race day over the 156-turn, 20-kilometre Pikes Peak course.
Ride Pikes Peak with Rennie Remember Rennie had no idea of Dunne’s death at this point
Scaysbrook took the win while Dunne, on a prototype factory backed Ducati V4 Streetfighter, crashed just metres from the finish line.
Dunne had been the favourite as he raced for his fifth Pikes Peak title, a race that Ducati has put massive resources behind in what is one of the most high profile events for the Italian brand in North America.
Bystanders at first thought that Dunne was going to be okay and it was not until later that the collective hearts of the Colorado Springs community and the Board of Directors of The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb sank to share the grief and pain of Carlin Dunne’s family, friends and fans over his untimely death at 36-years of age.
Dunne is the seventh death which has been attributed to participation in the 97-year running of the event.
Pikes Peak Official Statement
“Throughout the 97 years that this unique race has been conducted on America’s Mountain, we have experienced the ultimate joy in victory, the disappointment of failure and now, the unexpected heartbreak of the loss of a competitor, whose love of the race brought him to Pikes Peak. We mourn the tragic death of Carlin and he will remain in our hearts forever as part of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb family. Carlin will be remembered as a warm hearted mentor with a competitive spirit. He was a gentle and thoughtful man who touched everyone who met him. We will always remember his contagious smile and genuine love for sport”. The Board of Directors of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
“There are no words to describe our shock and sadness. Carlin was part of our family and one of the most genuine and kind men we have ever known. His spirit for this event and love of motorcycling will be remembered forever as his passing leaves a hole in our hearts,” said Jason Chinnock, CEO Ducati North America.
With our deepest condolence.
Carlin Dunne on the Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype at Pikes Peak
Davide Brivio reflects on MotoGP season 2019 ahead of Assen
After seven races in the 2019 MotoGP Season (not including Assen), Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was 3rd in the Championship (-39pt from the leader Marc Marquez, -2 from the runner-up Andrea Dovizioso) with one victory (GP of The Americas) and a 2nd place (GP of Spain) already under his belt.
Alex Rins qualified in third place for Assen this weekend
While the rookie Joan Mir, despite some ups and downs, has already scored an 8th place in Qatar and a 6th place in Catalunya, the youngster has been learning quickly and is showing stronger pace with each race.
Joan Mir is fifth on the grid for the Assen TT
But perhaps what is most impressive are the detailed statistics of Rins; to take victory in Texas, he recovered 11 places from his starting position, and so far he is the rider with the best “recovery rate” this season – with 52 places recovered from qualifying to race finishes. Another impressive statistic is that since Misano last year, he has finished in the top 5 in 12 out of the 14 races, with 5 podiums.
Alex Rins and Marc Marquez on the podium at Jerez – Image by AJRN
These solid results showcase a Team that has been capable of finding consistency, despite some troubles in qualifying. But where do these performances come from? Team Manager Davide Brivio has a privileged point of view inside the team and is the best person to explain some of the secrets behind these great comebacks.
Alex Rins on the podium at Jerez
Davide Brivio
“It is true that since Misano last year we found a positive path that led us to a series of good race results, which culminated in consistent top 5 or top 6 placements for Alex Rins. This is due to the improved performance of the GSX-RR, but also an important step that Alex made personally towards the end of last year. We should not forget that his first season was heavily affected by injuries, which delayed his apprenticeship of learning and growing, finally everything ‘clicked’ at the end of last year and he blossomed. The most important remark on this is the consistency that he achieved: he’s taken five podiums in the last fourteen races, and they were not down to luck, they are the result of his consistent presence in the leading group in the races. This was exactly our target and strategy: to grow as fast as possible and be consistently fighting in the leading positions to take advantage of any podium chances. Now, with these results, we are happy to be considered a consistent contender for the podium – or the victory – in any race, even at the tracks where in theory we should struggle more.”
Alex Rins won at COTA
The good results in races have also stemmed from difficulties, as Rins is often left to ride a ‘recovery race’ after tricky qualifying sessions.
