Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship unveil 2021 calendar
The AORC Management Team have revealed the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC), presented by MXStore 2021 Calendar. The Calendar will feature 12 action packed rounds across six tantalising venues in 2021, visiting four states across the country as the championship kicks back into gear.
The 2021 AORC will continue the double-header format, kicking off the season at Nowra, NSW, on March 27 and 28 for Rounds 1 and 2. Nowra was set to run in 2020 and we know it is now more than ready to provide sensational racing and will be a Championship highlight to start off the year in style.
Daniel Milner
Rounds 3 and 4 on April 17 and 18, will be held in Victoria at a yet to be finalised venue. For the fourth time in six years, the Championship then returns to the picturesque Kyogle, NSW, for rounds 5 and 6 on July 17 and 18, before heading north to Queensland for a yet to be determined venue for Rounds 7 and 8 on August 6 and 7.
AORC returns to the sand of Kingston SE, South Australia, on September 18 and 19 for the penultimate weekend as the venue plays host to Rounds 9 and 10.
Josh Green
The Championship Grand Finale Rounds 11 and 12 is set to take place at Omeo, Victoria on October 16 and 17. This Championship finished spectacularly in 2018 and in 2021 it will do the same as the AORC will be able to crown all of its champions.
With all 14 Championship classes set to continue in 2021 there will be something for all types of riders, from the smallest of Juniors to the World’s best off-road riders. Keep your eyes peeled as we reveal the classes in the coming weeks.
Mason Semmens
Peter Doyle – Motorcycling Australia CEO
“The AORC management team have worked together to bring the championship back in 2021, we are sure both riders and fans are eager to get back to the track in the new year for some sensational racing. With large fields expected across all classes, so many different opportunities to go racing and with the backing of all our industry partners and host clubs we can’t wait to get the show back on the road to the see the world best riders go head to head out in the bush.”
AORC can also reveal the championship will return to Tasmania in 2022.
2021 AORC calendar
Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship & ProMX to collide in Queensland in 2021
Motorcycle fans will get the best of both worlds in 2021, with a three-day two-wheel extravaganza announced to feature both the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) presented by MXStore, and the ProMX Championship, at Queensland Moto Park (QMP) from August 6-8, 2021.
Luke Styke – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba
The three-day weekend will feature rounds 7 and 8 of the AORC (August 6-7) and round 6 of the ProMX Championship (August 8). With large fields across all classes, this will be a tantalising event not to be missed for two-wheel fans.
In what is a first for the sport with two of the largest disciplines in AORC and PromMX coming together as one, Queensland Moto Park is set to be a spectacular venue for what will be an iconic event.
With all 14 AORC Championship classes and MX1, MX2, and MX3 ProMX Championship classes competing, there will be plenty of action from the smallest juniors to the World’s best riders for the fans to watch.
Peter Doyle – Motorcycling Australia CEO
“Motorcycling Australia is ecstatic to announce the final pieces of both the AORC and ProMX Championship calendars for 2021. This event will be the ultimate off-road and motocross weekend and must attend event in 2021 for Australian off-road and motocross fans. Significant work by both the AORC and ProMX Management Teams have secured this sensational event at QMP which will provide spectacular racing from Australia’s best enduro and motocross riders.”
Australian Off-Road Championship
Kim Rowcliffe – Motorcycling Queensland General Manager
“We are very excited to be able to host the first event with two major Australian Championships events running alongside one another in the AORC and the ProMX and we have a venue here at Queensland Moto Park that will set up a perfect three days. We know fans will be salivating at the chance to get to Queensland Moto Park for an ultimate weekend of action and we can’t wait to see them there.”
Further event details, race schedules and ticketing will be announced over the coming months.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Rohan Tungate joins Slangerup SGP team for 2021
Former Australian champion Rohan Tungate is set to race for Danish team Slangerup in 2021 – putting his Peterborough future in serious doubt. The Kurri Kurri-born star has been unveiled by Polish First Division club Tarnow and Swedish side Lejonen as part of their sides for next year.
With riders competing in Poland’s second tier now limited to racing in just two other national leagues, this would appear to rule Tungate out of a return to the East of England Showground, where he was due to race in 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic cancelled the British league season.
Rohan Tungate
“I’m really happy to stay in Slangerup and was really looking forward to racing and fighting for the team in 2020, but unfortunately it couldn’t happen because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The team looks strong, and with a skilled team leader, I’m sure we’re going to have a fun and successful season. I can’t wait to get into action and see a lot of fans on the terraces.”
Rohan Tungate
Tungate teams up with the likes of Andreas Lyager, Dawid Lampart, Jonas Seifert-Salk, Daniel Henderson and Emil Portner at the club. They are yet to name an A rider to spearhead the side, with former SGP star Mikkel Michelsen usually a regular in their colours.
The loss of Tungate would be another blow to the British leagues, with more top riders expected to be forced out by the Polish restrictions, which limit PGE Ekstraliga riders to competing in just one other league.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2021 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing AMA Teams revealed
With “off-season” preparations underway for the 2021 race season, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team has announced its three-rider line-up alongside a press event held today at the company’s North American test track facility “RD Field” in Southern California.
The 2021 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team – Marvin Musquin, Cooper Webb, Maximus Vohland
Featuring two of the sport’s top contenders – Marvin Musquin and Cooper Webb – in the 450 cc division, the team is also proud to welcome rising star Maximus Vohland to its in-house 250 cc effort as the orange bleeder is set to make his professional debut in 2021.
450SX/MX
Marvin Musquin, a decade-long veteran of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, will return to the 450 cc lineup in 2021 as he dives into the upcoming AMA Supercross Championship with vengeance after missing last year’s series due to a major knee injury.
Marvin Musquin
Missing nearly one-year of racing in total, the French rider returned to the dirt for the 2020 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, where he eased his way back into action with a series of promising performances to claim fourth overall in the series. Musquin will continue to put in the work during the offseason to come back even stronger and ready to contest the 450SX title aboard the KTM 450 SX-Factory Edition come January.
Webb, the 2019 450SX Champion, followed up his ground-breaking year with a strong title defense last season as he brought the 2020 championship down to the final race, ultimately finishing runner-up with four race-wins and nine podiums. An ongoing back injury kept him sidelined for this past AMA Pro Motocross Championship but the North Carolina native has been hard at work and is ready to do battle in 2021. On the heels of inking another two-year deal with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, Webb will look to return the number one plate to his KTM 450 SX-Factory Edition for the next two seasons.
Cooper Webb
Ian Harrison – Team Manager
“We are very confident in Marvin and Cooper for the 2021 season. Marvin has been with KTM North America for a decade now and has always competed at the highest level. Having missed the 2020 season, he is eager to get back to racing SX and being healthy is a big part of the puzzle. We plan to start testing this week to fine tune our 2021 machine – we have a few new components to test and work with that should help Marvin improve his bike setup. We are looking forward to what Marvin can do in 2021, him being with long-time mechanic Frank Latham puts him in good hands. Cooper has a lot of experience coming into 2021 and we are very excited to see how things progress now that he has been with us for two years. Along with his mechanic, Carlos Rivera, I feel we are all at a point where we understand each other’s strengths and that leads to better bike setup and race day changes. Cooper also has a clean bill of health, so we are confident that he will be ready to keep the momentum rolling into 2021.”
250SX/MX
For the first time since 2015, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team will bring its 250 cc effort back in-house with a one-rider lineup in 2021. Maximus Vohland, a Northern California native with strong motocross heritage in his blood, comes in with many years under the guidance of KTM’s Orange Brigade Amateur Motocross program. The five-time Loretta Lynn’s AMA National Champion, and most recently crowned 2019 AMA Youth Rider of the Year, has proven his merit at the highest level of amateur racing where he now begins the next chapter with his professional supercross debut aboard the KTM 250 SX-F.
Ian Harrison – Team Manager
“Max has had a long and successful journey as an amateur with KTM and we are happy to be involved in the start of his young career. I met him years ago and have seen his progress through the amateur ranks – he is young but has a lot of potential. Time will tell how he manages the ups and downs of professional racing and we will be here to help support him in every way we can. Our goal is to have Max and KTM up front.”
The 2021 AMA Supercross Championship is set to kick off on Saturday, January 16 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Mattia Guadagnini joins KTM MX2 efforts
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will field three racers in the MX2 category of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship after signing Italian Mattia Guadagnini for next season.
Mattia Guadagnini
“For me this is a dream come true to join the KTM family, especially the De Carli team as I grew up watching Tony’s races. I always said ‘one day I want to be there also and fight in the world championship’ so the day has come and I’m so happy. I like how they work as a big family, spending lots of time together. Also having Tony and Jorge as direct teammates will be awesome. I can learn a lot and I think I have all I need to work on my goals for the future!”
Claudio De Carli and Mattia Guadagnini
Guadagnini is the 2020 EMX250 European Championship runner-up after owning nine motos in his first season on a 250cc four-stroke machine. He adds the silver medal to the gold he won in 2019 as the FIM World and EMX125 #1 for what was his first major step onto the international stage.
Guadagnini will slot into Claudio de Carli’s side of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing set-up where he will join the training program around Tony Cairoli and Jorge Prado and their Roman base. The Grand Prix rookie can count MX2 World Champion Tom Vialle and Rene Hofer as teammates in MX2 next year.
Red Bull KTM will continue to field Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings and Prado on the KTM 450 SX-Fs in the MXGP division.
Claudio De Carli
“Mattia is one of the most interesting young riders in international motocross, he has already reached important milestones and he must continue in his growth to fight with the best riders in the world championship. We are happy to have him in our team and, as always, we will try to give him the best from a technical and training point of view. He gives me the impression of a boy with solid principles and great motivation and I want him to face this first year with us by working with his teammates, without pressure and with the aim of improving in every aspect in his first full season of MX2.”
2021 Racing schedule
2021 AMA SX calendar
Date
Event
Venue
Location
E/W
Jan 16
Houston 1
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX
East
Jan 19
Houston 2
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX
East
Jan 23
Houston 3
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX
East
Jan 30
Indianapolis 1
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, IN
East
Feb 2
Indianapolis 2
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, IN
East
Feb 6
Indianapolis 3
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, IN
East
Feb20
Glendale 1
State Farm Stadium
Glendale, AZ
West
Feb 23
Glendale 2
State Farm Stadium
Glendale, AZ
West
Feb 27
Glendale 3
State Farm Stadium
Glendale, AZ
West
Mar 6
Daytona*
Daytona Int. Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL
East
Mar 13
Arlington 1
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
West
Mar 16
Arlington 2
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
West
Mar 20
Arlington 3
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
West
Round 14
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Round 15
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Round 16
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Round 17
Salt Lake City
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Salt Lake City, UT
TBD
2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar
Rnd
Grand Prix
Date
1
MXGP of Oman, Muscat
Fri 2 Apr – Sat 3 Apr
2
MXGP of Italy, TBA
Sat 24 Apr – Sun 25 Apr
3
MXGP of Portugal, Agueda
Sat 8 May – Sun 9 May
4
MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss
Sat 22 May – Sun 23 May
5
MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
Sat 29 May – Sun 30 May
6
MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok
Sat 12 Jun – Sun 13 Jun
7
MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
Sat 19 Jun – Sun 20 Jun
8
MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta
Sat 3 Jul – Sun 4 Jul
9
MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang
Sat 10 Jul – Sun 11 Jul
10
MXGP of Czech Replublic, Loket
Sat 24 Jul – Sun 25 Jul
11
MXGP of Belgium, Lommel
Sat 31 Jul – Sun 1 Aug
12
MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla
Sat 7 Aug – Sun 8 Aug
13
MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KimiRing
Sat 21 Aug – Sun 22 Aug
14
MXGP of Igora Drive (RUS), Igora Drive
Sat 28 Aug – Sun 29 Aug
15
MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
Sat 11 Sep – Sun 12 Sep
16
MXGP of China, TBA
Sat 18 Sep – Sun 19 Sep
17
MXGP of France, St Jean d’Angely
Sat 9 Oct – Sun 10 Oct
18
MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos
Sat 16 Oct – Sun 17 Oct
19
TBA
Sat 30 Oct – Sun 31 Oct
20
MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen
Sat 13 Nov – Sun 14 Nov
2021 Australian Pro MX calendar
Rnd
Date
Location
1
Apr-11
Wonthaggi, Victoria
2
May-02
Canberra, ACT
3
May-30
Gilman, South Australia
4
Jun-27
Maitland, NSW
5
Jul-25
Wodonga, Victoria
6
Aug-08
TBC, Queensland
7/8
August 14-15
Coolum, Queensland
2021 Speedway GP Calendar
Date
Round
Location
Apr-24
2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix
TBC
May-15
2021 PZM Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
PGE Narodowy
May-22
2021 German FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Bergring Arena
Jun-05
2021 Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Marketa Stadium
Jun-19
2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix
TBC
Jul-17
2021 Adrian Flux British FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Principality Stadium
Jul-31
2021 Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix OF POLAND
Olympic Stadium
Aug-14
2021 Swedish FIM Speedway Grand Prix
G&B Arena
Aug-28
2021 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Anatoly Stepanov Stadium
Sep-11
2021 Danish FIM Speedway Grand Prix Sponsored by ECCO
Casey Stoner Cup kicks off this weekend at Loxford Park
Kurri Kurri Junior Motor Cycle Club will again honour its former member Casey Stoner who went on to become MotoGP world champion at Loxford Park Raceway, situated in Dickson Road, Loxford, (Kurri Kurri, New South Wales) this Saturday, November 21.
Casey Stoner Cup rolls into Luxton Park this weekend
The Tradecore Industries Casey Stoner Cup dirt track meeting has been staged for over a decade and already has an impressive list of previous winners.
A classy line-up of riders in both senior and junior classes will be keen to get in to action this Saturday after months of inactivity. Practice gets underway at 8.30am with the Cup finals wrapping up the programme in the afternoon. For fans it is a cheap day out on Saturday with just a $5.00 per car entry fee with full canteen facilities available.
While Australian Championship racing for track and dirt track all fell victim to COVID and its restrictions, New South Wales has been able to get this discipline of the sport up and running this month. This Saturday’s meeting comes in between several state championship meetings.
Kempsey hosted the senior and junior dirt track titles, along with the Akubra Classic events before Quirindi Showground hosted motorcycle racing for the first time when it hosted the senior track titles. The Junior Track title at Tamworth is still to come on November 28.
Yamaha Junior Racing display strong talent in Tas, NSW & WA
Despite it being late in the year, Yamaha Junior Racing continues to bring the heat and enthusiasm to each event and again achieved significant results as racing winds down for the season. The racing continues around the national with state based events in Western Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales all taking centre stage in recent weeks.
Western Australia
The final round of the Western Australian Motocross Championship ripped through the coastal town of Bunbury with good numbers in attendance and all desperate to finish their season on a positive note. The YJR crew were in full force with Jake Rumens back from injury and joining Jake Turner while Yamaha support rider, Deegan Fort, was also on hand and all three ready to grab some silverware.
Jake Rumens
Rumens return to the track was a successful one taking a second place finish in the 12-15 years 85cc class on the back of his 2-1-2 results for the day. It was a good return to form for Rumens, who had been sidelined with a hand/ wrist injury and missed a round leaving him out of contention for the series.
Jake Turner was right in the middle of a championship fight in both the 13-15 years 125 and 250cc classes. He had consistently been on the podium at the previous rounds and wanted a round win before the year was out.
In the 250cc class, Jake charged to a third place finish for the round and as a result, locked up third for the championship. He raced strongly at Bunbury to finish with 3-3-3 results and keep his consistency intact. He could only manage a fourth place result on the day in the 13-15 years 125cc class, but still managed to take third in the championship, making it a dual championship podium for Turner.
He then turned senior the next day and instantly went into the MX2 ranks and showed he wasn’t there to make up the numbers. He led two and out the three races and only a crash in race two kept him from a round podium in his first senior outing.
But the star of the YJR show in WA was Deegan Fort. The young gun charged his way to victory in the 7-9 years 65cc class in both the day and the championship, adding another championship to the quickly expanding YZ65 list of achievements.
Deegan Fort
WA Round Results 7-9 years 65cc
Deegan Fort – 102 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
Nate Tomerini – 93
Ollie Birkitt – 90
12-15 years 85cc
Deacon Paice – 102
Jake Rumens – 99 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
Patrick Butler – 90
13-15 years 250cc
Kayden Minear – 105
Brock Flynn -94
Jake Turner – 90 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
13-15 years 125cc
Brock Flynn – 105
Kayden Minear – 96
Dylan Walsh – 85
Jake Turner – 84 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
WA Championship Standings 7-9 years 65cc
Deegan Fort – 284 (Yamaha YZ65)
Ollie Birkitt – 277
Nate Tomerini – 273
13-15 years 250cc
Kayden Minear – 295
Brock Flynn – 285
Jake Turner – 270 (Yamaha YZ250F)
13-15 years 125cc
Brock Flynn – 265
Kayden Minear – 253
Jake Turner – 234 (Yamaha YZ125)
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Tasmania
The penultimate round of the Tasmania Motocross Championship was conducted over the weekend at the Penguin Circuit with Jay Jennings and Angus Pearce in action. Jennings is in championship contention in his 65 and 85cc classes and was desperate for a good round, while Pearce is getting back to his best form and determined to climb back on top of the podium.
Jake Jennings
Jennings indeed showed plenty of spirit as he took the round win in the 9-11 years 85ccc class. He finished with two race wins and a second to claim the day and claw back a few points on his rival, Cooper Ford.
The tables were turned in the 65cc class, with Ford taking the win on the day and Jennings in tow. Jennings sits in second place in both divisions and will need to pull out all the stops at the final round to win the either championship in 2020.
In the 12-15 years 125cc class, it was all Angus Pearce as he showed a clean pair of heels all day to take three wins from three starts and be the dominant rider in the class. Unfortunately, he still a way back in the championship points after missing rounds due to injury but his goal is to continue to win races as the season draws to a close.
Tasmania MX Round Results 10-12 years 65
Cooper Ford – 105
Jay Jennings – 96 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
Angus Barber – 30
9-11 years 85cc
Jay Jennings – 102 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
Cooper Ford – 97
Jed Grey – 92
13-15 years 125cc
Angus Pearce – 105 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
Zack Buxton – 94
Will Schuuring – 92
Tasmanian Championship Standings 10-12 years 65cc
Cooper Ford – 516
Jay Jennings – 489 (Yamaha YZ65)
Angus Barber – 376
9-11 years 85cc
Cooper Ford – 514
Jay Jennings – 483 (Yamaha YZ85)
Luca Wright – 403
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
New South Wales
The popular East Coast Motocross Series was concluded over the weekend with good rider numbers turning up for the final round in Wollongong. Yamaha Junior Racing were well represented with the Kingsford brothers back in action and out to make every post a winner.
The day got off to a rough start for Ryder Kingsford when he had a huge fall during practice that saw both himself and his bike cartwheeling down the track. After laying motionless on the side of the track, Ryder was able to get to his feet, dust himself off and prepare for the first of his six races for the day.
Ryder Kingsford
The talented 14 year old shrugged off the crash and went on a rampage. He took the perfect three wins from three starts in the 13-15 years 250cc class and backed that up with 1-2-2 results in the 13-15 years 125cc division to win both classes on the day in an outstanding effort.
The dominant performance at the final round lifted Kingsford to second in the final standings on his YZ125 and third on his YZ250F.
Kayd Kingsford is back on track after a broken wrist and still returning to top speed but made good improvements since the last round. He finished fourth on the day in the hotly contested 12-15 years 85cc class with 5-4-4 results and closed the gap on the riders at the front of the field.
In the senior divisions, Rhys Budd took the win the 250cc Pro division for both the round and the championship. He dominated the day to win all four motos in that class and back that up with a third place finish for the round in the Pro Open group. That was enough to make it two series victories for the Sydney based rider.
Rhys Budd
East Coast MX – Round Five 13-15 years 250cc
Ryder Kingsford – 105 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
Rory Fairbrother – 88
Connor Rossandich – 80
13-15 years 125cc
Ryder Kingsford – 99 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
Hunter Collins – 98
Connor Towill – 90
12-15 years 85cc
Jyle Campbell – 102
Mason Hills – 95
Koby Hantis – 92
Kayd Kingsford – 82 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
East Coast MX Final Series Standings 13-15 years 250cc
Connor Rossandich – 439
Rory Fairbrother – 388
Ryder Kingsford – 367 (Yamaha YZ250F)
13-15 years 125cc
Connor Rossandich – 430
Ryder Kingsford – 386 (Yamaha YZ125)
Hunter Collins – 372
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
SX4 confirms Cody Cooper as first signing
SX4 is a new format of Motocross launched by NZ motocross star, Ben Townley, combining four riders, four laps, four corners and four obstacles into two-minutes of action-packed racing, with tickets now on sale via Eventbrite. Now Cody Cooper, nine-time NZ MX1 motocross champion, has officially confirmed he will be the first signing for the inaugural SX4 event set to be staged in Taupo on 9 January 2021.
Cody Cooper
“What Ben has created will not only have fans on the edge of the seat, but, it will change the future of our sport for the better. I’m just stoked to get involved to help bring the event to life! The tightness of the track combined with quick fire racing gives spectators an experience they haven’t seen before in our sport. It was great to race alongside some of the best in the business over Labour Weekend and I can’t wait to take them to the slaughter in the New Year.”
Cody Cooper at the SX4 demo at MXFest
Cody Cooper was one of riders that competed in the SX4 demo event over Labour Weekend at MXFest. The inaugural event will see 12 of NZ’s top riders compete of 15 races in a two-hour window on 9 January 2021 at Digger McEwan Motorsport Park, Taupo. Individuals will compete for prize money. A Manufacturers Championship is also in development and will be another NZ first in the sport of motocross.
For more information and to buy tickets head to www.sx4.co.nz.
Duncan and Archer to headline KawiGirls Kings & Queens MX event
The inaugural Kawasaki KawiGirls Kings & Queens Motocross event will see double Women’s World MXChampion Courtney Duncan and GNCC WXC Championship (GNCC) runner-up Rachael Archer headlining the event. The December 12 meet celebrates New Zealand’s motocross women and the country’s top female riders will ensure the racing at the Rotorua Motorcycle Club is action-packed.
Courtney Duncan
“It’s awesome to see so many girls riding. When I started racing there were very few girls in the sport. It has been cool for me to show that you can be a girl but still be successful in motocross.”
Courtney Duncan
They include Hamilton riders KawiGirls ambassador Mikayla Rowe, who was fifth in the 2020 New Zealand Women’s Motocross Championship and second at the TT Nationals, plus current national women’s motocross champion Amie Roberts.
A foot injury sustained in her final GNCC round also won’t stop Archer turning up to race in December.
Rachael Archer
“I’ve flown home and will be spending the next two weeks in isolation, so by the time that’s done I’m hoping my foot will be all healed, as that will be six weeks since breaking it. Yamaha will give me a brand new 2021 YZ250FX to train on, so I’ll be riding that at the KawiGirls event.”
Rachael Archer – Image by Ken Hill
Eight-round ProMX Championship slated for 2021
Australia’s 2021 national motocross season is ready to fire into action with the announcement the 2021 ProMX Championship will see eight rounds of jam-packed action across seven weekends, launching a new era for the Australian Motocross Championship.
2021 ProMX Championship promises an eight round season
The ProMX Management Team have announce the 2021 ProMX Championship will explode into action April 11th and running through until mid-August. ProMX, the new name of the Australian Motocross Championship will see Australia’s best motocross riders go head to head as they battle to take victory as the 2021 Champion.
Race fans in attendance trackside will see Australia’s fastest riders on dirt compete and fight it out in MX1, MX2, the newly created MX3 and MXW class along with a host of exciting support classes for the 2021 ProMX Championship.
Peter Doyle – Motorcycling Australia CEO
“There has been significant work undertaken by the ProMX Management Team over many months to secure the right locations and venues, to create the best possible ProMX Championship calendar for 2021. Locking in the 2021 Calendar is a critical step forward in the preparation for a not to be missed ProMX Championship. We know teams are eager to go racing, and motocross fans are eager to see the fierce action on track that the ProMX Championship will deliver.”
As the final preparations take place The ProMX Management Team are busily working to create new event formats and schedules and are on track to announce the calendar at the end of next week. ProMX has worked with industry partners and host clubs and all look forward to go racing in 2021.
Nominations open For Gillman Speedway two-day extravaganza
Motorcycling Australia (MA) are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for FIM Oceania Speedway Championship, Australian Speedway U21 Championship, and Australian Speedway U16 250cc Championship, to be held at Gillman Speedway, South Australia between, January 29 and 30.
This two-day speedway extravaganza is guaranteed to showcase the best speedway riders in the Oceania region as well as Australia’s future champions.
The highest placed Australian rider in the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship on Saturday, January 30, will gain automatic entry into the 2021 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship.
FIM Oceania Speedway Championship
Last won by Australian ace Jack Holder who had a blistering year in Europe this year, this championship is destined to provide close handlebar to handlebar action for race fans.
The Australian Under 16 250cc Championship, to be held on Friday, January 29, will also be the qualifier for the 2021 FIM Speedway Youth World Championship to be held in Cloppenburg, Germany, on July 23 and 24, 2021.
There is expected to be some fierce competition in this class with the growing numbers of junior riders coming through.
The Australian Speedway Under21 Championship to be held on Friday January 29, 2021, will also have spectators on the edge of their seats to see if it can produce another World Champion.
Current Australian Under 21 Champion Jaimon Lidsey, went on to win the World Under21 Speedway Championship title earlier this year.
The provisional 2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix and Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations calendars have been released. Next year’s SGP world individual champion is set to be crowned over 11 rounds, across at least seven different countries, including Russia which is staging its first-ever SGP event.
Bartosz Zmarzlik – 2020 SGP
Next season also marks the 20th Adrian Flux British SGP at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Prague’s Marketa Stadium will extend its run as the longest-serving SGP venue when it stages the Czech SGP on June 5 – the 26th SGP round to take place in the Czech capital which first hosted the event in 1997.
The Monster Energy SON returns on September 17 and 18, in Latvia, where the top three countries in each event will qualify for the Final. The 2021 calendars are subject to change due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Paul Bellamy – Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG
“We are hopeful we will deliver an unforgettable year of world championship action after what has been a tough 2020 for everyone. Given that restrictions continue to change, the 2021 calendars remain subject to alteration. But despite all the challenges we faced, we were still able to stage some fantastic speedway this season and whatever 2021 brings, we are determined to bring our fans around the world more incredible racing. We look forward to returning to the nations that were unable to stage racing this year and I am particularly pleased to see Togliatti host SGP action for the first time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made our 2020 events possible, including our partners at the FIM. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2021.”
2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix calendar
April 24 – TBA
May 15 – PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland (Warsaw, Poland)
May 22 – German SGP (Teterow, Germany)
June 5 – Czech Republic SGP (Prague, Czech Republic)
June 19 – TBA
July 17 – Adrian Flux British SGP (Cardiff, GB)
July 31 – Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland (Wroclaw, Poland)
August 14 – Swedish SGP (Malilla, Sweden)
August 28 – Russian SGP (Togliatti, Russia)
September 11 – Danish SGP sponsored by Ecco (Vojens, Denmark)
October 2 – Torun SGP of Poland (Torun, Poland)
2021 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations calendar
September 17 – Semi-Final 1 (Daugavpils, Latvia)
September 18 – Semi-Final 2 (Daugavpils, Latvia)
October 16 – Final Day 1 (Manchester, GB)
October 17 – Final Day 2 (Manchester, GB)
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Yamaha Europe 2021 EMX250 line-up confirmed
Yamaha Motor Europe and the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 Team have confirmed a three-rider line-up for the 2021 EMX250 Championship. The team have retained 15-year-old Dutch talent Dave Kooiker and welcomed two new riders, reigning EMX125 Champion Andrea Bonacorsi and EMX250 podium finisher Jeremy Sydow, to the team.
Andrea Bonacorsi will join Yamaha in 2021
Already a proven talent following his EMX125 title success, Bonacorsi in an exciting addition to the highly acclaimed Dutch team. The 17-year-old Italian celebrated seven EMX125 race wins, four overall victories and five podium finishes on his way to the 2020 EMX125 crown and will enter his first EMX250 season as a rider to watch.
Completing Yamaha’s bid for EMX250 success, Sydow celebrated an EMX250 podium finish on his way to sixth overall in the 2019 EMX250 Championship. Following a successful year inside the EMX250 class where he proved he was a top-three contender, the 20-year-old made the jump up to MX2 and instantly impressed with a top-10 race finish at the Grand Prix of Italy, in Imola. After a 2020 season hampered by health issues, Sydow will return to the EMX250 Championship next season, determined to fight for a top-three finish in the series standings.
All three riders will be racing a GYTR kitted YZ250F. The 2021 EMX250 Championship is provisionally scheduled to take place over 10 rounds and is set to start in Agueda, Portugal on May 8th.
Wim Hutten – Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 Team Owner
“This year was fantastic. We are very happy that we have become European Champions in the EMX250 class. It was our goal and we made it happen! I would like to thank Yamaha and my entire team for this. We have needed each other to achieve this. Teamwork makes the dreamwork! Going into next year we will continue with Dave Kooiker. He is only 15 years old, but we expect a lot from him in the future. He is a very talented rider. We are also happy that we have contracted Italian rider Andrea Bonacorsi for next season. This year he became European Champion in the EMX125 class, and we think he could be a surprise inside the EMX250 Championship. As the third rider, we welcome the German Jeremy Sydow to our team. He is an experienced rider on the bike. We think we have a nice mix of riders with him. Our goal remains the same, we want to become European champions in the EMX250 class again. We are looking forward to 2021!”
Thorsten Lentink – Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Coordinator
“We are very happy with the rider selection for next year. Hutten Metaal have already proven they are a very professional and serious team, which is really important for Yamaha to have a solid base to our Yamaha Racing pyramid, that is used to promote and develop the next generation of racing talent in a safe and professional manner. Our pyramid structure has already proven to be successful with the success of Thibault Benistant securing both the EMX125 title and this year’s EMX250 title within our Official Yamaha teams. With that said, we believe in the Hutten Metaal team and we are really looking forward to continuing with them in 2021 with a new line up. Starting with Dave Kooiker, Dave is young talent and has already shown that he is very capable, although he is very young, and we understand that this will take time to develop. This will be the same for the newly crowned EMX125 Champion Andrea Bonacorsi. Andrea will also need some time to adapt to the bigger bike, the 250cc, and for the two young riders Dave and Andrea our main goal will be consistency. Our German rider Jeremy Sydow has already shown some good things on the 250cc and is already experienced, so we hope that he can follow the same path as our 2020 EMX250 Champion Thibault. It is an exciting line up, and we look forward to adding to the Yamaha story in 2021.”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
FIM World Under 21 Speedway Champion Jaimon Lidsey returns to Oz
Recently crowned FIM World Under 21 Speedway Champion Jaimon Lidsey, has returned home from Europe to celebrate a phenomenal speedway season. Lidsey is currently in hotel quarantine and when released it will be the first time he has seen his son Eddie, born earlier this year, and will get to celebrate his World Championship win with family and friends in his home town of Red Cliffs, Victoria.
Jaimon Lidsey
“To be back in Australia is a relief as it looked like I would not be able to get back into Australia with what’s going on (COVID-19). Eddie is definitely the best highlight of my year. I’m still in the hotel at the moment and the weeks have been going slow and I’m very keen to go home and see him and my partner. Winning the World Under 21 Championship was definitely a highlight. I dreamt of it and worked hard over the years, so deep down I expected it within myself. I rode well this year and luck was on my side that night. I didn’t feel like I had won a World title until a few days later with people messaging me and when I looked back on the replay it sunk in. Now I know I’m a World Champion so it’s a pretty good feeling. Having that on your resume can’t get much better, it gives you a bit more negotiating power, but you can’t expect everything from it. I still have to race hard next year, and I haven’t finished yet, I still have more goals I want to achieve and want to keep improving.”
Jaimon Lidsey – 2020 FIM World Under 21 Speedway Champion
Lidsey, his partner and son, will relocate to Poland next year where he will again ride for Unia Leszno as well as Vastervik in Sweden. While his off-season will be spent with son Eddie and family, Lidsey will still keep fit in preparation for 2021 with plenty of cycling and practice days at Mildura Speedway as well as some events in January. Lidsey puts a large part of his success to the people that have helped him over many years.
Jaimon Lidsey
“I want to be fit for next year and ready to race, so I will keep training and maybe have a little holiday some time. I want to keep improving and not go backwards. I’ve got good equipment around me, under me and good people by my side, good mechanics and it’s all down to me at the end of the day. As long as I feel good, I know I can keep improving and race as much as I can… There is so many people I want to thank, from people that have helped back when I was a junior to those that help me now, my mum and dad, my grandparents, uncle and auntie, my partner and son for supporting me all the way. I want to thank everyone for waking up to watch every meeting, and particularly my family who didn’t miss a meeting this year. Everyone that has sponsored me over the years to help me win this World Championship title, I can’t thank them enough.”
Jaimon LidseyMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MA release 2020-2023 “whole of motorcycling” strategic plan
Earlier this year the Motorcycling Australia (MA) Alliance set about developing the 2020-2023 “whole of motorcycling” strategic plan – “MOTORCYCLING UNLEASHED”, which was released earlier this month.
The strategic plan outlines the future direction of the MA Alliance by building on the significant achievements of the motorcycling community throughout the last five years. Due to the improved systems and processes adopted, the MA Alliance is in a sound collective financial position. Their strong financial position coupled with the growing popularity of recreational motorcycling offers the MA Alliance a solid platform from which to grow motorcycling into the future.
The strategic priorities that were identified in the strategic plan include
One-Motorcycling – Consolidating national systems has been identified as the first strategic priority for the future. Following a positive cost benefit analysis, the adoption (of where it makes sense) of licensing, national finance, human resource, legal, commercial and communications processes and procedures will ensure efficiency across the MA Alliance whilst creating a united Motorcycling Australia Alliance brand to communicate and engage through.
Connecting Communities with Motorcycling – The MA Alliance identified the second strategic priority to significantly grow the number and diversity of people enjoying and benefitting from regular motorcycling experiences, either as participants, volunteers, or via the myriad of other engagement opportunities that motorcycling offers.
Performance Pathways – The further development of performance pathways was identified as the third strategic priority by the MA Alliance, to ensure that Australia continues to produce and support elite athletes.
The strategic plan will be delivered by working as one motorcycling community and by effectively fulfilling respective roles and responsibilities. Over the next three years, the MA Alliance will be using a range of internal and external measurements to ensure the monitoring and progress.
The MA Alliance will also measure the satisfaction levels across a range of areas, including membership, education, events, club support, and other service areas. This monitoring will ensure members, participants, volunteers, and workforce are well supported and are being provided value.
MXGP rolled into Pietramurata over the weekend for the 2020 MXGP of Trentino, the first of the final three rounds to be held in Italy, with plenty of surprises in store, including a new race winner in the MXGP class.
Antonio Cairoli claimed his 92nd GP victory on home soil, while championship rival, Tim Gajser, was forced to settle for second, after taking a comfortable race win in the first heat but struggling to get a good start in the second race which made things tough. But it was Clement Desalle of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team who was the man of the day, as he made his first podium appearance since the MXGP of the Netherlands in 2019. The Belgian took an incredible race win in the second race, to confirm his spot in third on the box.
Antonio Cairoli – P1
“I’m really happy to win the overall and to ride with Clement in the second moto; it was like a few years ago when we used to fight for the title! We were riding fast today. It’s always good to win in Italy but it’s not the same without any public so thanks to all those who were supporting from home. We’ll try to do our best for the rest of the championship. Tim is far ahead but we’ll try to enjoy the last two races and see what happens.”
Antonio Cairoli
Gajser (626) currently leads the MXGP standings from Cairoli (553) and Jeremy Seewer (535), with Romain Febvre fourth on 487, and Jorge Prado fifth on 476.
2020 MXGP of Trentino Overall
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
22
22
44
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
25
18
43
3
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
15
25
40
4
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
18
20
38
5
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
20
16
36
6
Lupino, Alessandro
ITA
YAM
14
14
28
7
Monticelli, Ivo
ITA
GAS
12
13
25
8
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
16
8
24
9
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
7
15
22
10
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
13
9
22
11
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
9
12
21
12
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
8
10
18
13
Van doninck, Brent
BEL
YAM
5
11
16
14
Cervellin, Michele
ITA
YAM
10
6
16
15
Guillod, Valentin
SUI
HON
11
2
13
16
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
6
4
10
17
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
4
5
9
18
Pichon, Zachary
FRA
HON
1
7
8
19
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
0
3
3
20
Butron, Jose
ESP
KTM
2
1
3
21
Bernardini, Samuele
ITA
YAM
3
0
3
2020 MXGP Standings – Top 20
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
626
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
553
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
535
4
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
487
5
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
476
6
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
441
7
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
402
8
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
375
9
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
307
10
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
11
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
254
12
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
13
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
234
14
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
228
15
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
206
16
Monticelli, I.
ITA
GAS
186
17
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
146
18
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
134
19
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
110
20
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
100
MX2
In MX2, Jago Geerts made his return to the top step of the podium, following some tough races during his home rounds in Lommel. Geerts took a fourth in race one, and a race win in the second heat which gave him the advantage for the overall.
Jago Geerts
Jago Geerts – P1
“I’m really happy with how the day went. In the first heat I made a small mistake, but I still finished fourth and then in the second race I was feeling really good on the track. I think the championship is far away, but I don’t think about it, I just want to finish the season strong and we will see and focus on next year.”
Joining him was Thomas Kjer Olsen, who proved that he has the speed to win races in Pietramurata, as he claimed the victory in the opening heat and then a fourth in race two, for second overall on the day. The last rider to take to the podium was the championship leader, Tom Vialle who finished the races second and third, after a couple of small mistakes, including the crash in the second heat, which cost him the race win.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Australian Beaton held strong to claim a solid third place in moto one after an impressive turn of speed during the early stages of the race. Coming together with another rider in the first turn resulted in a poor start for Beaton in race two, and he had to fight back into 10th by the end of lap two, before advancing to eighth by the halfway stage of the race. Unfortunate to lose a position in the closing stages of the moto, Jed’s ninth-place finish rewarded him with fourth overall.