Alex Rins celebrates victory – COTA 2019 – Image by AJRN
“Alex is proving to be a real race-animal,” Continues Brivio. “After the red lights go off he actually can find that extra performance that allows him to catch up and get into the fight for the podium. If we analyse the races of this year, it is true that he struggled in finding that killer instinct needed for the time attack, but it is also a matter of characteristics of the bike. Our objective in the development has always been to find a bike that is perfectly balanced, with excellent rideability. This translates into a machine that is perfectly set-up for race distance, with a good tyre management, which allows him to be competitive until the very last laps. Our next step will be to translate this balanced performance also in an improved efficacy in the qualifying time attack. Of course, some races have been complicated by the tricky conditions and sometimes unlucky situations in qualifying.”
Joan Mir at Jerez
So, the philosophy of development is a crucial part of this process of improvement, because…
Joan Mir
“In Suzuki the priority has always been to find a well-balanced bike” as Brivio says. “This is part of our company culture, and at the moment it is rewarding us with positive results. We are a team that is half European and half Japanese, so we have to mix the two cultures. We Europeans are more focused on the work at the circuits, while in Japan they do all the crucial behind the scenes development and deliver the base and the updates. We have struck a good balance and we have learnt to mix the two different approaches and philosophies. There is a lot of communication between the Team on track and the engineers at home, and some of the Japanese engineers come to every race, and then sometimes we go to Japan for some face-to-face meetings. Apart from that, nowadays modern technology allow us to stay in touch wherever we are, thanks to phones, messages, emails. This means the exchange of information and data is constant.”
Alex Rins and Joan Mir of the Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP Team
Integro Yamaha’s Jack Kennedy has collected his fifth pole position on the bounce in the 2019 Dickies British Supersport Championship at Knockhill, with Kyle Ryde and Brad Jones joining him on the front row.
It was Kennedy who started the session the strongest, leading the way at the top of the time sheets after posting a strong time early on.
The defending Champion continued to improve on his time, pulling a heathy gap over second place, making sure he secured his fifth pole position of the year.
Kyle Ryde will start from second on the grid after nicking it from Brad Jones in the dying moments of the session.
Row two will see Jamie Perrin start from fourth with local lad Rory Skinner fifth and Championship leader Seeley rounding out the second line in sixth.
Pos
Name
Entry
Time
1
Jack Kennedy
Yamaha – Integro Yamaha
49.024
2
Kyle Ryde
Kalex – Kovara projects by RS Racing
49.145
3
Brad Jones
Yamaha – Integro Yamaha
49.267
4
Jamie Perrin
Chassis Factory – Nova Racing Transmissions/Go Racing
49.413
5
Rory Skinner
Kawasaki – Watermans Team MSR
49.566
6
Alastair Seeley
Yamaha – EHA Yamaha
49.779
7
Lee Johnston
Yamaha – Ashcourt Racing
49.799
8
Richard Kerr
Triumph – Campbell Motorsport
50.011
9
Sam Wilford
Honda – IDWe Racing
50.073
10
Mason Law
ABM Triumph – ABM Quattro Racing
50.093
11
Ben Wilson
Kawasaki – Gearlink Kawasaki
50.147
12
Sam Munro
Kawasaki – Munro Racing
50.163
13
Kurt Wigley
Yamaha – Sorrymate.com Racing
50.184
14
Bradley Perie
Yamaha – Diamond H Racing
50.199
15
Jake Archer
Kalex – Kovara projects by RS Racing
50.206
16
Harry Truelove
Yamaha – Truelove Property & Construction
50.252
17
Charlie Nesbitt
Yamaha – Hisc/Rapid Fulfillment Racing
50.333
18
Ross Twyman
Kawasaki – Gearlink Kawasaki
50.409
19
Ross Patterson
Yamaha – RPMMoto.com / Mayfair Homes Ltd
50.633
20
Phil Wakefield
Yamaha – PWR
50.809
21
Thomas Strudwick
FTR Moto – Case FTR Moto / Spirit Motorcycles
50.819
22
James Mclaren
Suzuki – Fog Racing
50.829
23
Jorel Boerboom
Honda – JB50 Racing
50.870
24
Alan Naylor
Yamaha – Donkey Box Racing
53.610
British Superstock 1000
Buildbase Suzuki’s Richard Cooper notched up his eighth victory of the season, coming back from third, to extend his Championship lead over Taylor Mackenzie at Knockhill.
Just minutes before the start of the race drops of rain began to fall, but not enough for the riders to change tyres and set-ups on the grid.
Taylor Mackenzie leads Richard Cooper – Image Dave Yeomans
From the lights it was Cooper who grabbed the holeshot, but the end of the opening lap Mackenzie led from Rouse with the Championship leader Cooper in third.
By half-race distance Cooper had caught Mackenzie, who had cleared off at the front, in the process setting a new lap record. It only took ‘Coopes’ a lap to pass the Bathams Racing BMW man and he quickly cleared off.
The Nottinghamshire man controlled the lead until the flag, taking his eighth victory of the season, with Mackenzie and Rouse rounding out the podium.
British Superstock 1000 Podium – Knockhill 2019 – 1. Dan Cooper – 2. Taylor Mackenzie – 3. Chrissy Rouse – Image Dave Yeomans
Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) just won’t stop breaking records. At the Motul TT Assen the Frenchman put in the fastest ever lap of the track in qualifying to take his third pole position overall, and in doing that he also becomes the youngest ever rider to take back-to-back poles in the premier class, and he looked so smooth doing it….
Fabio Quartararo – P1
“There’s not much to say; it’s just incredible. Assen is one of the most legendary circuits in the World Championship, and taking pole position and breaking the track record is amazing. I’m very proud of what the team have done. I thought it would be very difficult to beat the time in the final part of the session, but I managed two very fast laps and was able to do it. The feeling we have at this circuit, especially on the last sector, is awesome. Both yesterday and today we worked on race pace, and I think we are good in that regard. It’s a tougher circuit than Barcelona, so my arm is suffering a bit more here, but I was able to get pole position. I’m very happy.”
Fabio Quartararo
0.140s is the young Frenchman’s advantage over Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the pattern of the two taking it in turns at the top continued. Where Quartararo’s fast laps looked precise and smooth, Vinales was visibly wringing the neck of his YZR-M1 to set his quick laps in a scintillating display of aggression and physicality.
“I’m really satisfied. We worked really hard throughout the whole weekend, especially in FP3, when we worked more for the race than focusing on one lap, so this means we have a good set-up. It’s important for tomorrow to have a ‘normal’ and clean race, so I can push from the first lap until the end. I have nothing to lose, so I’ll be pushing 110%. It’s also very important to be consistent and precise on the track, so you don’t miss any corners. I will try to be at my best level tomorrow and get out in front, because it’s important for me to ride my own lines. I’m going to start from the front row and fight hard.”
Maverick Viñales
Alex Rins had to fight his way through from the second batch of riders in the opening Q1 session but the Suzuki man showed his determination and topped that session by almost half-a-second before then holding out Marquez in Q2 to put the Suzuki GSX-RR on the front row.
Alex Rins
Alex Rins – P3
“Coming from Q1 was difficult, I had to give my absolute all to get into Q2. I feel quite strong, especially as I was using a used rear tyre and still set a fast lap. Tomorrow will be a tough race for sure, there will be a lot of riders close together I think, but I’m starting in a good position – on the front row. We’ve done a lot of good work so far this weekend and I’m ready to fight for a win.”
Alex Rins
Qualifying Report
Before pole was decided, it was that Q1 that would prove crucial for one big name: Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). The ‘Doctor”s difficult day at the office began earlier in FP3 as his lap that would have seen him move through to Q2 was cancelled for exceeding track limits, and that left him fighting it out in Q1. In that Q1, he eventually finished fourth and will therefore start from P14, with Rins and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) the two men moving through.
Alex Rins
Rins held the advantage first as the Suzuki man started Q2 on provisional pole, but on the second runs Viñales had something to say about it. The number 12 machine put in a stunning lap with a few minutes left on the clock to cut a few tenths off Rins’ best effort, and he was the man with the target on his back as Quartararo began his assault. But then, Quartararo began his assault.