Jed Beaton – P4
“It’s been a decent day for me. Overall, I feel really good on the bike, it was just a shame that I clipped someone at the start of race two. I felt great in race one, really comfortable and was on the pace, but third was the best that I could do in that one. I was looking forward to another good result in race two but it wasn’t to be. Two more rounds here though and I’m ready to get in the battle again.”
Jed Beaton
Fellow Australian Bailey Malkiewicz had a mixed weekend, with a strong Race 1 result, finishing in 12th for nine championship points, however 24th in Race 2 meant he had to settle for 18th overall.
Vialle now leads the MX2 standings on 693, with Geerts on 620 and Maxime Renaux third on 505. Thomas Kjer Olsen is fourth, a point ahead of teammate Jed Beaton, the duo on 489 and 488 respectively. Malkiewicz now holds 16th.
MX2 Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
18
25
43
2
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
25
18
43
3
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
22
20
42
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
20
12
32
5
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
13
16
29
6
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
YAM
6
22
28
7
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
14
14
28
8
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
11
15
26
9
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
12
13
25
10
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
16
9
25
11
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
15
5
20
12
Sandner, Michael
AUT
GAS
7
8
15
13
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
3
11
14
14
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
HON
10
4
14
15
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
2
10
12
16
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
5
6
11
17
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
8
3
11
18
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
9
0
9
19
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
0
7
7
20
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
4
2
6
21
Polak, Petr
CZE
YAM
0
1
1
22
Sikyna, Richard
SVK
KTM
1
0
1
MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
693
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
620
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
505
4
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
489
5
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
488
6
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
466
7
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
442
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
327
9
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
304
10
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
235
11
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
234
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
221
13
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
207
14
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
156
15
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
148
16
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
128
17
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
18
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
118
19
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
HON
104
20
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
99
21
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
98
22
Renkens, N.
BEL
KTM
97
23
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
EMX Open
The EMX Open Championship made its much-awaited return in Italy for the round of Trentino, which is the fourth instalment of this year’s series. Action saw a brand-new winner in the category, as Frenchman, Jimmy Clochet took two strong race wins, on his wildcard appearance, to claim his first ever European podium as he placed first overall.
Joining him on the podium was Italian rider, Davide De Bortoli who had two solid second place finishes, ahead of Toms Macuks who made his third podium appearance of the year for third overall, following two fourths’ in the races.
Race 1
The opening race saw Dan Thornhill of Cab Screens Deos Group Honda take the holeshot, though Clochet wasted no time to get around the early leader, to move into the top spot. The Frenchman then checked out of the race, as he pulled a comfortable lead early on, which he maintained until the chequered flag.
EMX Open Start
Though in the early stages of the race Thornhill came under pressure from De Bortoli and eventually Macuks, with the pair getting around the Brit, before he dropped down a further few positions to finish 7th.
Clochet led every lap of the race, with De Bortoli behind him. Though it was the battle behind them that was heating up as Cornelius Toendel of JWR Racing pushed for his best result of the season, as he was eventually able to pass Macuks for third.
Championship leader, Karel Kutsar had a tough race, as he started down in and around 16th position, to eventually pull his way through to 9th, for vital championship points.
Race 2
The second race saw Clochet out in the lead once again, as he claimed the holeshot that time around. De Bortoli got another good start and so did Kutsar who was in third. In terms of the top three riders, there was no change in positions as the three maintained their spots and that’s how they would eventually finish.
Jimmy Clochet
Martin Michek, Mike Bolink and Macuks were having a close battle for 3rd, though by the third lap, Macuks was able to pass both riders to get himself into fourth, where he also finished the race.
Domantas Jazdauskas was also pushing for the top 5, as he challenged inside the top 10, though he made a mistake, which caused him to crash out of 8th and finish the race in 15th.
Meanwhile, Toendel was on a charge in race two after starting the race in the top 15. He fought to make some passes on Stefan Ekerold, Jazdauskas and Kim Savaste of 137 KTM Motorsport, along with others, to finish the race in 6th, with Michek finishing just ahead of him in 5th.
In terms of the championship, despite missing out on a podium spot, Kutsar still leads in the standings by 12 points, with Savaste second, finishing 6th overall today, and Macuks third, a further 21 points behind.
There are now two rounds remaining of the EMX Open championship, with still plenty of points up for grabs, which will make for some interesting races as we reach the closing stages of the opening year of the brand-new series.
Jimmy Clochet
“Today was a really good day for me, before, the last year I was riding in the EMX250 with Bud Racing team, this year I got this news challenge and I jump on the EMXOpen class. I was feeling really good with the track and with the bike and I got two really good starts, so I’m really happy about my day and I’m ready for the next round.”
Davide De Bortoli
“I’m really happy to be here and for my first podium in the European Championship. Today I was feeling really good with my bike. I wanted to race in Latvia, but I got injured just some days before. Today I did my best and now I’m looking forward the next races here in Pietramurata.”
Davide De Bortoli
Toms Mackus
“I’m happy about the podium but the race wasn’t the best and not what I was expecting because I did bad start and I crashed. I’m ready for the next races and I’m really looking forward to get a good result on the next one.”
Karel Kutsar
“The most important thing is the Championship. In the first race I was quite nervous, so I did two little mistakes in the first corners of the first lap and because of that I lost many positions. Anyway, I tried to do my best and I finished 9th. In the second race, I took a better start and I tried to ride good and safe, finally I got a good result. Now I’m ready for the next race.”
EMX Open Overall – Trentino
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Clochet, Jimmy
FRA
KAW
25
25
50
2
De Bortoli, Davide
ITA
HON
22
22
44
3
Macuks, Toms
LAT
KTM
18
18
36
4
Toendel, Cornelius
NOR
HON
20
15
35
5
Kutsar, Karel
EST
KTM
12
20
32
6
Savaste, Kim
FIN
KTM
16
13
29
7
Michek, Martin
CZE
KTM
10
16
26
8
Ekerold, Stefan
GER
SUZ
11
14
25
9
Gryning, Mathias
DEN
YAM
13
10
23
10
Thornhill , Dan
GBR
HON
14
9
23
11
Bolink, Mike
NED
KTM
6
11
17
12
Sjoholm, Mads
DEN
KTM
4
12
16
13
Bartos, Petr
CZE
KTM
8
7
15
14
Adamson, John
GBR
KTM
15
0
15
15
Rathousky, Petr
CZE
KTM
7
3
10
16
Windt, Rob
NED
KTM
9
0
9
17
Haberland, Paul
GER
HON
0
8
8
18
Michalec, Petr
CZE
HON
3
5
8
19
Ubach, Simeo
ESP
HUS
5
2
7
20
Jazdauskas, Domantas
LTU
HUS
0
6
6
21
Malin, Wiljam
FIN
HUS
2
4
6
22
Wedage, Damian
NED
KTM
0
1
1
23
Tornau, Fynn-Niklas
GER
KTM
1
0
1
24
Pletka, Libor
CZE
KTM
0
0
0
25
Rossi, Andrea
ITA
KTM
0
0
0
EMX Open Standings – Top 15
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Kutsar, Karel
EST
KTM
163
2
Savaste, Kim
FIN
KTM
151
3
Macuks, Toms
LAT
KTM
130
4
Ekerold, S.
GER
SUZ
118
5
Sihvonen, Miro
FIN
HUS
101
6
Lusbo, Andero
EST
HUS
93
7
Matikainen, J.
FIN
HUS
83
8
Kalejs, Karlis
LAT
HUS
75
9
Toendel, C.
NOR
HON
73
10
Jazdauskas, D.
LTU
HUS
73
11
Smets, Greg
BEL
KTM
67
12
Ubach, Simeo
ESP
HUS
58
13
Dixon, Nathan
GBR
HUS
54
14
Clochet, Jimmy
FRA
KAW
50
15
De Bortoli, D.
ITA
HON
44
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
WMX
New Zealander, Courtney Duncan of DRT Kawasaki has made history once again, as she claimed her second world title in the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship at the final here in Pietramurata, Italy.
Courtney Duncan
“It’s just an unbelievable feeling right now! I dreamt of these days when I was a kid; I’ve worked fifteen years of my life for moments like this. This year has been so full of uncertainties with Covid and our own challenges. Like the crash in Mantova when I got back to my bike and the bars were snapped; it felt as though the championship was gone in the blink-of-an-eye and I’m so proud how we fought back, stayed positive and confident to come out on top for a second year. Massive thanks to the entire team – you can’t do it alone – but we got it done.
Courtney Duncan
There was so much pressure on each of us coming to the final round with the points so close; it was a matter of winner-takes-all and you have to rise to the occasion. I actually got more excited by the situation. These are the moments that count; I stood up and rose today and that’s why I’m champion. I fell down at the start of the first race but thankfully some more went down at turn two; I just never gave up, put it behind me and concentated on pulling back as many places as I could. Potentially I got a few gifts, particularly when Larissa fell on the last lap, but I gotta thank my crew for keeping me posted; I’m proud of the way I stayed composed and I was just in my zone all race. Such a crazy race and it put me in the right position before race two. I knew the points so I didn’t need to take any risks. I stayed out of the chaos and tried to stay focused through the last laps but I don’t want to take it away from the girls in front who were riding so good; I let it play out in front of me and took the overall today and the championship. It was so close in the end. We were all put under-the-pump knowing it was tight coming to the final round but thankfully I got that moto win in race one and that made the difference. I just want to enjoy this one this evening but 100% sure I want to make it a three-piece with Kawasaki next year!“
Courtney Duncan
The WMX championship came down to the final race, as four riders were all in contention of grabbing the title. With just 10 points separating Nancy Van de Ven of Ghidinelli Racing, who led the championship coming into the round of Trentino, Duncan, MXFonta Syneco’s Kiara Fontanesi and Larissa Papenmeier of Yamaha Racing 423, the action today was next level, as each one of the riders gave it their all for the chance to take home the gold plate.
Race 1
And there was plenty of drama in the races, starting with the opening heat which saw Duncan, Van De Ven and Fontanesi go down in the start, while Papenmeier grabbed the holeshot and led the way comfortably.
Duncan though was not looking to waste any time, as she pushed hard throughout the race, making some very quick passes, which saw her move into the top three on the fourth lap of the race. Meanwhile, Van De Ven and Fontanesi were also making good progress and were pushing inside the top 10.
The top 4 ladies didn’t let off, as they each pushed for vital championship points, though the closing stages of the race saw more drama and this time it was for the race leader, Papenmeier, who had a nice 10 second gap to Duncan in second, but a small mistake which resulted in a crash, in the corner before the finish jump, allowed the Kiwi to close in on Papenmeier and eventually pass her for the win.
Courtney Duncan
Papenmeier held on to second, with JK Racing Yamaha’s Lynn Valk having a fantastic ride to finish third ahead of Shana Van der Vlist and Van de Ven having to settle for fifth.
Race 2
The second race was the last opportunity for Duncan, Van De Ven, Papenmeier and Fontanesi to do something about the outcome of this championship. And for Van De Ven it was a complete turnaround of the opening heat, as she took the holeshot and led every lap of the race from start to flag. While she led the way, the battle was heating up behind her, as Fontanesi, Van der Vlist, Duncan and Papenmeier battle it out for top scoring positions.
WMX Start
All eyes were focused on the nice battle between Fontanesi and Duncan which carried on for 6 laps, before the Italian was eventually able to find her way through on the DRT Kawasaki rider. The pair then pushed their way onto the back of the race leader, though Van De Ven was able to handle the pressure and take the race win, but it was not enough for her to secure the title this time around. Fontanesi crossed the line to finish the race second, while Duncan was third.
By the end of the race, both Van De Ven and Duncan were tied on 207 points, with the championship being decided on race wins and it was those 5 race wins, in Matterley Basin, Mantova and Trentino today, which helped Duncan secure the gold plate for the second year in a row. Van De Ven was forced to settle for a silver medal this season, as she finished the year with her second race win and a fourth podium finish. While Papenmeier secured bronze with two overall victories in Valkenswaard and Mantova and four podiums this season.
The podium today was exactly the same as the championship standings, with Duncan celebrating her title on the top step of the podium, with Van De Ven second and Papenmeier finishing third on the box.
Nancy Van De Ven, Courtney Duncan and Larissa Papenmeier
Nancy Van De Ven
“The crash in the first race and mistakes in the beginning of the year made it really hard for me and what can I say, what’s worse than getting second in the championship with the same points”.
Larissa Papenmeier
“It was really close, anyone of us four could be world champion, so you had to fight until the last minute. I had a good first heat, unfortunately I tipped over, but it was my own mistake and I finished second. Nothing was lost by then, but my second heat wasn’t that good. The others were better, Courtney for sure deserved it, I think if she stays on the bike, she’s fastest on the track so she deserved it for sure. Congratulations to her. Being third overall in the world championship is not bad, for sure I’m fighting for first but I’m not giving up yet.”
WMX Overall – Trentino 2020
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Duncan, Courtney
NZL
KAW
25
20
45
2
Van De Ven, Nancy
NED
YAM
16
25
41
3
Papenmeier, Larissa
GER
YAM
22
18
40
4
Fontanesi, Kiara
ITA
KTM
15
22
37
5
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
20
16
36
6
van der Vlist, Shana
NED
KTM
18
15
33
7
Andersen, Sara
DEN
KTM
14
14
28
8
Astudillo, Jamie
USA
KTM
13
13
26
9
Nocera, Francesca
ITA
YAM
11
12
23
10
Keller, Sandra
SUI
KTM
12
9
21
11
Jakobsen, Malou
DEN
KTM
8
11
19
12
Borchers, Anne
GER
SUZ
9
8
17
13
O’Hare, Tahlia Jade
AUS
KTM
6
10
16
14
Germond, Virginie
SUI
KTM
7
5
12
15
Kapsamer , Elena
AUT
KTM
10
0
10
16
Viaud, Camille
FRA
YAM
3
6
9
17
Irmgartz, Kim
GER
HON
5
4
9
18
Berry, Avrie
USA
KTM
0
7
7
19
Hoppe, Fiona
GER
HUS
4
1
5
20
Reitze, Alicia
GER
YAM
1
3
4
21
Lehmann, Janina
GER
YAM
0
2
2
22
Galvagno, Elisa
ITA
YAM
2
0
2
WMX Final Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Duncan, C.
NZL
KAW
207
2
Van De Ven, N.
NED
YAM
207
3
Papenmeier, L.
GER
YAM
200
4
Fontanesi, K.
ITA
KTM
193
5
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
164
6
van der Vlist, S.
NED
KTM
135
7
Andersen, Sara
DEN
KTM
121
8
Dam, Line
DEN
YAM
114
9
Borchers, Anne
GER
SUZ
94
10
O’Hare, T.
AUS
KTM
91
11
Astudillo, J.
USA
KTM
77
12
Jakobsen, M.
DEN
KTM
54
13
Nocera, F.
ITA
YAM
49
14
Verstappen, A.
BEL
KAW
46
15
Martinez, M.
FRA
KTM
39
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Lettenbichler wins 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs
Rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 17th edition of Red Bull Romaniacs included the added challenge of the changeable autumnal weather conditions in the Carpathian Mountains.
Manuel Lettenbichler
With the traditional Prologue event on the streets of host city Sibiu cancelled, riders first faced a relatively short, time trial qualification stage to determine the opening day’s start order. Manuel Lettenbichler, making his international race debut for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, finished fifth-fastest, granting him an advantageous start position for Offroad Day 1.
Dry conditions greeted riders early in the morning for the first full day of offroad racing, but it was obvious right from the off that the organizers had plenty in store for the Gold Class competitors. Named ‘Vertical Madness’ for 2020, the race lived up to its name, delivering technically demanding, steep climbs and with a no-help rule for this year, riders had to fight their way to the top unaided.
Manuel Lettenbichler
Second on day one, Lettenbichler finished 41 seconds behind the leader but enjoyed an advantage of over three minutes over the third-placed rider. The top two, Lettenbichler and experienced extreme racer Graham Jarvis, would battle this way for the three remaining days. Victory on day two went to the Red Bull KTM rider who gapped his main rival by close to three minutes, giving him a two-minute advantage going into the third stage.
With Lettenbichler taking his KTM 300 EXC TPI to second on Offroad Day 3, the top two went into the final day separated by just 25 seconds following over 16 hours of racing. With conditions worsening and the already slippery hills made more treacherous following light rain, riders found Offroad Day 4 to be one of the toughest.
Manuel Lettenbichler
Putting in a champion’s performance, Lettenbichler did exactly what he needed to do on the final day and kept Jarvis behind him. Successfully completing the last stage of the event as third-fastest, Lettenbichler secured the win by close to two-and-a-half minutes. The result gives the 2019 WESS Champion back-to-back victories at Red Bull Romaniacs and confirms the 22-year-old as one of the top riders of the sport.
Manuel Lettenbichler – P1
“I’m over the moon, it really is amazing. It’s been such a tough year for everyone and it’s cool to get another win here at Romaniacs. I started well but couldn’t believe how fast Graham was going – he was riding so good over the whole four days so congratulations to him. We were riding together a lot over the event and that really kept me motivated. I’m stoked to come away with another win. It was hard coming into the race to know how you would fair compared to the other guys as there has been so little racing this year and you don’t know how you are skill or fitness-wise. I’m super happy to take the win!”
Fighting all the way to the finish, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Graham Jarvis narrowly finished as runner-up at Romaniacs 2020. Joining him on the podium, teammate Alfredo Gomez charged ahead on the final day of racing to secure third overall.
Graham Jarvis – P2
“It’s been different to race here in October, but it’s worked good. I felt like I was riding really strong all week, but today Mani just had the edge. Starting out the week with a win was perfect and put me into a strong position. I knew the other guys would be pushing hard too, so I tried to play the long game and wait for another attack. I won the penultimate day but only by enough to give me a 25-second lead. With one crash early on, that advantage was quickly gone. Overall, I’ve a lot to be happy about, but I guess I’ll have to wait a little bit longer for a seventh win.”
Graham Jarvis
Alfredo Gomez – P3
“I’m delighted to come back strong for third. After a bad start to my week I rode each day never giving up. Experience has taught me that everything can happen in this race and the most important thing you can do is be patient. I stuck to that and chipped away. I had a great ride yesterday and knew it was all-or-nothing today. I gave it my best and got third. I’m happy with that.”
Alfredo Gomez
Top Australian was Shane Moss in the Silver category, racing to sixth in his class, with a total time of 23h27m37s, 4h11m11s behind silver winner Peter Weiss.