Keeping it together to perfection and able to pull out nearly a tenth and a half by the time he crossed the line, the Frenchman made some more history – and celebrated so hard, it made the air-bag go off in his suit!
Behind that little slice of history, there’s one habitual front row starter missing from the top three: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The reigning Champion starts fourth and misses out on a place in the fastest trio for the first time this season, and he’ll be looking to slice through early off the line. This is the first time Marquez has failed to qualify on the front-row on the grid since Valencia last year.
Marc Marquez – P4
“I’m happy with the race pace and we knew before the Qualifying that it would be tough as there is more competition than normal. It looks like in the morning it is a little tricky but then in the afternoon when the conditions get warmer we are there. I think it’s going to be a very close race tomorrow and there are four or five of us with good pace. Normally it’s a circuit where we struggle, but in Mugello normally we struggle and we got second and in Montmelo we struggled and won.”
Marc Marquez
Alongside Marquez is rookie Joan Mir, the Suzuki rider put in an impressive effort to take a best-yet fifth, just into the 1m33s, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) completing the second row.
Joan Mir – P5
“I’m happy about today’s qualifying, the team and I have worked really well during the weekend and I’ve been getting faster and closer to the top guys. I made some mistakes today so I feel my lap time could have actually been better. This is my first time starting on the second row, so I’m really pleased about that; thanks to the team.”
Joan Mir
Cal Crutchlow – P6
“I qualified sixth, but I didn’t really have the pace for sixth, it was just lucky that nobody had the pace to get past me on the second run. We’re working hard, but the reality is we’re probably about the tenth quickest guy, but last year it was a ten-man battle at the front at one point so we’ll have to try and make some improvements in the morning. I didn’t feel much better on the bike today even though we tried more or less everything as always, from my point of view it’s clear where we’re losing time and we are working on it. We’re trying our best and I’m pleased to be on the second row”.
Cal Crutchlow
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), third on Friday, is the top Ducati in qualifying and heads up an incredibly tight third row, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in P8 and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) locking it out in ninth. The three men are covered by just 0.032.
Danilo Petrucci – P7
“I tried to push as hard as I could, taking also some big risks, but the higher temperatures troubled us a bit, as both the grip and the overall stability diminished. Undoubtedly we expected to be able to do better. It’s a pity, because this morning in FP3 I felt so comfortable that I told the team I had the best bike I’ve ever ridden here at Assen, and I posted the provisional lap record. To be honest, it has also been a bit chaotic out there in Q2 because all riders were sort of guarding one another closely. Tomorrow it shouldn’t be as hot, or at least I hope so: we’ll analyze the data to make sure we can express our full potential during the race.”
Danilo Petrucci
Takaaki Nakagami – P8
“I’m quite happy, because it’s quite a big improvement from yesterday from FP2. Of course the track condition was better, there was more rubber on the track and so everybody was much faster than yesterday which helps. Our set-up of the bike was much easier to ride today, but we still have to improve for the race because it still takes a lot of energy to ride this bike. I’m a little disappointed because I think qualifying was there to attack and when I saw the chequered flag I was P6, but after that I checked the second screen and I was P8 which I didn’t understand. But we spoke with race direction to see where I cut the track limit and I understand maybe the last chicane, on the right. But I am really close to the second row and we are improving all the time. It’s a really long race tomorrow and hopefully we can make no mistakes and be very focused during the race.”
Franco Morbidelli – P9
“We’ve been able to improve a lot compared to yesterday, so that’s very positive. I was able to go faster both in terms of my pace and my flying lap. Even so, we’re still lacking something if we compare my time with the fastest riders. My pace in FP4 wasn’t bad and I think we can fight for the top five. We still have the warm-up tomorrow to come, where we will be able to see where we are. If the race has a large group, I think I can be up at the front.”
Franco Morbidelli
2016 Assen winner Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) completes the top ten with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) a few further tenths off the Australian in P11.
Jack Miller – P10
“I can’t be satisfied with the qualifying. To be honest, I thought I could do better. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any grip on the soft tyres. The race pace with the hard tyre, however, is very good. We can have a good race tomorrow.”