2020 Red Bull Romaniacs Gold Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Total
Gap
1
Manuel Lettenbichler
DEU
20h27m11s
+0s
2
Graham Jarvis
GBR
20h29m37s
+2m26s
3
Alfredo Gomez Cantero
ESP
20h41m20s
+14m9s
4
Wade Young
ZAF
20h41m33s
+14m22s
5
Billy Bolt
GBR
20h58m29s
+31m18s
6
Mario Roman
ESP
22h11m39s
+1h44m28s
7
Michael Walkner
AUT
23h15m1s
+2h47m50s
8
Teodor Kabakchiev
BGR
24h57m25s
+4h30m14s
9
Michele Bosi
ITA
26h39m11s
+6h12m
10
Sonny Goggia
ITA
27h14m24s
+6h47m13s
11
Rienk Tuinstra
NLD
28h48m32s
+8h21m21s
12
Suff Sella
ISR
32h19m2s
+11h51m51s
13
Sandra Gomez Cantero
ESP
52h21m7s
+31h53m56s
14
Vasiu Nicolae
ROU
52h29m36s
+32h2m25s
2020 Red Bull Romaniacs Silver Results
Pos
Rider
Nat
Time
Gap
1
Peter Weiss
DNK
19h16m26s
+0s
2
Poirot Fabien
FRA
19h30m29s
+14m3s
3
Joe Deakin
GBR
20h57m13s
+1h40m47s
4
Guillot Yoann
FRA
21h11m34s
+1h55m8s
5
Tim Apolle
DEU
22h1m9s
+2h44m43s
6
Shane Moss
AUS
23h27m37s
+4h11m11s
7
Alex Tara
ROU
23h34m37s
+4h18m11s
8
Victor Shpalov
RUS
27h5m34s
+7h49m8s
9
Bayram Uysal
TUR
28h15m49s
+8h59m23s
10
Oleksiy Dobychin
UKR
29h50m38s
+10h34m12s
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Steve Holcombe wins 2020 Italian Enduro Championship
Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has won this year’s Italian Enduro Championship delivering a debut national title for the Italian manufacturer on their Beta RR Racing 4T 350.
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
Arriving to the final round of the Italian Enduro Championship in Arma di Taggia as series leader, Holcombe looked to clinch the title in what’s been a challenging pandemic hit year. Knowing he held a comfortable points gap over his nearest competitor Thomas Oldrati, Holcombe put his energy into racing for the championship, while remaining safe ahead of the EnduroGP double header.
Taking his time to adjust to the conditions on Saturday, Steve steadily worked his way up the leaderboard to finish a strong second behind teammate Brad Freeman. On day two, a small crash on the extreme test set him back. And with one less lap to ride than the previous day, he had to push hard to get back to sixth in order to seal the title. With the Italian Enduro Championship secured, Steve hands Beta Motorcycles their first national crown with their RR Racing 4T 350.
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
Steve now looks forward to defending his Enduro World Championship lead at the final two rounds in Portugal, beginning next weekend on November 7-8.
Steve Holcombe
“I’m made up to win the Italian Enduro Championship again. I know how much this means to Beta because it’s their national series and it’s become important to me on a personal and professional level, too. The focus for this weekend was to lock up the title as safely and cleanly as possible knowing that the final two rounds of EnduroGP are just days ahead. It can be hard to find that balance, instead of just racing to win, so there were a few mistakes this weekend. Thankfully, it all came good. I’m delighted to have won this championship back and doing it on the 350 four-stroke for the first time is the icing on the cake!”
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
2020 Italian Enduro Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Man.
Points
1
Steve Holcombe
Beta
121
2
Thomas Oldrati
Honda
119
3
Brad Freeman
Honda
115
4
Andrea Verona
TM
95
5
Joe Wootton
Husqvarna
79
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Cheyne Boyd injury update
Cheyne Boyd has shared the following injury update on his Instagram page, after a life-threatening crash saw him rushed to hospital:
“So here is my progression update, 11 days ago I had a crash . I was rushed to emergency, life saving surgery to repair the artery I had ruptured next to my heart. I was internally bleeding to death, and needed 21 bags of blood. From there I was placed in an induced coma before another surgery on Saturday to fuse my spine after I fractured my thoracic and dislocated my lumbar spine. Thankfully both these surgeries were successful, and I am able to walk, talk and use my arms. I am beyond grateful for the ambulance and medical staff at The Royal Melbourne hospital that saved my life. I also have 17 broken ribs, and a fractured pelvis as well as collapsed lungs and fractured C4 and C5 vertebrae. Thankyou to everyone who has sent well wishes and thoughts and prayers, to myself and Caitlin and the kids. Thankyou to my friends, who have been such an amazing support system and really rallied around myself and my family when we needed them most. Thankyou to Caitlin, who I without a doubt, scared the most and is my biggest motivation, along with our kids, Brooklyn, Billie and Boston. I am busy making plans to reopen Park4MX so please sit tight and wait for further announcements. Thank you.”
Cheyne Boyd shared a picture of the aftermath of his surgery on Instagram
Motorcycling Australia welcome AMG Group
Motorcycling Australia (MA) have welcomed new industry body Australian Motocross Group (AMG) to the fold, with the two organisations to work closely and form part of the ProMX Management Team to help grow motocross in Australia.
AMG was recently launched by long time team owner and MA Motocross Commissioner Mark Luksich, Craig Dack MX legend and CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team owner, Gavin Eales from Serco Motorsport and Yarrive Konsky from Penrite Honda Racing. AMG will be a part of the seven member ProMX Management Team that will drive the strategic planning of ProMX for 2021 and beyond.
ProMX announced by Motorcycling Australia
MA CEO Peter Doyle said the inclusion of AMG into the ProMX Management Team was a key step in ensuring industry, professional and privateer riders and teams have a voice and are represented, giving all parties a channel of communication direct to the sport’s national controlling body.
Peter Doyle – MA CEO
“It’s great to have industry and teams represented as part of our management team to ensure we can collectively and collaboratively grow the sport of motocross in Australia, and with representation from AMG we have that wealth of knowledge and experience to draw upon. With the right support from industry, partners and sponsors we hope to be able to showcase the ProMX championship to a wider Australian and international audience through various media channels.”
Planning is well underway with a calendar set to be announced in November.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Dubai International Baja cancelled
Despite the best efforts of all parties involved and due to ongoing health concerns and associated restrictions in light of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the FIM, the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) and the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) have regretfully announced the cancellation of the Dubai International Baja that was rescheduled to take place on 26-28 November.
Dubai International Baja cancelled
The second and last event of the 2020 season will take place in Portalegre, Portugal on 05-07 November.
Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing sign Malcolm Stewart
Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing have announced the addition of Malcolm Stewart to their 450 team for the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The 2016 250SX East Champion will line up alongside the 2018 250SX West Champion, Aaron Plessinger, and the back-to-back 250SX West Champion, Dylan Ferrandis, for a three-pronged threat in the highly competitive premier class.
Malcolm Stewart
Stewart is fresh off his best season in the 450 class. The Florida rider really started hitting his stride in the seven-race run in Salt Lake City, finishing fourth at the season finale to end the year seventh in the standings. Stewart looks to build on that momentum next season with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team.
Malcolm Stewart – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing
“I’m really excited to join the team. I’ve known a lot of the guys before, when I was around the team back in 2011. Gareth Swanepoel is my trainer and he works with their guys, plus I have a few buddies there. So, it isn’t a big change for me. It just kind of adds another piece to the puzzle. I’m definitely happy. The team has had a lot of success and has dominated the 250 class. They have a phenomenal setup and to be a part of their first year in the 450 class, it makes it more exciting for all of us. I feel like we have some good heavy hitters. Myself, Dylan Ferrandis, and Aaron Plessinger, every single one of us has won a 250 title. It should be a really good year. It’s only Supercross right now, but hopefully it goes well, and we can turn it into something in the future.”
Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team Manager
“Adding Malcolm to our already great line up excites me that much more for this upcoming season. He is an amazing rider, especially when it comes to the whoops. I can’t wait to see him on the track.”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
GasGas Factory Racing sign Pauls Jonas, Brian Bogers, Isak Gifting
Hard-charging former MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass will team up with the highly-capable Brian Bogers to complete Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s all-new MXGP rider line-up for 2020. Pauls will be the ideal match for the MC 450F as the Latvian looks forward to re-establishing himself as one of the world’s best. Delivering a strong run of results during 2020, Dutchman Bogers is also ready to mix it up with the heavy hitters of the MXGP class.
A proven MXGP racer, Jonass entered the grand prix scene in 2014, rapidly progressing to become MX2 World Champion just three years later. Placing as runner-up in 2018, the Latvian then moved to the MXGP class for the following season. In his debut 450cc campaign he was quick to find success, securing three overall podium visits and an impressive sixth place in the final standings.
2020 was set to be Jonass’ breakout year but an untimely training crash ended his season early. Following months of rehabilitation and with his desire for success stronger than ever, he’s now back to full fitness, ready to bang bars and fight for podiums when the gate drops for the start of the 2021 season.
Pauls Jonass
“I’m really excited for my future with GASGAS. I have to thank the Standing Construct team for believing in me while I have been injured but I will be back to 100% and then I can start testing with the team. It’s an exciting time for me and my rehabilitation is going very well. I’m looking forward to a great future together with GASGAS and I look forward to achieving some great results when the 2021 season starts.”
Pauls Jonass
Competing alongside Jonass, Brian Bogers also joins Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing for 2021. Currently ranked 12th in the 2020 MXGP World Championship, the Dutchman has been a constant threat for top-five results during recent GPs. Aiming for the top-10 in the final MXGP standings, Bogers, like his new teammate, will soon head into the off-season focused on testing and preparation ahead of the new MXGP season.
Brian Bogers
“It’s a great feeling to be on the Standing Construct GASGAS team for 2021. I’m really looking forward to next season as I know the team is very professional and the bike is great. They have had impressive results over recent years, so it gives me a lot of confidence. It’s an exciting opportunity. I’ve had a strong season in 2020 and I’m ready for the next step with GASGAS in 2021.”
Tim Mathys – Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager
“We’re excited to have two very capable riders for 2021, that give us an exciting all-new line-up. As a former MX2 World Champion, Pauls Jonass has already achieved great results in MXGP and has proved to be a rider with top-three potential. I am convinced that with the approach we have already used in our team, we can get the very best out of him. He is hugely motivated, and I believe that we can push him to an even higher level, just like we have done with many riders in the past. Our second rider, Brian Bogers, has matured a lot during the past season. He has proven during the last races, with 10 top-10 finishes in a row, that he is ready to have a breakthrough in the MXGP class. He is physically and mentally stronger and ready to compete with the big boys. Both Pauls and Brian are still young, so we will have a young, robust team that we can work closely with. Together with GASGAS Factory Racing we are confident in their abilities, and as a team we look forward to great results from both riders next season.”
GasGas also welcomed Isak Gifting, with the young Swede to remain in red and take on his first full season of MX2 competition following his sensational performances as a stand-in rider during recent GPs. Joining the DIGA Procross GASGAS Factory Racing team for 2021, Isak will compete alongside the returning Simon Langenfelder with both racing on our proven MC 250F.
Isak Gifting
“It’s an amazing feeling to continue with the DIGA Procross GASGAS team in 2021 as a full factory rider. Riding Grands Prix has been a dream of mine since I was a little boy and now I’ve made it. Racing for a factory team, it’s just unbelievable. The bike is fantastic and having a solid team around me with a great manager, mechanics and a trainer gives me a lot of confidence. I have a great feeling going into 2021. I can’t wait to have a full winter of testing with the team and I’m sure that together we can achieve some great results.”
Isak Gifting
Simon Langenfelder will return to the team for 2021, his second term of MX2 World Championship action. Having shown flashes of speed throughout this season before an untimely leg injury, the young German is fully focused on his recovery and looking ahead to prepare for the new season.
Simon Langenfelder
“I’m really looking forward to 2021. I was just starting to put together decent results this season before my crash in Faenza. It was a disappointing way to end the season. Fortunately, I have a great team around me, and I’m almost fully recovered so we can begin our preparation for the new season really soon. I’m excited for the future. I know the bike is good so being able to continue with the DIGA Procross GASGAS team is a great feeling.”
Justin Amian – DIGA Procross GASGAS Factory Racing Team Manager
“We’re really excited for the 2021 season with Isak joining the team alongside Simon. Since Isak joined us as a fill-in rider he’s done nothing but impress me and the rest of the team. His results speak for themselves. Continual progression and he’s really made the best of the opportunity that we gave him. He is incredibly strong-minded, a real fighter on the track and his fitness is incredible so it was an easy decision to have him join our team. We believe in him and he believes in us. We also know that Simon can deliver great results, as he started to show this year. His injury was really unfortunate, but we know that he is fully focused on his preparations for 2021. We look forward to a great off-season of testing ahead of next year and we’re excited for the future with Isak and Simon.”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
GASGAS Factory Racing announce AMA SX & Pro Motocross line-up
GASGAS Motorcycles has announced the highly-anticipated Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing team line-up, as they prepare to compete in both the 250cc and 450cc divisions of the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross Championships for the 2021 season and beyond.
Highlighting the team’s 450 effort is Justin Barcia, a seasoned front-runner who is looking to re-establish himself as a title contender in the premier class aboard the GASGAS MC 450F. In the 250 division, Pierce Brown will race aboard the MC 250F alongside teammate Michael Mosiman, who is eager to pick up where he left off last season as a 250 class front-runner.
Justin Barcia, Pierce Brown, Michael Mosiman
Barcia will lead GASGAS Motorcycles into their very first year of American racing. After claiming back-to-back 250SX titles in 2011-2012, Justin will celebrate his ninth season of 450cc racing in 2021. Claiming victory in his second ever 450SX race, he’s since gone on to enjoy multiple victories and podium finishes both indoors and out. With a new team and bike for 2021, Barcia’s busy preparing himself for what he believes can be his best season yet.
Taking to the start line in the 250 division, Pierce Brown and Michael Mosiman are young racers that each recorded strong 250SX results in 2020. Looking to unlock their full potential, they’ll be aiming for the podium when the gate drops for round one.
Roger De Coster – Director of Motorsports in North America
“Appointing Troy Lee Designs as the official GASGAS Factory Racing team for supercross and motocross not only further strengthens our longstanding partnership with Troy and his team, it also starts an important new chapter for TLD in the 450 class and for GASGAS in America, which is a hugely important step for GASGAS Motorcycles. As an energetic, new brand we’re excited to establish the MC 450F and MC 250F when we get back to racing and the start of the 2021 supercross series. We look forward to providing the technical support and guidance needed to allow Justin, Pierce and Michael to perform at their very best in 2021 and wish everyone at Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing all the best for the new season ahead.”
Jett Lawrence awarded 2020 Marty Smith Rookie of the Year
The first honoree of the newly named “Marty Smith Rookie of the Year” was GEICO Honda’s Jett Lawrence. On a bittersweet afternoon for the influential race team at the Fox Raceway National, the Australian capped off a stellar first full season of Pro Motocross competition by breaking through with the first win of what looks to be a promising career, which also helped him earn fourth in the final standings.
Jett Lawrence – Image by Align Media
The 17-year-old is the first Australian to earn the award and his victory, combined with the first career win for Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton in the 450 Class that same day, helped vault American Honda Motor Company to “Manufacturer of the Year”. The “Red Riders” amassed more points across both the 450 Class and 250 Class than any other OEM, wrapping up a banner afternoon and memorable season for the iconic Japanese brand.
2020 GNCC Yamaha Racing Ironman – Indiana
Round 12 of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series concluded at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana on Sunday and coming through to take his second overall win of the season was Josh Strang.
Josh Strang – Image by Ken Hill
Strang steadily made his way through the pack after starting in the third place position. After moving into second Strang would set his sights on the lead position, and he would battle throughout the fourth lap to take over the number one spot. Strang would continue to lead the last four laps of racing, but not without pressure from AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr.
Strang and Baylor Jr. continued to battle on the last lap, but after an incident on Ironman hill Baylor Jr. would find himself falling behind Strang as they came through the motocross track to take the checkered flag. Baylor Jr. held the lead for the first three laps of racing before Strang made the stick, but even after a crash on the hill he would remain 1.5 seconds ahead of third overall.
Ben Kelley worked his way up after running seventh on the opening laps
Josh Strang – Image by Ken Hill
of racing. Kelley make the necessary passes to move up through the pack, and he would close the gap between him and Baylor Jr. as the white flag flew. Kelley moves into seventh overall in the points standings after missing the first half of the season.
Coming through to take fourth overall on the day was Kailub Russell. Russell found himself towards the front of the XC1 Open Pro riders at the beginning of the race but would make a mistake halfway through losing some valuable time with the leaders. Russell would continue to push on, ultimately coming through 7 seconds behind his teammate Kelley.
Steward Baylor Jr. – Image by Ken Hill
Another rider that found himself towards the front early on in the race was Layne Michael. On lap four, Michael came through timing and scoring holding onto third overall but as the race worse on he would find himself falling back two positions to take fifth overall on the day.
Grant Baylor was making moves throughout the duration of the race after coming through timing and scoring in eighth on the opening lap. Baylor would continue to push, as he made his way up to sixth overall after a hard-fought battle at this year’s Ironman event. Baylor continues to hold onto sixth in the XC1 Open Pro class standings.
Earning seventh on the day was Jordan Ashburn. After coming through fifth on lap one, Ashburn would have his work cut out for him as a hungry pack of riders were right behind him. Ashburn found himself as far back as eighth at one point in the race and would then move into seventh on the day continuing to stay in that position until the checkered flag flew.
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew Delong made a last lap pass to move into eighth after running ninth for majority of the race. While Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall suffered a crash on the fifth lap and found himself back to eighth after running up in fifth for the first half of the race. KLM Kawasaki’s Evan Earl rounded out the top 10 in the XC1 class after steadily holding onto that position throughout the race.
Andrew Delong – Image by Ken Hill
In the XC2 250 Pro class, it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig Delong jumping out to grab the $100 Hot Cams XC2 Holeshot Award. Delong would then fall back to fifth in the class but would soon find himself picking off riders to make the pass for the lead on lap five. Delong would hold onto lead taking his fourth win of the season and regaining the class points lead as the series heads into its last round of racing.
Lyndon Snodgrass held the early lead but would soon face a battle with Jonathan Girroir. As the duo battle, Girroir would make the pass for the lead and hold onto it for one lap. Unfortunately, Girroir would crash towards the end of race and end up eleventh in his class. Snodgrass would regroup and continue to battle for a podium finish. Snodgrass would again make a last lap pass to regain second, landing himself his first podium finish in the XC2 class.
Rounding out the XC2 class podium in third was Mike Witkowski. Witkowski would battle throughout the three-hour race at the front of the pack, but he would be unable to hold the lead. Witkowski moved into second on the last lap, but with Snodgrass hot on his heels he would be unable to hold him off. Witkowski came through to take third in his class, and now sits second in the points standings.
Taking the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class win was Jason Raines. Coming through to earn second was the newly-crowned XC3 National Champion, Zack Hayes. Rounding out the podium in third was Jason Lipscomb.
Earning the top amateur honors was Joseph Cunningham after finishing 18th overall and first in the 250 A class. Dakoda Devore and Nathan Rector rounded out the top amateur podium with their 20th and 21st overall finishes.
Joseph Cunningham – Image by Ken Hill
In the 10 a.m. race it was Rachael Archer coming through to earn her fifth overall win of the season. Archer would take the win, even after an incident with a lapper left her with a possible broken ankle. Rachel Gutish came through to take second in the WXC class followed by Becca Sheets, who rounded out the WXC podium.
A new winner emerged in the youth ranks with Cole Forbes taking the youth overall win and the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Davis came through to earn second overall and in the YXC1 class, with Lane Whitmer crossing the line third overall in the 8 a.m. youth morning race.
$5,000 was awarded to the Montgomery County Community Foundation with donations coming from Yamaha Racing, KTM North America, HBD Moto Grafix, and the GNCC Racing Nation as they contributed in purchasing Pink Ironman stickers and partaking in the Mullets for Mammies by Bottleneck Live contest.
XC1 Pro Event Results
Josh Strang (KAW)
Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Kailub Russell (KTM)
Layne Michael (YAM)
Grant Baylor (SHR)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Andrew Delong (HON)
Thad Duvall (HQV)
Evan Earl (KAW)
Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (295)
Josh Strang (246)
Jordan Ashburn (185)
Craig Delong (171)
Michael Witkowski (161)
Steward Baylor Jr. (158)
Benjamin Kelley (153)
Grant Baylor (152)
Jonathan Girroir (146)
Cody Barnes (122)
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Craig Delong (HQV)
Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
Michael Witkowski (YAM)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Cody Barnes (BET)
Ryder Lafferty (HQV)
Jonathan Johnson (HON)
Jesse Ansley (KTM)
Ben Parsons (HQV)
Samuel Evans (KTM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Craig Delong (296)
Michael Witkowski (285)
Jonathan Girroir (280)
Cody Barnes (211)
Liam Draper (194)
Thorn Devlin (145)
Jonathan Johnson (141)
Ryder Lafferty (134)
Benjamin Nelko (111)
Jesse Ansley (103)
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 MXGP of Lommel – Round 15
The weekend saw the running of the 2020 MXGP of Lommel, as the final round of the Belgian triple-header, with a new track layout introduced to up the ante in sectors three and four, upping the tempo of the races, while adding an additional challenge for riders.
In MXGP it was Tim Gajser claiming top honours, winning both races, with Romain Febvre runner up in both races for second overall. Jeremy Seewer completed the overall podium, going 4-3.
Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser extended his standings lead as a result, now leading Tony Cairoli by 74-points, 583 to 509. Jeremy Seewer sits third on 499-points, while Jorge Prado was unable to compete in MX2 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was in self-isolation. The rest of his Red Bull KTM team had returned negative test results, however he dropped to fourth. Mitch Evans, still out with injury, sits 13th in the standings as the top Aussie.
MXGP Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
25
25
50
2
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
22
22
44
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
18
20
38
4
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
16
18
34
5
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
20
11
31
6
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
13
16
29
7
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
15
14
29
8
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
11
15
26
9
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
14
12
26
10
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
12
6
18
11
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
8
8
16
12
Van doninck, Brent
BEL
HUS
0
13
13
13
Bobryshev, Evgeny
RUS
HUS
3
10
13
14
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
4
9
13
15
Monticelli, Ivo
ITA
GAS
7
4
11
16
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
5
5
10
17
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
9
1
10
18
Watson, Nathan
GBR
HON
10
0
10
19
van der Vlist, Freek
NED
KTM
0
7
7
20
Potisek, Milko
FRA
YAM
6
0
6
21
Guillod, Valentin
SUI
HON
0
3
3
22
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
0
2
2
23
Ebben, Kay
NED
KTM
2
0
2
24
Rannikko, Rene
FIN
HUS
1
0
1
MXGP Standings – Top 30
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
583
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
509
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
499
4
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
476
5
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
465
6
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
403
7
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
375
8
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
362
9
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
289
10
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
11
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
12
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
233
13
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
228
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
212
15
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
206
16
Monticelli, I.
ITA
GAS
161
17
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
134
18
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
122
19
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
84
20
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
82
21
Bobryshev, E.
RUS
HUS
75
22
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
72
23
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
67
24
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
66
25
Van doninck, B.
BEL
HUS
53
26
Guillod, V.
SUI
HON
52
27
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
45
28
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
44
29
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
31
30
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
26
MX2
The MX2 class was hard fought with Ben Watson and Roan Van De Moosdijk sharing the wins, with just eight-points separating the top six. Watson came out on top adding a fourth place result to his win for the overall on 43-points. Van De Moosdijk had to settle for second on 40-points, with Maxime Renaux third, ahead of Thomas Kjer Olsen, GasGas’s Isak Gifting and Tom Vialle.
Roan Van De Moosdijk
Jed Beaton was inside the top-10 in eighth, claiming 27 championship points. He had a consistent day, not getting the best jump from the start in race one, and moving up through the ranks throughout the race, before making the pass for seventh on lap 13, Jed then chased Roan Van De Moosdijk to the chequered flag to end his race in seventh.
Moto two saw a much better start for the FC 250 rider. Moving into ninth early in the race, Jed progressed into seventh at the halfway stage of the race as he found his rhythm around the demanding Lommel track. Losing just one position as the moto neared the end, he finished eighth.
Jed Beaton
“A disappointing day today. Not my greatest day of racing but I’m healthy, which is important with three rounds to go. I found my flow in both races but not until towards the end, which was frustrating. By then there was a big gap ahead of me in each race. Overall, I felt like my riding was good, it just took me a little while to get going. Looking forward to some hardpack next weekend in Italy.”
Jed Beaton
Bailey Malkiewicz took 13th overall for 12-points, racing to 16th in Race 1, and improving that result to 14th in Race 2.
In terms of the championship, Geerts has lost some ground on Vialle who now heads into the final three rounds with a 74-point advantage, with Renaux down in third with 476 points. Beaton now sits fourth on 456-points, with fellow Australian Bailey Malkiewicz 16th on 119.
The world series now heads to Pietramurata in the north Italian province of Trentino next weekend for the last of five triple-header GPs which will complete the eighteen-round series.
MX2 Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
25
18
43
2
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
15
25
40
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
22
16
38
4
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
16
20
36
5
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
13
22
35
6
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
20
15
35
7
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
YAM
18
10
28
8
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
14
13
27
9
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
8
14
22
10
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
9
12
21
11
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
12
8
20
12
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
10
9
19
13
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
5
7
12
14
Renkens, Nathan
BEL
KTM
6
6
12
15
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
7
5
12
16
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
0
11
11
17
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
11
0
11
18
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
HON
4
4
8
19
Polak, Petr
CZE
YAM
2
3
5
20
Nermann, Johannes
EST
HUS
3
2
5
21
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
1
1
2
MX2 Standings – Top 30
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
651
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
577
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
476
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
456
5
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
446
6
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
440
7
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
417
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
307
9
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
279
10
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
234
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
228
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
215
13
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
179
14
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
156
15
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
136
16
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
119
17
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
18
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
104
19
Renkens, N.
BEL
KTM
97
20
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
21
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
HON
90
22
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
88
23
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
87
24
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
85
25
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
26
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
67
27
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
28
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
29
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
35
30
Roosiorg, H.
EST
KTM
33
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
EMX125
Fantic Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi secured the crown in the EMX125 class at the final round of the series in Lommel, as he became this year’s European Champion! The Italian entered today’s races with a 38-point advantage over David Braceras of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team and only needed to finish the races with a solid result in order to seal the deal. Bonacorsi finished the opening race of the day third, which was enough for him to claim the title in race one.
Andrea Bonacorsi
“It’s just amazing. I worked really hard for it [the title], with the team, with my family, with my trainer, the gold plate and European champion, so it’s amazing. For sure in Faenza, after the first win, then I had 6 race wins and I realised I could be champion.”
Andrea Bonacorsi claimed the EMX125 Championship
The Fantic Racing rider then had a much tougher second race after getting caught out in a first turn crash, which meant he had to start from way back and 11th was the best he could do. Unfortunately, he missed out on the podium, though the main focus was that he took home that all-important championship gold plate.
Despite a tough day, Braceras held enough of a gap to finish second in the championship with 282 points, ahead of Meico Vettik of TBS Conversions Racing Team who claimed the bronze medal after a solid day, which saw him also second overall on the podium.
EMX125 Race 1
The first race of the day saw WZ Racing’s Max Palsson lead the way as he was closely followed by Vettik and Scott Smulders of No Fear/Jumbo BT Racing Team on the opening lap. Meanwhile, the then championship leader, Bonacorsi, was down in 9th.
EMX125 Start
Guillem Farres of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team then crashed out of 6th and was down outside the top 20, as Smulders dropped out of 3rd as well and re-joined the race in 12th.
Bonacorsi though was wasting no time as by the first full lap he was already in 4th, looking to charge for the leaders as he was keen to wrap up the title in the first heat.
Palsson then extended his race lead over Vettik to 2.002 in the early stages of the race, and the gap remained pretty tight until the end of the race, as the two battled closely together.
Bonacorsi came under fire from the Creymert Racing pilot Haakon Osterhagen for 4th, though he was able to defend his position, before going after Pietro Razzini for third a few laps later.
It was a tough race for Braceras who had to start the race from outside the top 30 and fight his way through. Eventually the Spaniard finished the race in 16th, not a result he would have wanted after his previous success here in Lommel over the last couple of rounds.
Osterhagen then lost a bit of ground as he was getting caught by Romeo Karu and Ivano Van Erp of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC team, though he was able to maintain his position until the end of the race, while Karu made a mistake and finished in 15th.
On lap 9, Bonacorsi moved himself in 3rd, as Vettik gave it another go at passing Palsson though was not successful. He then gave it one last push on the final 3 laps as the gap was just 0.666 seconds, but Palsson was able to keep control and claim his first race win of the season.
EMX125 Race 2
The second race started with a little bit of drama in the first turn, which caught out a couple of riders including Karu and the new EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing champion, Bonacorsi. Though it was Van Erp who led the way, with Palsson in second and Valerio Lata of Marchetti Racing Team KTM in third.
Andrea Bonacorsi
Vettik started the second heat outside the top 5, though he was on a charge and quickly caught out to the group as he passed Braceras for 5th on lap two.
By lap 5 there was a change in the lead, as Van Erp crashed out, which allowed Palsson to make the most of this opportunity to go after another race win.
Farres was then on a charge as he had a nice battle with Quentin Prugnieres of BUD Racing Kawasaki. Eventually, the GasGas rider was able to find a way through into fourth on lap 7.
With 5 minutes and 2 laps to go, Palsson led the way by an impressive 11.960 seconds, as Osterhagen passed Nikita Kucherov for 7th and then went after Braceras. Not long after, the Norwegian burst down the inside of Braceras for 6th, as Kucherov was able to do the same, with the Spaniard getting pushed down to 8th and then 9th where he would eventually finish.
With 2 of laps to go, Florian Miot of KTM Diga Junior Racing was pushing hard to pass Farres for third, though got caught out in a crash and did not finish the race.
In the end it was Palsson who was the race winner, with Vettik second once again and Farres having a much stronger ride that time around to cross the line third.
With two race wins, Palsson claimed his first overall victory of the season as he took to the top step of the podium, while Vettik occupied second with two solid second place finishes in the races and Guillem Farres of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team made his 5th podium of the 2020 season as he took to third.
David Braceras
“Today I had a crash in the first race and then I was last, and then managed to get to seventeenth. In the second race, I started well but then wanted to stay safe because in the first race I lost a lot of points. I had a little problem with the goggles and wanted to stay safe and finish second in the championship. I’m happy with my position as I worked really hard with my team and my family and trainer, so I’m really happy and would like to thank everyone for all the support and now it’s time to prepare for the 250s”
Meico Vettik
“I’m really happy about the third place in the championship. I had some bad races and some good races, but I’m still happy about my season. Today I had good speed, in the second race I had a small problem with my goggles but still second, so I am happy. Thanks to all my supporters and friends.”
Max Palsson
“I’m super happy for the team and for myself as well. We work really hard. My starts were on point today and it made it a lot easier. The season as a whole though could have been a bit better, at the start of the year I wasn’t fully prepared, but I came back strong.”
Guillem Farres
“Overall it was a good day. In the first race I was around fourth in the first lap then I had a little crash and had to come from the back and finished sixth. In the second race, I had to start from ninth, made my way to third and in the last lap I was battling with Meico [Vettik] for second place but finally I could finish third.”
EMX125 Overall
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
25
25
50
2
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
22
22
44
3
Farres, Guillem
ESP
GAS
15
20
35
4
Osterhagen, Haakon
NOR
KTM
16
16
32
5
Bonacorsi, Andrea
ITA
FAN
20
10
30
6
Van Erp, Ivano
NED
YAM
14
15
29
7
Prugnieres, Quentin Marc
FRA
KTM
7
18
25
8
Razzini, Pietro
ITA
HUS
18
6
24
9
Kucherov, Nikita
RUS
KTM
8
14
22
10
Reisulis, Karlis Alberts
LAT
KTM
4
13
17
11
Braceras, David
ESP
GAS
5
12
17
12
Karu, Romeo
EST
HUS
9
7
16
13
Lata, Valerio
ITA
KTM
6
9
15
14
Rainio, Sampo
FIN
HUS
10
5
15
15
Miot, Florian
FRA
KTM
13
0
13
16
Smulders, Scott
NED
HUS
11
1
12
17
Soulimani, Saad
FRA
KTM
12
0
12
18
Cazal, Xavier
FRA
KTM
0
11
11
19
Valk, Cas
NED
KTM
2
8
10
20
Karssemakers, Kay
NED
YAM
0
4
4
21
Vetrovsky, Radek
CZE
KTM
0
3
3
22
Voxen Kleemann, William
DEN
HUS
3
0
3
23
Pedersen, Rasmus
DEN
KTM
0
2
2
24
Alonso Rodilla, Victor
ESP
YAM
1
0
1
EMX125 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Bonacorsi, A.
ITA
FAN
333
2
Braceras, D.
ESP
GAS
282
3
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
268
4
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
263
5
Razzini, P.
ITA
HUS
240
6
Farres, G.
ESP
GAS
211
7
Roncoli, A.
ITA
HUS
194
8
Prugnieres, Q.
FRA
KTM
186
9
Lata, Valerio
ITA
KTM
171
10
Osterhagen, H.
NOR
KTM
167
11
Soulimani, S.
FRA
KTM
152
12
Miot, Florian
FRA
KTM
124
13
Brumann, Kevin
SUI
YAM
117
14
Smulders, S.
NED
HUS
92
15
Kucherov, N.
RUS
KTM
86
16
Reisulis, K.
LAT
KTM
81
17
Congost, G.
ESP
GAS
73
18
Everts, Liam
BEL
KTM
66
19
Valk, Cas
NED
KTM
66
20
Piller, C.
GER
KTM
64
21
Venhoda, M.
CZE
KTM
64
22
Van Erp, Ivano
NED
YAM
57
23
Pedersen, R.
DEN
KTM
56
24
Cazal, Xavier
FRA
KTM
53
25
Rossi, Andrea
ITA
KTM
51
26
Karssemakers, K.
NED
YAM
41
27
Rainio, Sampo
FIN
HUS
36
28
Russi, M.
ITA
KTM
34
29
Karu, Romeo
EST
HUS
33
30
Sanchez, Raul
ESP
YAM
30
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 MX Fest – Digger McEwen Motocross Park.
It was a jam-packed schedule of three days racing in Taupo, as the country’s riders had their first competitive hit-out for the season at Digger McEwen Motocross Park for MX Fest 2020.
In the MX1 class Cody Cooper took the overall win, despite tying on points with Hamish Harwood, both on 91-points. Kayne Lamont was third on 78-points, with Rhys Carter fourth, and Campbell King fifth.
Kayne Lamont – P3
“The weekend’s racing was a great time for me. I rode very calm and in control, which I was happy with. I have two months of prep now before SummerCross, so I will try do as much as possible with bike time and continue testing parts to finalise my set-up for the summer.”
Kayne Lamont – Image by CLMINTIEPIX
MX2 saw Josiah Natzke (93-points) take the overall win from Maximus Purvis (78), while Brodie Connolly was third (71). Seton Head and Jack Treloar completed the top five.
20-year-old defending MX2 national champion Maximus Purvis believed he “just lacked the fitness” to ride for the victories but vowed, “I’ll definitely be ready for SummerCross at the end of December.”
Maximus Purvis – Image by CLMINTIEPIX
Darren Capill took the MX3 overall from Keleb Livesey and Ryan Denby, while Jayden McAloon and Caleb Franklin completed the top five.
2020 Taupo MX Fest Results MX1 Overall Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Cody Cooper
91
2
Hamish Harwood
91
3
Kayne Lamont
78
4
Rhys Carter
73
5
Campbell King
52
6
Hayden Smith
45
7
Brad Groombridge
45
8
Hadleigh Knight
44
9
Tommy Watts
39
10
Richard Horne
37
MX2 Overall Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Josiah Natzke
93
2
Maximus Purvis
78
3
Brodie Connolly
71
4
Seton Head
54
5
Jack Treloar
46
6
James Scott
42
7
Donovan Ward
39
8
Oliver Ayre
38
9
Logan Kerrisk
34
10
James Rountree
33
MX3 Overall Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Darren Capill
72
2
Kaleb Livesey
65
3
Ryan Denby
55
4
Jayden McAloon
54
5
Caleb Franklin
49
6
Marty Axtens
45
7
Ben Lawson
39
8
Tristan Hall
38
9
Shane Robinson
37
10
Ben Wright
29
Bereman wins inaugural Red Bull Imagination
American Tyler Bereman added another big win to his freeride motocross résumé when he edged out compatriot Colby Raha to claim the inaugural Red Bull Imagination competition around the rolling hills of Kansas.
Tyler Bereman
“Everyone keeps saying it was the most fun stuff that they’ve ever ridden, so this is a good place to start. Hopefully we can build on it and bring it back, inviting more people and showcasing what we do and why we do it. I’m just stoked to see where this thing takes us. Everyone keeps saying it was the most fun stuff that they’ve ever ridden, so this is a good place to start. Hopefully we can build on it and bring it back, inviting more people and showcasing what we do and why we do it. I’m just stoked to see where this thing takes us.”
Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
The new event, from the mind of Bereman himself and brought to life by course designer Jason Baker of Dream Traxx, marked a major step forward for the sport. A host of the sport’s top riders – including Cole Seely, Tom Parsons, Vicki Golden, Ryan Sipes and Darryn Durham – braved the massive jumps to showcase their own personal riding style on the innovative course.
Colby Raha – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
Carved into the Midwestern landscape just outside Fort Scott, the 18-acre course took a crew of five moving 50,000 cubic yards of dirt just 19 days to build, including 5 features such as berms, a shipping container and a quarterpipe with some jumps launching the riders 140 feet across and 55 feet up into the air.
Three days of session riding led to a competition, where each rider had two five-minute windows to showcase their talent in crafting the perfect line.
Ryan Sipes, Colby Raha, Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
Legends of the sport Ronnie Renner, Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg, Robbie Maddison and Steve Haughelstine judged the contest from a tower overlooking the entire course and scored riders on creativity, technical ability and adapting features to showcase personal style.
Red Bull Imagination 2020 result
Tyler Bereman USA 97.0
Colby Raha USA 96.0
Cole Seely USA 90.5
Ryan Sipes USA 85.0
Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content PoolMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
WORCS Round 7 – Blythe, CA
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Taylor Robert extended his points lead in the 2020 World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) with a pair of solid 1-2 finishes at this weekend’s double-header serving as rounds six and seven of the nine-race series.
Austin Walton took the overall win for Round 7, with Taylor Robert runner up and Dante Oliveira claiming the final Pro MC podium position. Tyler Lynn led the Pro 2 Lights, in fifth overall, while Tallon Lafountaine was top Pro 2 rider in sixth.
Taylor Robert leads the Pro MC standings on 169-points, with closest competitor Oliveira on 142, while Austin Walton is third overall on 131.