Jack Miller
Andrea Dovizioso – P11
“It’s been a bit of a strange day, with really high temperatures. After starting off on the right foot in free practice, unfortunately we couldn’t be as competitive during qualifying. It’s a shame because starting from fourth row complicates our plans a bit, but I wasn’t able to complete a ‘clean’ lap. We’re more competitive in terms of pace, we still have to improve but I believe we can ride a solid race. A lot will depend on what weather conditions we’ll find tomorrow. At any rate, we won’t give up and we’ll try to be fast in any condition.”
Andrea Dovizioso
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the final man in Q2 in P12, not far off the Italian ahead of him.
Pol Espargaro – P12
“For sure I am not riding as I want or I wish but it is what I have right now. It is better than in Barcelona where I could not move two fingers or my wrist up or down. We expect the race tomorrow to be really hot and very tricky for everyone. The whole grid might slow the rhythm and I will feel a bit more comfortable. Let’s see what lap-time I can hold.”
Pol Espargaro
Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) starts just ahead of Rossi, with the number 46 facing down a few of his VR46 Riders Academy proteges in his mission to move forward on Sunday. He’s won ten times at Assen, and he is the Sunday miracle maker. Can he get in the fight at the front?
Valentino Rossi – P14
“It’s a great shame, because this morning I wasn’t so bad. I set a very good time on my last lap to get directly into Q2, which is always crucial. But unfortunately I touched the green exit on the last chicane and they cancelled the lap, so I had to go through Q1. I was still quite optimistic, because I was quite strong this morning, but with the higher temperatures I had more problems and less grip. Unfortunately, I was slower, so it was not enough to get into Q2.”
Valentino Rossi
MotoGP Combined Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Q
Time
1
Fabio QUARTARARO
YAMAHA
Q2
1m32.017
2
Maverick VIÑALES
YAMAHA
Q2
1m32.157
3
Alex RINS
SUZUKI
Q2
1m32.458
4
Marc MARQUEZ
HONDA
Q2
1m32.731
5
Joan MIR
SUZUKI
Q2
1m33.085
6
Cal CRUTCHLOW
HONDA
Q2
1m33.228
7
Danilo PETRUCCI
DUCATI
Q2
1m33.282
8
Takaaki NAKAGAMI
HONDA
Q2
1m33.295
9
Franco MORBIDELLI
YAMAHA
Q2
1m33.314
10
Jack MILLER
DUCATI
Q2
1m33.323
11
Andrea DOVIZIOSO
DUCATI
Q2
1m33.692
12
Pol ESPARGARO
KTM
Q2
1m33.762
13
Francesco BAGNAIA
DUCATI
Q1
1m33.221
14
Valentino ROSSI
YAMAHA
Q1
1m33.466
15
Aleix ESPARGARO
APRILIA
Q1
1m33.547
16
Karel ABRAHAM
DUCATI
Q1
1m33.583
17
Miguel OLIVEIRA
KTM
Q1
1m33.706
18
Johann ZARCO
KTM
Q1
1m33.776
19
Hafizh SYAHRIN
KTM
Q1
1m33.869
20
Andrea IANNONE
APRILIA
Q1
1m33.960
21
Tito RABAT
DUCATI
Q1
1m34.580
Moto2
Remy Gardner’s (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) 1:36.572 in Moto2 Q2 at the Motul TT Assen sees him join a very illustrious list of Australian Grand Prix polesitters as two late flying laps puts the Kalex rider 0.110 clear of second place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The KTM rider kept his Friday form to beat Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) to second by hundredths despite needing to put in a stunner of a save at Turn 5.
It was Vierge who looked like he would be the man to beat in Q2 after the Spaniard was able to half a second clear of the pack with a storming time, but Binder hit back to continue the upturn for KTM. But then Gardner, the man who sat nearly six tenths clear of the rest in FP3, started to find his rhythm.
The Australian’s first attempt was 0.016 faster than the South African, but he managed to pull a bit more margin out on his second run to secure the first Australian intermediate class pole since Casey Stoner did it in the 250cc class at Phillip Island in 2005.