WORCS Round 6 Pro MC Results
Place
Name
Overall Fin.
Elap. Time
1
TAYLOR ROBERT – KTM
1
01:22:45.647
2
DANTE OLIVEIRA – KTM
2
01:24:19.435
3
TREVOR STEWART – HON
3
01:26:07.313
4
JUSTIN SEEDS – YAM
4
1:26:56.248
5
ZACH BELL – KAW
5
01:27:42.882
6
TRAVIS DAMON – HON
9
01:30:13.596
7
COLE MARTINEZ – HON
10
01:31:36.940
8
GIACOMO REDONDI – HQV
12
01:22:55.532
9
AUSTIN WALTON – HQV
17
01:25:06.297
10
RYAN SURRATT – HQV
20
01:26:32.702
WORCS Round 7 MC Results
Pos
Name
Class
Cls Pos
Brand
Last Scan
1
AUSTIN WALTON
Pro (MC)
1st
HQV
21:16.5
2
TAYLOR ROBERT
Pro (MC)
2nd
KTM
21:58.2
3
DANTE OLIVEIRA
Pro (MC)
3rd
KTM
24:36.6
4
COLE MARTINEZ
Pro (MC)
4th
HON
24:42.4
5
TYLER LYNN
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
1st
YAM
28:31.0
6
TALLON LAFOUNTAINE
Pro 2 (MC)
1st
HON
28:08.2
7
TREVOR STEWART
Pro (MC)
5th
HON
27:41.9
8
TODD SIBELL
Pro 2 (MC)
2nd
KAW
29:10.3
9
TRAVIS DAMON
Pro (MC)
6th
HON
28:47.6
10
KAI AIELLO
Pro 2 (MC)
3rd
HQV
29:24.6
11
MASON A OTTERSBERG
Pro 2 (MC)
4th
YAM
29:33.8
12
ANGUS RIORDAN
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
2nd
KTM
21:18.7
13
JUSTIN SEEDS
Pro (MC)
7th
YAM
21:26.1
14
JAKE ALVAREZ
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
3rd
KAW
22:55.8
15
RYAN SURRATT
Pro (MC)
8th
HQV
22:06.3
16
MASON OLSON
Pro 2 (MC)
5th
KTM
24:33.9
17
PALMER KING
Pro 2 (MC)
6th
KTM
25:35.4
18
MATEO OLIVEIRA
Pro 2 (MC)
7th
KTM
26:11.9
19
JT BAKER
Pro 2 (MC)
8th
SHR
26:15.5
20
BRANDY RICHARDS
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
4th
KTM
27:55.3
21
CLAYTON HENGEVELD
Pro 2 (MC)
9th
KAW
29:49.9
22
MATT MAPLE
Pro 2 (MC)
10th
HON
21:33.2
23
HAYDEN FLOREZ
Pro 2 (MC)
11th
YAM
22:42.4
24
ZACHARY CRAMER
Pro 2 (MC)
12th
KTM
31:30.7
25
GIACOMO REDONDI
Pro (MC)
9th
HQV
21:39.4
26
KAITLYN JACOBS
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
5th
KTM
25:28.9
27
ZACH BELL
Pro (MC)
10th
KAW
39:17.7
28
THOMAS DUNN
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
6th
YAM
16:10.7
29
COLTON AECK
Pro 2 (MC)
13th
HQV
08:18.9
WORCS PRO MC Standings
Pos
Rider
Rnd6 Fin.
Rnd7 Fin.
Total
1
TAYLOR ROBERT
1
2
169
2
DANTE OLIVEIRA
2
3
142
3
AUSTIN WALTON
9
1
131
4
COLE MARTINEZ
7
4
117
5
TREVOR STEWART
3
5
109
6
JUSTIN SEEDS
4
7
102
7
RYAN SURRATT
10
8
94
8
TRAVIS DAMON
6
6
92
9
ZACH BELL
5
10
61
10
GIACOMO REDONDI
8
9
45
11
DALTON SHIREY
–
–
29
12
MITCH ANDERSON
–
–
23
13
BLAYNE THOMPSON
–
–
19
14
GARY SUTHERLIN
–
–
18
15
BROC SHOEMAKER
–
–
13
16
MIKE ALESSI
–
–
13
17
BRYCE SHONDECK
–
–
8
18
JACOB SMITH
–
–
7
19
CHRIS CONWAY
–
–
6
Riders prepared for 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler is ready to race the 2020 edition of Red Bull Romaniacs. The grueling five-day event consists of a time trial qualification, followed by four long days of racing in the Romanian Hills. Based once again around the town of Sibiu, the hard enduro takes place from October 27 to 31.
Manuel Lettenbichler
“I’m feeling pretty good right now. I’ve been trying to get as much riding in as possible over the last couple of weeks as I wasn’t able to do too much after injuring my thumb, back in August. I’m really excited to just go back racing again, this year has been so mixed up, just the fact that we can do an event like Romaniacs is great. I won it last year and I want to do well this year, it’s just so difficult to know what to expect. Having not raced so much, it’s not easy to gauge where you are in terms of form compared to the other riders. The move to October hopefully won’t change things too much – it looks like it will stay dry and it will be cold early in the mornings, but it’s the same for everyone. I think we’re going to have a good race and I can’t wait to get into battle with the boys once again.”
Manuel Lettenbichler
Two-time winner of the event Jonny Walker will be unable to compete at the 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs due to an injury sustained to his elbow at a recent round of the British Extreme Enduro Championship. Although Jonny received surgery for the break, doctors have advised the 29-year-old not to return to competition as yet in order for the injury to heal. Also absent from this year’s Romaniacs, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia will instead contest the final two rounds of the Italian Enduro Championship.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team members Billy Bolt, Alfredo Gomez and Graham Jarvis have also safely arrived in Romania and are ready to contest the 2020 Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, and the man undoubtedly looking to claim his first Romaniacs victory is Billy Bolt.
The reigning Superenduro World Champion has shown impressive form over the season, despite the pandemic-induced lack of events. Bolt won the first three races of the recent Sea to Sky extreme enduro in Turkey, only to lose out on the final day when a navigation error saw him lose valuable minutes to his rivals. The young Brit finished sixth at the 2019 running of Romaniacs, despite being less than 100 per cent fit.
Billy Bolt
Runner-up at the 2019 Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, Alfredo Gomez will be looking to go one better in 2020 and claim his first ever win at the event. Showing incredible pace and stamina last year, Gomez became stronger as the enduro evolved to take his fight for the win right down to the final section – the infamous Gusterita Hillclimb. Frustratingly, losing out by just minutes, the experienced Spaniard knows what is required this year as he chases success at the world’s toughest hard enduro rallye.
Graham Jarvis comes into the 17th running of Romaniacs as a six-time winner of the race, hoping to make it seven victories in 2020. With the event moved to the autumn, the climate in the mountains will be tougher than ever – the early morning starts will be cold for all riders and with the possibility of extended rain, the steep tracks could prove to be hugely challenging. Jarvis hopes the demanding conditions will be in his favour as the Brit aims to climb onto the top step of the podium once again next Saturday.
Taddy Blazusiak meanwhile will make his first official outing as a GASGAS Factory Racing rider tomorrow, when the Polish star takes to the start of the Red Bull Romaniacs extreme enduro. Despite the multiple world champion signing for GASGAS Motorcycles back in July, the rescheduled running of the infamous hard enduro rallye marks Taddy’s first outdoor competition of 2020, and his first for GASGAS.
Taddy Blazusiak
“It’s really weird to have the first race of the year in October, it also looks like it might be the only one we’re doing, so we’re lucky in that respect. My plan is to go as hard as I can and get a good result. I’m really motivated to start with GASGAS – it’s my first race in the new colors and I’m definitely looking forward to it. The bike is working well, we’ve done a lot of work over the year and I’m happy with the whole package. Hopefully qualifying will go well tomorrow and I’ll earn a good start position, after that, we head into the hills and it’s already looking like it’s going to be a tough four days of racing.”
Taddy BlazusiakMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX Sports Pro Racing Recognizes Contributions to 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
In the midst of a year filled with unpredictable challenges, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, completed a successful campaign, personifying the notion that great things can happen when the motocross industry rallies together, In celebration of the many individuals and organizations that helped make the 2020 season a reality MX Sports Pro Racing recognized several of the most significant contributions with a season-ending awards presentation after the Fox Raceway National.
Arguably the most important awards were handed out to the pair of newly crowned AMA National Champions, both of whom captured their first respective class titles. In the 450 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne hoisted the Edison Dye Cup on the heels of four wins and six podium finishes. The Virginia native became the 25th different rider to earn a 450 Class title, and the 12th rider to earn championships across both of Pro Motocross’ competitive divisions. In addition to giving Husqvarna its first premier class title in the series, Osborne also cemented his own unique place in the record books as the oldest champion in the history of the sport at 31 years of age.
Zach Osborne – Image by Jeff Kardas
By virtue of Osborne’s exceptional season veteran technician Dave Feeney earned the “450 Class Champion Mechanic Wrench” while newly appointed team manager “Scuba” Steve Westfall commemorated his debut at the helm of the program with “Team Manager of the Year” accolades. The team’s semi driver, industry veteran Paul Delaurier, added to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s award haul as “Transport Driver of the Year.”
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis erased decades of heartbreak for French riders by becoming the first racer from the nation to raise the Gary Jones Cup. Ferrandis’ journey to become a champion on U.S. soil had been steadily building since he made the move to compete in American motocross for the 2017 season. His championship-winning run was a result of unparalleled consistency in which he captured three wins and eight podium finishes in nine rounds. Ferrandis is the 32nd different rider to win the 250 Class title and ended his stay in the division by providing Star Racing with its fifth championship in seven seasons.
Dylan Ferrandis 250 Champ – Image by Jeff Kardas
Ferrandis’ title meant his mechanic, Alex Campbell, was the recipient of the “250 Class Champion Mechanic Wrench.” Additionally, after yet another impressive season by the Bobby Regan owned team, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing was also named “Team of the Year.” With Ferrandis leading the way, a trio of Star riders earned a top-five finish in the final 250 Class standings as Shane McElrath secured a pair of podium finishes en route to third in points and Justin Cooper grabbed a win and two podiums to finish fifth. The team also welcomed a pair of promising young talents to the professional ranks with Jarrett Frye and Nate Thrasher.
In addition to celebrating the season’s most notable contributors, MX Sports Pro Racing also paid tribute to members of the motocross family that passed away this year. Marty Smith, the sport’s first true superstar, and his wife, Nancy, tragically lost their lives in April, which sent shockwaves through the racing community. As a tribute to Smith, and a testament to his impact on American motocross, the aforementioned yearly rookie award was renamed in his honor. The community was also hit hard with the passing of longtime flagger and Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club member Mike Mars, who succumbed to COVID-19 just prior to the start of the 2020 season in August.
MX Sports Pro Racing also recognized the collection of race teams, manufacturers, and the hundreds of participants who committed to embark on the 2020 season, no matter what obstacles arose. Additionally, the championship would not have been possible without the unwavering support from the group of series partners and sponsors that made hosting a nine-round series feasible, notably the broadcast partners at NBC Sports Group and championship title sponsor Lucas Oil. Crucial support also came from Red Bull, WPS, FLY Racing, GEICO Motorcycle, MotoSport.com, FMF Racing, Thor, Parts Unlimited, KTM, Deltran Battery Tender, MX vs ATV All Out, 100%, Husqvarna, Dunlop, Guaranteed Rate, KMC Wheels, VP Racing Fuels, Alpinestars, GoPro, Vertex Pistons, Acerbis, and Road 2 Recovery.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2021 AMA Supercross and Motocross numbers announced
The American Motorcyclist Association has announced the professional competition numbers for pro-licensed riders competing in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the 2021 season.
Each rider uses the assigned professional number for competition. In addition, the current champion runs the No. 1 plate, instead of an assigned professional number, when competing in the class or region in which the No. 1 plate was earned.
When competing in a class other than the class in which the championship was earned, the rider must use the professional number assigned.
2021 Top 100 and Career Pro Numbers for AMA Supercross and Motocross * Career Numbers
1 — 450SX Eli Tomac 1 — 450MX Zach Osborne 1 — 250MX Dylan Ferrandis 1W Dylan Ferrandis 1E Chase Sexton 2* Cooper Webb 3* Eli Tomac 4* Blake Baggett 6* Jeremy Martin 7* Aaron Plessinger 9* Adam Cianciarulo 10* Justin Brayton 11* Kyle Chisholm 12* Shane McElrath 14* Dylan Ferrandis 15* Dean Wilson 16* Zach Osborne 17* Joey Savatgy 18 Jett Lawrence 19* Justin Bogle 20* Broc Tickle 21* Jason Anderson 22* Chad Reed 23* Chase Sexton 24* RJ Hampshire 25* Marvin Musquin 26* Alex Martin 27* Malcolm Stewart 28 Brandon Hartranft 29 Christian Craig 30 Jo Shimoda 31 Cameron McAdoo 32* Justin Cooper 33 Derek Drake 34 Max Anstie 35 Mitchell Harrison 36 Martin Davalos 37 Benny Bloss 38 Austin Forkner 39 Carson Mumford 40 Vince Friese 41 Hunter Lawrence 42 Michael Mosiman 43 Fredrik Noren 44 Tyler Bowers 45 Pierce Brown 46* Justin Hill 47 Jalek Swoll 48 Garrett Marchbanks 49 Mitchell Oldenburg 50 Enzo Lopes 51* Justin Barcia 52 Luke Clout 53 Jake Masterpool 54 Nick Gaines 55 John Short 56 Kyle Peters 57 Justin Rodbell 58 Jacob Hayes 59 Jarrett Frye 60 Chris Blose 61 Joey Crown 62 Mason Gonzales 63 Martin Castelo 64 Colt Nichols 65 Carson Brown 66 Jordan Bailey 67 Stilez Robertson 68 Jace Owen 69 Robbie Wageman 70 Henry Miller 71 Killian Auberson 72 Coty Schock 73 Derek Kelley 74 Mitchell Falk 75 Ty Masterpool 76 Grant Harlan 77 Jerry Robin 78 Kyle Cunningham 79 Isaac Teasdale 80 Jordon Smith 81 Justin Starling 82 Lorenzo Locurcio 83 Alex Ray 84 Josh Hill 85 Kevin Moranz 86 Darian Sanayei 87 Curren Thurman 88 Logan Karnow 89 Ryan Breece 90 Dilan Schwartz 91 Nate Thrasher 92 Chase Marquier 93 Hardy Munoz 94* Ken Roczen 95 Joshua Osby 96 Michael Leib 97 Ben LaMay 98 Justin Hoeft 99 Hunter Sayles
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Ben Townley re-imagines motorsport with SX4
“I want fans to love our sport, I want our industry to grow, but most importantly I want our sport to be mainstream. SX4 will give us the platform to achieve this,” says motocross superstar Ben Townley as he launches
SX4 starting blocks
.
Inspired by Ben’s innovative knowledge of the sport, SX4 combines four riders, four laps, four corners and four obstacles into two-minutes of action-packed racing. The best of the best will compete under immense pressure and fans will witness more crashes and more high-octane action than in the traditional formats familiar to motocross fans.
“I am super stoked with how things are starting to come together for our first ever SX4 event. The industry have been super supportive of my ideas and I’m looking forward to seeing spectators share the love as we build towards 9 January,” said Ben Townley as he prepares the track for this weekend’s demonstration event.
Ben Townley
Over the last few years a site at the Taupo Motorcycle Club has been a labour of love for Townley who has played an integral part in the development. The new track will be tested at a demonstration event this coming Labour Weekend as part of MXFest. The first standalone SX4 event is set to be staged at Digger McEwan Motocross Park, Taupo on 9 January 2021.
Nick Rowland, SX4’s Fan Engagement Director has enjoyed jumping into a sport that is followed with such passion sharing, “Putting fans first is our goal as we create a thrilling new spectacle. Whether it be at the event, through the innovative broadcast elements or the sheer intensity of the racing, SX4 is set to change the game globally for motorsport for years to come.”
The inaugural event will see 12 of NZ’s top riders compete of 15 races in a two-hour window on 9 January 2021 at Digger McEwan Motorsport Park, Taupo. Individuals will compete for prize money. A Manufacturers Championship is also in development and will be another NZ first in the sport of motocross.
For more information and to buy tickets head to www.sx4.co.nz.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team welcome Ben Watson for 2021
Yamaha Motor Europe have announced that Ben Watson will take an exciting step up the Yamaha Racing pyramid and will join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team for the 2021 MXGP season. The 23-year-old from Nottinghamshire, England joined Yamaha and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team in 2018, where he celebrated his first podium finish and ranked fourth in the FIM MX2 World Championship in his first term on the YZ250F, the British rider has made great progress.
Ben Watson moves up to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team in 2021
Proving his potential, Watson bounced back from an injury struck 2019 season to add five more podium successes to his credit, including a first-ever Grand Prix win at this weekend’s MXGP of Lommel. Immediately after celebrating his victory on the podium, the young Brit was delighted to learn that he would be drafted in the Factory MXGP team, where he will campaign a YZ450FM in his rookie MXGP season.
Part of a strong strategy to develop the next generation of MXGP champions, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team will remain a three-rider line-up in 2021. Watson will join Jeremy Seewer as the Swiss rider enters his fourth year with Yamaha and third year as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory rider, while the rider who will fill the third and final slot in the team will be announced in the very near future.
Ben Watson – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP
“Firstly, I want to thank each and every member of staff in Kemea. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team gave me everything and more every day for three years. I am so grateful to join the Factory MXGP team and stay with my Yamaha Family. It means so much to me and I cannot wait for this new challenge. I have been lucky enough to work closely and get to know Louis Vosters, Vitaliy Tonkov and some of the other Wilvo team members and I know I will be welcomed with open arms. I truly believe the YZ450FM will be a great bike for my riding style and I am really motivated to show everyone what I can do in MXGP. I know the category is at such a high level, so I am fortunate to join a team with a lot of experience, success and motivation. I really want to learn and show progression, it’s what I work towards every year and with the experience of my teammates in MXGP, I know I will be able to gain a lot of knowledge and continue my development. I am so excited to get started now and jump on this amazing bike to prepare for the new season.”
Thibault Benistant joins Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team for 2021
Yamaha Motor Europe have announced that Thibault Benistant will join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team for the 2021 season. The recently crowned EMX250 Champion will race a YZ250FM in the FIM MX2 World Championship alongside Jago Geerts and Maxime Renaux.
Thibault Benistant
“I am really proud to move into the Yamaha Factory team. I have to thank Yamaha and Hans (Corvers) for making it happen, they have made it possible for me to enter my first year in MX2 with the best bike in the paddock. This is something I really look forward to and something I am really proud of.”
Thibault Benistant joins the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team in 2021
Working his way up the Yamaha Racing pyramid, Benistant has paved his way to the MX2 World Championship with titles in both EMX125 and EMX250. He won the EMX125 Championship in 2018 aboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 and was a contender for the EMX250 title the following year at his first attempt. During his rookie season, Benistant celebrated a podium finish at his home round in France and took his YZ250F to fifth overall.