Behind the top three, Championship leader Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will start from P4 and he spearheads a second row that consists of Q1 graduate Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up). It’s Di Giannantonio’s second consecutive second row start after a P5 in Barcelona, and Marquez won from P6 in Catalunya…
Seventh is Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up), just behind his rookie teammate and looking to move forward, with second in the Championship Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) down in P8 and with a little more work to do than key rival Marquez. He has rookie Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) for company completing Row 3, another newcomer who bested his teammate as second Italtrans rider Andrea Locatelli starts tenth.
Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) will want more than P11 on race day, as will Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) just behind him. Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP 40) is a similar story after the Barcelona polesitter took P13 ahead of Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo), but it’s more true of former Championship leader Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) than any as he faces a fight back from P16.
Moto2 Qualifying
Pos
Rider
Bike
Q
Time
1
Remy Gardner
KALEX
Q2
1m36.572
2
Brad Binder
KTM
Q2
1m36.682
3
Xavi Vierge
KALEX
Q2
1m36.716
4
Alex Marquez
KALEX
Q2
1m36.771
5
Sam Lowes
KALEX
Q2
1m36.855
6
Fabio Di Giannantoni
SPEED UP
Q2
1m36.979
7
Jorge Navarro
SPEED UP
Q2
1m37.076
8
Thomas Luthi
KALEX
Q2
1m37.078
9
Enea Bastianini
KALEX
Q2
1m37.084
10
Andrea Locatelli
KALEX
Q2
1m37.171
11
Luca Marini
KALEX
Q2
1m37.171
12
Marcel Schrotter
KALEX
Q2
1m37.233
13
Augusto Fernandez
KALEX
Q2
1m37.340
14
Jorge Martin
KTM
Q2
1m37.405
15
Tetsuta Nagashima
KALEX
Q2
1m37.413
16
Lorenzo Baldassarri
KALEX
Q2
1m37.456
17
Iker Lecuona
KTM
Q2
1m37.592
18
Nicolo Bulega
KALEX
Q2
1m37.604
19
Dominique Aegerter
MV AGUSTA
Q1
1m37.529
20
Somkiat Chantra
Kalex
Q1
1m37.626
21
Stefano Manzi
MV AGUSTA
Q1
1m37.789
22
Marco Bezzecchi
KTM
Q1
1m37.805
23
Jonas Folger
KALEX
Q1
1m38.063
24
Bo Bendsneyder
NTS
Q1
1m38.103
25
Jake Dixon
KTM
Q1
1m38.118
26
Simone Corsi
KALEX
Q1
1m38.121
27
Lukas Tulovic
KTM
Q1
1m38.462
28
Joe Roberts
KTM
Q1
1m38.510
29
Steven Odendaal
NTS
Q1
1m38.967
30
Xavi Cardelus
KTM
Q1
1m39.474
Moto3
Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) has brought the run of different polesitters in the opening rounds of the Moto3 season to an end, with the Italian setting a new record in qualifying at the Motul TT Assen to head the grid for Sunday’s race. He’ll be joined on the front row by Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) in second, with Mugello winner Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) taking third and just 0.013 in further arrears.
It was a frantic, manic Moto3 Q2 and Toba sat atop the timesheets before the final flyer came in from Antonelli, but it’s nevertheless a good start down the path to redemption for the Japanese rider after a heartbreaking crash on the final lap in Barcelona that saw him slide out the lead. And the last time he was on the front row, he won the race…and all three men on the front row have the best chance to become the first repeat winner of the year.
Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was fourth fastest and is one of the men best-placed to try and keep the record-breaking run of different winners going, joined on Row 2 by rookie duo Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), both of whom are also looking for their first Grand Prix wins.
Friday’s fastest Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrüstelGP) heads the third row, another to have not yet taken to the top step, but he’s in serious company as the men first and second in the standings line up alongside him. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) is P8 after coming through Q1 and the man he’s chasing, Championship leader Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), was just 0.014 off him in ninth.
Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) was tenth quickest but has a six-place grid penalty to serve, so it’s Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) who starts in P10, with rookie Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) and Catalan GP winner – and Q1 graduate – Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing) joining him on the fourth row.
It’s already a record-breaking run in the lightweight class with 12 different winners in a row. Antonelli is now a repeat polesitter, can he become the first repeat winner?
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