Remaining on a GYTR kitted YZ250F in 2020, the 18-year-old from Avignon was drafted into the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team and moved to Holland in order to train close to the team’s base. Realising his obvious potential and proving that hard work pays dividends, Benistant celebrated eight EMX250 race wins, six round wins and seven podium finishes on his way to securing the 2020 EMX250 title.
As the freshly crowned European EMX250 Champion, Benistant will make his MX2 debut with the support of the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team in Lommel, Belgium on Sunday 25th October.
Alexandre Kowalski – Yamaha Motor Europe Off-Road Racing Manager
“Yamaha is really happy to have Thibault join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team. Thibault is a pure product of Yamaha’s program and has a lot of potential. He has been with Yamaha for many years, since 2010. He entered the EMX125 class with Yamaha and our Official team, MJC Yamaha Official EMX125, where they nurtured him and helped him develop the foundation of a true champion. We have to thank MJC for that, and then he moved into the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team where they also did an incredible job in improving his strength and race craft on a GYTR kitted YZ250F. Yesterday Thibault took another step up the Yamaha Racing pyramid and was crowned European Champion in the EMX250 class, and now he has been signed to the Factory team. For us, Thibault is a perfect example of how a rider can develop and progress within the Yamaha Family, and we look forward to celebrating even more championships with him.”
Hans Corvers – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team Owner
“I am really happy to sign an 18-year-old talent like Thibault. He is still really young and is an exciting rider. We have had some good experience with French kids in the past, so it’s nice to another one along with Maxime (Renaux). We’ve been following Thibault for many years, even before he was EMX125 Champion and now he is EMX250 Champion, it is our goal to try to make him an MX2 Champion.”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2021 Under-21 And Junior Speedway Date Changes
Gillman Speedway, South Australia, will kick off two nights of action with the Australian Speedway Under 21 Championship and the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held January 29 and 30, 2021, respectively.
Originally scheduled for January 16, The Australian Speedway Under 21 Championship now moves to January 29, giving speedway fans two sensational nights of back to back racing action at Gillman Speedway.
The Australian Under-21 Speedway Championship has been held since 1986, with Australian speedway stars Leigh Adams, Chris Holder and Max Fricke, jointly holding the record for most wins in the Australian Under-21 Championship with four wins each, and current Champion Jaimon Lidsey a three-time winner.
The FIM Oceania Speedway Championship brings the best of the best in the region to Gillman Speedway on January 30.
Due to COVID-19 the Australian Under 16s 125cc Solo and Teams Championship will be moved from the traditional January date and will now be held at Sidewinders, South Australia on September 25 and 26, 2021 to ensure all riders from each State are able to attend.
The Under 16s 125cc Solo and Teams Championship showcases our up and coming talent which usually delivers nail biting race action on track.
Dates for the Australian Under 16s 250cc Championship to be held at Gillman Speedway is yet to be confirmed due to current State border restrictions and further information will be provided as soon as possible.
All events are subject to State Government COVID-19 restrictions.
AFT SuperTwins title rivals Briar Bauman and Jared Mees opened the Main Event from first and second on the line. As they went elbow to elbow in an attempt to gain an early advantage over one another, their melee opened the door for Jarod Vanderkooi, Robinson and Robert Pearson to rush past.
AFT SuperTwins – Daytona I
Vanderkooi enjoyed a short-lived spell out front before giving way to Robinson, who then proved utterly dominant over the race’s final nine minutes despite racing with a broken right foot.
With Robinson long gone, Bauman and Mees frantically fought their way forward to collect as many points as possible ahead of the decisive Daytona II race.
Briar Bauman
Reigning champ Bauman ultimately proved more successful in those efforts. He dispatched Pearson for third with a hard pass with six laps remaining, and then spent the remainder of his race chasing down Vanderkooi. That relentless pursuit paid dividends with less than a minute remaining on the clock when he worked his way through to earn second place and the 20 points that came along with it.
Jarod Vanderkooi
Despite being passed by Bauman late, Vanderkooi equaled his best ever premier-class finish in third.
Mees shook free from Davis Fisher to reel in and sail past Pearson, moving into fourth position with four minutes remaining. However, Bauman and Vanderkooi were too far out in front, leaving him one spot off the box at the flag and with a considerably deeper hole to climb out of heading into Saturday’s rematch.
AFT SuperTwins – Daytona I Podium
With just one race to go, Bauman leads Mees 294-280. That means even if Mees wins his next race, Bauman needs only to finish eighth or better to repeat as AFT SuperTwins Champion.
AFT SuperTwins Result
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
Points
1
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
35 Laps
25
2
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+2.36
20
3
Jarod Vanderkooi
HD XG750R
+3.715
17
4
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+4.905
15
5
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+10.598
14
6
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+10.824
13
7
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+11.177
12
8
JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07
+12.207
11
9
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+12.477
10
10
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+17.186
9
AFT Singles – Daytona I
Chad Cose finally broke through in the season’s finale weekend to claim his first victory of 2020 in a hard-fought AFT Singles Main Event, a huge moment for his Wally Brown Racing effort, backed by factory Suzuki.
AFT Singles – Daytona I
Cose twice beat Max Whale for the holeshot in the once red-flagged and restarted Main and never once gave up the position. That doesn’t mean he had it easy, however; Cose was pushed throughout with Whale and Henry Wiles both showing him a wheel at different times, including a final-lap attempt to steal away the win on the part of Wiles.
Also in the mix throughout was already crowned 2020 AFT Singles champion Dallas Daniels. Daniels was fighting an uphill battle starting from Row 3 as a result of a crash in the Semi, but he still managed to join the battle for the win. He ultimately finished fourth, falling just 0.749 seconds short of extending his six-race win streak to seven.
Henry Wiles
Meanwhile, Daniels’ teammate, Mikey Rush was forced to start from the back of the pack due to an opening-lap incident that saw him go down while running third. Still, he somehow managed to slash his way up from last place to take an impressive fifth on the little bullring circuit.
As a result, Rush retains a slim mathematical shot at a second consecutive championship runner-up finish; he now trails second-ranked Whale by 25 points with the final race left to decide the final order.
AFT Singles Podium – Daytona I
AFT Singles Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
Points
1
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
22 Laps
25
2
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+0.27
20
3
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+0.491
17
4
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
+0.749
15
5
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+2.968
14
6
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+3.244
13
7
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+4.253
12
8
Jacob Lehmann
Honda CRF450R
+5.571
11
9
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+5.69
10
10
Jesse Janisch
Husqvarna FC450
+7.061
9
AFT Production Twins – Daytona I
An historic AFT Production Twins Main Event saw Johnny Lewis claim Royal Enfield’s first-ever AFT victory and season-long dominator James Rispoli crowned the class’ champion.
AFT Production Twins
Despite his underdog status on the upstart RE effort, DAYTONA Short Track genius Lewis controlled the evening in the AFT Production Twins. He escaped to an easy win in his Semi, qualified on pole and finished things off by going wire-to-wire in the Main Event.
Lewis fought back an early challenge from Ben Lowe, asserted at the front himself mid-race, and then successfully held off a desperate charge from Cory Texter in the race’s waning moments to secure the win.
Johnny Lewis
Rispoli, meanwhile, sat a safe-yet-close fourth behind Lewis, Texter, and Lowe for almost the entire race. Even if Texter had beaten Lewis to the checkered flag, all he needed was a seventh to end the title fight early. Fourth was more than enough.
With the final race still to go, Rispoli has racked up seven wins, four runner-ups, two fourths, and a fifth en route to the 2020 AFT Production Twins throne. This championship marks the first for Harley-Davidson since the introduction of the XG750R, a pivotal moment for one of the iconic manufacturers.
AFT Production Twins Podium – Daytona I
AFT Production Twins Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
Points
1
Johnny Lewis
Royal Enfield 650
21 Laps
25
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+0.247
20
3
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+0.956
17
4
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+1.21
15
5
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+1.838
14
6
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
+3.347
13
7
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+3.794
12
8
Shelby Miller
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.322
11
9
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+7.512
10
10
Jimmy McAllister
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+13.768
9
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
AFT SuperTwins – Daytona II
Even with an extended pandemic-imposed pause, the highly anticipated 2020 showdown between Bauman and multi-time series king Jared Mees proved more than worth the wait. The momentum swung back and forth on a nearly weekend-by-weekend basis, leaving both superstars still in control of their destiny heading into the weekend’s Daytona finale.
AFT SuperTwins – Daytona II
Bauman seized control of the title fight with a clutch runner-up finish on Friday, which seemingly made the final task before him relatively easy by his standards. All he needed to do at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night was score an eighth-place finish to cap off a title defense that saw him rack up six wins, four seconds, three thirds, and one seventh along the way.
However, the level of difficulty was ratcheted up significantly due to weather; rainy conditions forced multiple delays in the program, the Semis were cancelled, and the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Main was pushed to the front of the pack once conditions allowed to ensure the season’s premier-class champ was crowned before the night was out. The changes and unpredictability of the day could have easily thrown an admittedly stressed Bauman out of his rhythm.
Instead he responded like a champion. Starting on the front row with Mees as a result of their qualifying performance, Bauman got away in third and glued himself to the rear wheel of his championship rival.
Brandon Robinson
Meanwhile, Brandon Robinson proved invincible around the Short Track at Daytona for a second consecutive night. He assumed the lead on lap one and held the position through the checkered flag.
Mees did well to keep Robinson in his sights, clinging on in hopes of a win that would give him the best possible shot at the championship should Bauman make a critical mistake.
Jeffrey Carver Jr. ran in fourth deep into the contest, holding back a racy Sammy Halbert for a solid five minutes. Unable to find an opening, Halbert finally made one; he pushed up the inside of Carver to take over fourth, knocking his rival back to seventh in the process.
Halbert then reeled in the leaders, arriving within striking distance of Bauman and a potential podium finish just as the race entered its final two laps. Bauman saw what was happening and understood full well what could happen. Rather than risk getting similarly bumped down the order and out of the points lead, Bauman allowed Halbert by and then cruised to a title-clinching fourth-place finish.
Brandon Robinson
“This is amazing. Through the ups and downs we’ve had this season to come out of here with the DAYTONA double — there’s nothing better. This is insane. We’re going to be able to go into this offseason and get healthy and come out swinging in 2021. I’m ecstatic. Obviously, things went really, really well,” back-to-back champ Bauman said. “I was able to do what we came for and what we set out to do all season for Jess Garcia and the whole Garcia family — win the championship. Jess was with me every step of the way. It means a lot to me to be able to fulfill what I showed up to do. He was one of my best friends. It’s just an honor to win for him, Indian Motorcycle, Progressive Insurance, and everyone else behind the team.”
Brandon Robinson topped the AFT SuperTwins podium – Daytona II
AFT SuperTwins Result
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
Points
1
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
28 Laps
25
2
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+1.658
20
3
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+2.089
17
4
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+2.709
15
5
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+4.641
14
6
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+8.578
13
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+9.034
12
8
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+9.354
11
9
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+9.616
10
10
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+11.191
9
SuperTwins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
Wins
1
Briar Bauman
309
6
2
Jared Mees
300
5
3
Sammy Halbert
239
1
4
Brandon Robinson
209
2
5
Bronson Bauman
181
0
6
Brandon Price
175
0
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
174
1
8
Davis Fisher
143
0
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
139
0
10
Robert Pearson
130
0
11
Dan Bromley
128
0
12
Dalton Gauthier
114
0
13
Bryan Smith
104
0
14
JD Beach
93
0
15
Jake Johnson
81
0
16
Jay Maloney
54
0
17
Larry Pegram
53
0
18
Kolby Carlile
50
0
19
Andrew Luker
42
0
20
Ryan Varnes
16
0
21
Morgen Mischler
6
0
AFT Singles – Daytona II
Henry Wiles demonstrated once again why he’s widely considered one of the greatest Short Track riders in the history of the sport, holding off Australian Max Whale (No. 18 Coondoo Cattle Co./Australian Road Services Kawasaki KX450F) and Trent Lowe to win an abbreviated AFT Singles Main Event.
Henry Wiles and Max Whale
Shortened to just four minutes plus two laps due to the numerous weather delays, Wiles shot out to the lead from the start, and protected the groove from there. Whale sought any way past Wiles but simply could not find one. Lowe closed in as well, but the experienced ST master ahead of them refused to give way.
Henry Wiles
“I was stoked to get that start. I told myself I can’t not win now. It was my race to win. Max kept me honest, and I could see Trent was in the picture too. I put in smooth, consistent laps. I’d go just a touch easy on some laps, and then I’d pick it up a little bit on some other laps. I tried to ride the best that I could so I didn’t give Max a good shot at poking it up on me. I’m stoked my wife and daughter came out for this – it means a lot to me.”
Despite losing to Wiles on the night, Whale’s runner-up result was enough to beat him for second in their championship fight (215-208).
Max Whale
“2020 AFT Season done and dusted! Stoked to go back to back podiums for the last two rounds at Daytona. I had the speed to win and wanted to win so bad. With experienced guys like Henry Wiles and Chad Cose it made it super hard to pass. It’s a dream come true to be coming back to Oz with a second place in the national AFT series. This year hasn’t been easy, I didn’t realise how much Dad did for me and how much work went into prepping my bikes, driving, cooking, cleaning, washing and servicing RVs. I cannot thank so many Americans enough in the flat track family for what they have done for me while I’ve been here solo, I’ll start with my weekend warriors! @bjbcrewdad @mattguenther61 @bjbcrew and Big Keith, they have been amazing wrenching for me on race days, legends. My close friends and families have been amazing @briarbauman @shaynatexter @bronsonbauman37 @jamesrispoli @corytexter @jarodvanderkooi20 Stan, Holly @_ekiss Don, Iris, Keith and Jill, words cannot not describe what these people have done for me. Also a big shout out to all my sponsors: Don’s Kawasaki, SHOWA suspension, @sharkleathers, Australian Road Services, @araiamericas, @sscycle, Coondoo Cattle Co, @spectrooils, Tri-R Distributing, @truturfrollers, @sercomotorsport, @ride100percent, @answeracing, @protaper, J & M Logging, @lskd, @vpfuelsaus, @kawasakiconnection, @engineice, @unifilteraustralia, Garage 36, Marty Blake, @mikebutlerracing, @briarbauman, @shaynatexter, Methanol Moonshine Apparel, Logan coombe, Bob Moir, Des and Rayna Morris.”
Henry Wiles and Max Whale
Mikey Rush set the fastest lap of the race en route to fourth with Andrew Luker completing the top five just behind.
2020 AFT Singles champ Dallas Daniels was forced to start from Row 4 with no Semi to improve his starting position. He made up a couple positions to end his title-winning season with a run to ninth. Sandwiched between his opening round failure to qualify for the Main and his ninth-placed finale, Daniels packed in a remarkable eighth wins, nine podiums and twelve top fives.
Henry Wiles topped the singles podium from Max Whale and Trent Lowe
AFT Singles Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
Points
1
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
15 Laps
25
2
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+0.142
20
3
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+0.396
17
4
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+1.282
15
5
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+3.097
14
6
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+3.275
13
7
Jacob Lehmann
Honda CRF450R
+3.952
12
8
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+4.3
11
9
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
+4.845
10
10
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+5.355
9
AFT Singles Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
Wins
1
Dallas Daniels
283
8
2
Max Whale
215
1
3
Henry Wiles
208
2
4
Michael Rush
185
1
5
Trent Lowe
183
0
6
Morgen Mischler
178
0
7
Tanner Dean
160
0
8
Brandon Kitchen
154
1
9
Chad Cose
137
1
10
Michael Inderbitzin
124
0
11
Trevor Brunner
113
1
12
Shayna Texter
102
0
13
Cole Zabala
84
0
14
James Ott
79
0
15
Kevin Stollings
74
0
16
Andrew Luker
74
0
17
Cameron Smith
73
0
18
Aidan RoosEvans
61
0
19
Ryan Wells
58
0
20
Jacob Lehmann
56
0
21
Jesse Janisch
50
0
22
Dylan Bell
18
0
23
Wyatt Anderson
17
0
24
Tyler Raggio
14
0
25
Justin Jones
9
0
26
Blake Lomas
4
0
AFT Production Twins – Daytona II
2019 AFT Production Twins champion Cory Texter made the absolute most of his last chance to run the #1 plate before handing it over to the newly-crowned James Rispoli, logging a blowout victory in the final race of the 2020 Progressive American Flat Track season.
AFT Production Twins – Daytona II
Rispoli crashed and found himself trapped under his motorcycle after coming together with Friday-winner Johnny Lewis in the race’s opening corner. That incident brought out a red flag and moved Rispoli from Row 1 to the back of the field.
Texter ripped into the lead off the line at the restart and proceeded to assemble a massive advantage en route to his fourth triumph of a hard-fought yet ultimately unsuccessful title defense.
Cory Texter
“It feels amazing. I’ve wanted to win in DAYTONA my whole life. I was actually the first rider to ever ride this racetrack back in 2010. I helped test it out for them, but I’ve always sucked here. So this is awesome. I feel competitive everywhere right now. I wish the season could keep going or start over right now.”
Cory Texter
Lewis backed up Royal Enfield’s maiden Progressive AFT victory with its second-ever podium finish the very next night. Lewis was followed closely to the flag by third-place finisher Ben Lowe, while Ryan Varnes edged Patrick Buchanan as the two completed the top five.
Meanwhile, despite being faced with an extremely difficult track to overtake on and very little time in which to do it, Rispoli made his way up to finish his season with an impressive sixth-place finish. The result was actually the worst of an incredibly consistent campaign, which also included seven wins, four seconds, two fourths, and a fifth.
Cory Texter wins at Daytona II, from Johnny Lewis and Ben Lowe
AFT Production Twins Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
Points
1
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
15 Laps
25
2
Johnny Lewis
Royal Enfield 650
+3.13
20
3
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+3.556
17
4
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+4.306
15
5
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+4.974
14
6
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+5.36
13
7
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6.487
12
8
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
+7.359
11
9
Shelby Miller
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+15.104
10
10
Jimmy McAllister
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+17.243
9
11
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+14 Laps
8
AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
Wins
1
James Rispoli
313
7
2
Cory Texter
292
4
3
Ben Lowe
240
1
4
Ryan Varnes
214
2
5
Danny Eslick
197
0
6
Chad Cose
175
0
7
Jeremiah Duffy
161
0
8
Cody Johncox
133
0
9
Nick Armstrong
95
0
10
Patrick Buchanan
86
0
11
Johnny Lewis
75
1
12
Jimmy McAllister
73
0
13
Dylan Bell
60
0
14
Michael Inderbitzin
58
0
15
Brock Schwarzenbacher
52
0
16
Mitch Harvat
52
0
17
Garret Wilson
49
0
18
Hayden Gillim
45
0
19
Shelby Miller
32
0
20
Morgen Mischler
26
0
21
Scott Barrett
26
0
22
Jacob Lehmann
25
0
23
Ryan Wells
22
0
24
Jeremiah Alexander
22
0
25
Gary Ketchum
19
0
26
Kevin Stollings
9
0
27
Max Whale
9
0
28
Cameron Smith
6
0
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 MXGP of Flanders
The 2020 Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders saw epic action over the weekend, as the MXGP and MX2 riders took on the challenge of what is known as one of the toughest sand tracks in the world.
In MXGP Tim Gajser took to honours with a 2-1 result handing him the round win over Gautier Paulin, with Jorge Prado third overall. Antonio Cairoli was down in ninth meanwhile, allowing Gajser to extend his championship lead.
Gajser now sits on 488-points, to Cairoli’s 440, with Jorge Prado closes in on his fellow KTM teammate, with 429-points, the same number held by Jeremy Seewer. Aussie Mitch Evans falls to twelth in the standings with a broken wrist at the previous round requiring surgery during the week, with the rider absent as a result.
Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser
“Already from the beginning I was feeling really good on the bike and on the track as well. In the first race I got a really good start, I was second and I managed to catch the leader and pass him. I was able to make a little gap and go ahead but I made a mistake and I lost the front. I crashed, this is when Gautier passed me. In the second race the start was not so good but after the first corner I was able to go second and then pass Prado, make a little gap and go ahead with the win of the race so I’m super happy about today.”
MXGP Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
22
25
47
2
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
25
16
41
3
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
20
18
38
4
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
15
22
37
5
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
13
20
33
6
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
18
14
32
7
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
16
11
27
8
Van doninck, Brent
BEL
HUS
11
13
24
9
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
8
15
23
10
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
14
6
20
11
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
12
7
19
12
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
10
8
18
13
Bobryshev, Evgeny
RUS
HUS
7
9
16
14
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
0
12
12
15
Monticelli, Ivo
ITA
GAS
0
10
10
16
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
5
5
10
17
Guillod, Valentin
SUI
HON
6
3
9
18
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
9
0
9
19
Cervellin, Michele
ITA
YAM
4
4
8
20
Koch, Tom
GER
KTM
3
1
4
21
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
0
2
2
22
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
2
0
2
23
Rannikko, Rene
FIN
HUS
1
0
1
24
Toendel, Cornelius
NOR
HON
0
0
0
25
Kritikos, Manolis
GRE
KTM
0
0
0
26
Butron, Jose
ESP
KTM
0
0
0
27
Guryev, Artem
RUS
HON
0
0
0
28
Geens, Heikki
BEL
KTM
0
0
0
29
Webster, Kyle
AUS
HON
0
0
0
MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
488
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
440
3
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
429
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
429
5
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
383
6
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
375
7
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
352
8
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
312
9
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
10
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
11
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
248
12
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
228
13
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
174
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
164
15
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
163
16
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
134
17
Monticelli, I.
ITA
GAS
132
18
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
91
19
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
82
20
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
81
21
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
51
22
Bobryshev, E.
RUS
HUS
49
23
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
48
24
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
45
25
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
43
26
Guillod, V.
SUI
HON
38
27
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
36
28
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
31
29
Van doninck, B.
BEL
HUS
29
30
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
26
31
Butron, Jose
ESP
KTM
21
32
Rauchenecker, P.
AUT
KTM
19
33
Sabulis, K.
LAT
KTM
18
34
Lapucci, N.
ITA
KTM
15
35
Covington, T.
USA
YAM
15
36
Kullas, Harri
EST
HON
11
37
van Berkel, L.
NED
HUS
9
38
Bernardini, S.
ITA
YAM
9
39
Koch, Tom
GER
KTM
6
40
Valentin, A.
ESP
HUS
4
41
Pichon, Z.
FRA
HON
2
42
Guryev, Artem
RUS
HON
2
43
Gole, Anton
SWE
HON
2
44
Rannikko, Rene
FIN
HUS
1
MX2
In MX2 Tom Vialle had a solid day to finish 2-2 in the races with that consistency enough to claim his sixth overall win of the 2020 campaign. Vialle was only a single point ahead of Jago Geerts, who took one of the MX2 wins, while his teammate Ben Watson was third overall and was the other MX2 winner, in a strong result for Yamaha.
Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle
“It has been a really good day for me. In the first race I was riding good, but Ben was pushing on the back and then he passed me. I tried to push but I did a little mistake and I crashed just before the last lap, but I still finished good so at least it was a good race for me. In the second race I was feeling really good on the track better than the first one. I pushed Jago and at the end I finished second. Winning the overall here is something really special for me because three years ago I was riding the European championship here and I finished really at the back. I’m really happy about that. We work a lot with the team, Joel, my family and it’s really nice to win.”
Jed Beaton went 7-7, for seventh overall and 28-championship points, while fellow Australian Bailey Malkiewicz was 18th, finishing 15th in Race 2.
Jed Beaton
“Not the greatest day but we’re here for two more rounds so it’s a solid start to the week. My starts weren’t great in both races, which didn’t help but we’ll be better on Wednesday. It took me a while to get going in race one, by around 20 minutes into the race I found my flow and felt really good, but it was too late to move forwards. Race two I felt good from the start and rode a smart race. I know what to expect for the next two, so we’ll be ready for them and I look forward to Wednesday.”
Jet Beaton
Vialle now sits on 569-points to Geerts 516, with Maxime Renaux and Beaton both tied on 407-points. Malkiewicz sits 16th, on 98-points.
MX2 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
22
22
44
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
18
25
43
3
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
25
16
41
4
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
20
15
35
5
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
16
18
34
6
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
11
20
31
7
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
14
14
28
8
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
15
13
28
9
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
12
11
23
10
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
13
10
23
11
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
9
8
17
12
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
10
7
17
13
Renkens, Nathan
BEL
KTM
3
12
15
14
Forato, Alberto
ITA
HUS
4
9
13
15
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
5
5
10
16
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
8
0
8
17
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
7
0
7
18
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
0
6
6
19
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
6
0
6
20
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
HON
2
3
5
21
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
0
4
4
22
Dickinson, Ashton
GBR
KTM
0
2
2
23
Polak, Petr
CZE
YAM
0
1
1
24
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
1
0
1
MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
569
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
516
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
407
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
407
5
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
381
6
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
357
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
355
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
287
9
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
249
10
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
234
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
193
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
172
13
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
150
14
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
15
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
112
16
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
98
17
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
96
18
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
19
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
91
20
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
83
21
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
82
22
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
HON
77
23
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
24
Renkens, N.
BEL
KTM
69
25
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
67
26
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
27
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
28
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
56
29
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
35
30
Roosiorg, H.
EST
KTM
33
31
Sandner, M.
AUT
GAS
26
32
Harrison, M.
USA
KAW
22
33
Cenerelli, G.
ITA
HUS
21
34
Toriani, Enzo
FRA
HUS
21
35
Polak, Petr
CZE
YAM
16
36
Dickinson, A.
GBR
KTM
13
37
Todd, Wilson
AUS
KAW
8
38
Nermann, J.
EST
HUS
8
39
Teresak, Jakub
CZE
KTM
8
40
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
6
41
Zonta, Filippo
ITA
KTM
6
42
Edelbacher, R.
AUT
HUS
5
43
Furbetta, J.
ITA
KTM
3
44
Spies, M.
GER
HUS
2
45
Haavisto, Jere
FIN
YAM
2
EMX250
As the gate dropped for the opening race of the day, all eyes were on the championship rivals Thibault Benistant and Mattia Guadagnini of Husqvarna Maddii Racing Junior, as Benistant grabbed the holeshot and led Marcel Conijn, Jorgen-Matthias Talviku and Gianluca Facchetti of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing.
EMX250 Start
Though Facchetti didn’t hold on to the position, as he crashed out and re-joined the race way down the order and eventually did not finish the opening heat.
Kay De Wolf of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing had a good jump out of the gate, but a couple of corners later dropped it and as a result was way down the order in the beginning of the race.
Benistant, Conijn and Talviku led the opening laps, as Guadagnini fought his way up to fifth and set his sights on Tim Edberg who was just ahead. A few laps later and Edberg crashed out of fourth, which allowed Guadagnini and Hakon Fredriksen of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing through.
Talviku then took second from Conijn, with Guadagnini doing the same not too long after, to move into the top three. Benistant then led the race by 6.560 seconds.
Knowing how vital every point is at this stage in the championship, Guadagnini continued to push forward as he squeezed past Talviku to take second.
Benistant then responded by setting the fastest lap of the race, a 2:06.072 as he extended his lead to 10.625 seconds. Though Guadagnini wasn’t going to give in easy, as he set his personal best lap of the race towards the end, taking three seconds out of the race leader.
The Italian then worked away at the gap, to shrink it even further, but with just 2 laps to go, made a mistake which was the deciding moment of the race. Eventually, Benistant went on to win the opening race, with Guadagnini finishing second and Fredriksen third.
EMX250 Race 1 Result
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Diff. First
1
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
Yamaha
00:00.0
2
Guadagnini, Mattia
ITA
Husqvarna
+00:11.7
3
Fredriksen, Hakon
NOR
Yamaha
+00:20.4
4
Talviku, Jorgen-Matthias
EST
Husqvarna
+00:29.4
5
de Wolf, Kay
NED
Husqvarna
+00:53.8
6
Boegh Damm, Bastian
DEN
KTM
+00:55.8
7
Conijn, Marcel
NED
KTM
+00:56.7
8
Elzinga, Rick
NED
KTM
+01:18.9
9
Gerhardsson, Albin
SWE
Husqvarna
+01:20.5
10
Goupillon, Pierre
FRA
Kawasaki
+01:26.7
In the second EMX250 race it was Guadagnini who grabbed the holeshot from Talviku and Benistant. He didn’t hold on to the lead for long, as a small mistake cost him valuable positions and saw him drop down to 6th.
Thibault Benistant
Talviku then led the race, with Benistant and Oriol Oliver second and third. Guadagnini though was making quick moves as he passed two riders in a single lap to get into 4th.
On lap 3, Benistant then took the lead from Talviku, with Guadagnini looking to do the same as he set the fastest lap of the race, to bring the gap down to 4 seconds between himself and the pair in front of him. Meanwhile De Wolf was edging closer to Oliver for fourth place.
Guadagnini then caught and passed Talviku, with the Estonian then losing two spots to De Wolf and Oliver. Back at the front though, Benistant had an impressive 14.617 second lead as 9 minutes plus 2 laps remained.
Guadagnini and De Wolf then battled amongst themselves, with the pair coming together at one point, with the factory Husqvarna rider going through on the Italian to steal 2nd place. And he didn’t hold on to it for long, as he crashed a couple of corners after the finish jump, which allowed Guadagnini back into P2.
With 3 laps to go, Benistant was already 32 seconds ahead, so the battle heated up behind him as De Wolf caught onto the rear wheel of Guadagnini once again. In the end, it was Benistant who was victorious, with Guadagnini holding on to second and De Wolf finishing third.
In terms of the podium, Benistant had the perfect day, taking two race wins as well as the overall victory, along with the red plate as he continues to lead the championship by 24 points over Guadagnini, who was second overall and Fredriksen getting his turn on the podium once again, as he took to the third step of the podium.
Thibault Benistant
“I’m really happy to win both races, it was my goal for today. I don’t think of the championship or winning, I took it race by race and give my best every time. I’m really happy to be back on top of the box. I feel really good for the last round, I have the speed and feeling, and everything is here so we will do the same.”
Mattia Guadagnini
“It was not so good. I had good speed but the first race I had a bad start and made my way to the front, then I was closing down the gap and I made a mistake, so I took second. In the second race, I had a great start and took the holeshot and then made a little mistake and tried to start as soon as possible and made my way to second position again and I was a little bit faster. Then I had a little problem with the goggles, and I had another crash. I tried my best and finished with two place races, but it was not what I was hoping for today.”
Mattia Guadagnini
Hakon Fredriksen
“The day started pretty good. I had a decent start in the first race, I was like top ten and then worked my way to third and finished there. Then in the second race I got a bad start and crashed on the first lap, so I was dead last and then worked my way up to fourth place and I’m happy with that, just going to charge for the next one and hope for a win.”
EMX250 Race 2 Result
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Diff. First
1
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
Yamaha
00:00.0
2
Guadagnini, Mattia
ITA
Husqvarna
+00:30.0
3
de Wolf, Kay
NED
Husqvarna
+00:30.5
4
Fredriksen, Hakon
NOR
Yamaha
+00:45.4
5
Talviku, Jorgen-Matthias
EST
Husqvarna
+00:46.8
6
Conijn, Marcel
NED
KTM
+00:55.9
7
Oliver, Oriol
ESP
KTM
+00:57.1
8
Weckman, Emil
FIN
Honda
+01:00.3
9
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
+01:06.7
10
Edberg, Tim
SWE
Yamaha
+01:08.1
EMX250 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Benistant, T.
FRA
YAM
376
2
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
352
3
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
272
4
Fredriksen, H.
NOR
YAM
253
5
Talviku, J.
EST
HUS
235
6
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
212
7
Locurcio, L.
VEN
KAW
193
8
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
173
9
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
137
10
Facchetti, G.
ITA
YAM
134
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
EMX125
The opening race of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing category saw Haakon Osterhagen of Creymert Racing who grab the holeshot, as he led RFME GasGas MX Junior Team’s David Braceras and Radek Vetrovsky from JD Gunnex KTM Racing Team.
David Braceras
It didn’t take long for Braceras to take the lead, as he passed Osterhagen on the opening lap. Meanwhile the championship leader, Andrea Bonacorsi of Fantic Racing was down in 20th.
Vetrovsky then had a big moment as he crashed out of third place. He did not re-join the race. Osterhagen then also crashed out, as he dropped from P2 to P10.
Braceras then held a nice 4 second gap to Florian Miot of KTM DIGA Junior Racing, with Rasmus Pedersen of W-Z Racing just behind in third at the time. Miot then started to close in on the race leader, as he brought the gap down to 1.5 seconds.
The pair needed to be careful as W-Z Racing’s Max Palsson made his way up into third and was all over the back of the two, which meant that there was no room for error. And Palsson continued to apply the pressure for a few laps until he managed to squeeze past Miot for P2.
The battle for second gave Braceras a big more breathing room as he was able to get his head down and focus. Towards the end of the race he had a 6.711 second lead to Miot, who was able to pass Palsson back and that’s how the top 3 remained until the chequered flag dropped.
EMX125 Race 1 Result
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Diff. First
1
Braceras, David
ESP
GASGAS
00:00.0
2
Miot, Florian
FRA
KTM
+00:05.6
3
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
+00:07.4
4
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
+00:07.9
5
Farres, Guillem
ESP
GASGAS
+00:13.9
6
Osterhagen, Haakon
NOR
KTM
+00:14.7
7
Bonacorsi, Andrea
ITA
Fantic
+00:15.5
8
Venhoda, Martin
CZE
KTM
+00:21.7
9
Smulders, Scott
NED
Husqvarna
+00:22.2
10
Karssemakers, Kay
NED
Yamaha
+00:35.6
The start of the second race was a repeat of the first one as Osterhagen claimed another holeshot. He led Scott Smulders of No Fear/Jumbo BT Racing Team, Farres and Cas Valk of TBS Conversions Racing Team who got a fantastic start.
Guillem Farres
Osterhagen immediately pulled a 4.7 second lead to the group, while race one winner, Braceras, was down in 6th on the opening lap. Bonacorsi got a much better start in the second heat as he was already up in 3rd place within the first few laps, as he passed Smulders and Valk.
Farres then took the lead from Osterhagen, as he set his best lap of the race, a 2:11.321, as Osterhagen made a small mistake but managed to keep it on two wheels. Bonacorsi though needed to work on the large gap between him and the top 2.
Further down the order, Braceras was coming under pressure from Palsson for P4, as Farres extended his lead to 9.539 seconds with 10 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock.
And Palsson was charging, as he passed Braceras, though the Spaniard responded immediately. The two then went at it for a little while longer, before Palsson was able to make the pass stick.
Miot then went after Braceras, though the GasGas rider was able to get back around the Frenchman a few laps later towards the end of the race. Meanwhile, Palsson continued his journey forward as he passed Bonacorsi for third place, which also got him on the podium.
In the end though it was Farres who took his first race win of the year, while Osterhagen crossed the line in second and Palsson finishing third.
The EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing saw Guillem Farres take his first overall win, while his teammate David Braceras finished second and Max Palsson third. In terms of the championship, Andrea Bonacorsi continues to lead the series with a steady 44-point advantage over Braceras, while Meico Vettik is a further 12 points down in third.
EMX125 Podium – 2020 MXGP of Flanders
Guillem Farres
“Right now I still can’t believe it, but we did it, in first race I struggled a little bit because I didn’t get the start that I wanted and after I fought with Hakon. In the second race I was able to take a better start and I was second, I managed to pass Hakon, I went for the first position and I was first for all the whole race. I’m really happy about that. I’m feeling that I’m being more and more consistent race by race and also more confident is strange that Spanish guys are together on the podium here in Lommel.”
David Braceras
“I’m really happy. In the first race I was able to win. I took a good start and after I took the lead and I went until the end. In the second race I didn’t start really good because I was ninth or something like that then I pushed really hard in the first laps to re-group and be back in the first group and I was able to go fourth. After that I had a little bit of arm pump and I got passed by two riders and I was sixth. At the end I managed to be fifth and take the second place in the overall. I’m really happy for me, for the boys and for the team because we worked really hard to be on the top and now is the time.”
Max Palsson
“First race I did not get a good start and I was far away from the front and in addition I did also one mistake and I crashed. In the second race I messed up in the first corner and I had to re-group again, in the last lap I was able to pass David and get the 3rd place in the overall.”
Andrea Bonacorsi
“Yeah today it was a hard day for me but I still think about the championship and now I’m forty-four points in front so in the next races I want to be super focused and I want to win and be back on the podium. Now I’m ready for the next round.”
EMX125 Race 2 Result
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Diff. First
1
Farres, Guillem
ESP
GASGAS
00:00.0
2
Osterhagen, Haakon
NOR
KTM
+00:08.2
3
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
+00:14.6
4
Bonacorsi, Andrea
ITA
Fantic
+00:19.9
5
Braceras, David
ESP
GASGAS
+00:32.8
6
Miot, Florian
FRA
KTM
+00:34.4
7
Valk, Cas
NED
KTM
+00:36.7
8
Prugnieres, Quentin Marc
FRA
KTM
+00:43.4
9
Karssemakers, Kay
NED
Yamaha
+00:51.9
10
Rainio, Sampo
FIN
Husqvarna
+00:52.8
EMX125 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Bonacorsi, A.
ITA
FAN
262
2
Braceras, D.
ESP
GAS
218
3
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
206
4
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
188
5
Razzini, P.
ITA
HUS
186
6
Farres, G.
ESP
GAS
173
7
Roncoli, A.
ITA
HUS
164
8
Lata, Valerio
ITA
KTM
147
9
Prugnieres, Q.
FRA
KTM
141
10
Soulimani, S.
FRA
KTM
126
Russia win 2020 Speedway of Nations
Day 1 of the 2020 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final was cancelled due to heavy rain throughout the afternoon, the track has been deemed unsafe for racing for Friday, and as a result the Monster Energy SON world title was decided in a one-off meeting on Saturday, October 17.
Russian racer Emil Sayfutdinov showed his steel to seal his country’s third straight Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations world title in Lublin on Saturday night. The Salavat-born star skippered Russia to glory in 2018 and 2019, and the world champions retained their title in a rain-curtailed Final in Lublin.
Racing was halted after 15 heats due to track conditions, but the scores were counted at the conclusion of race 14, when all seven countries had contested four heats apiece.
While Russia tied on 23 with hosts Poland, the defending champions got the gold medals after winning their head-to-head battle in heat eight, when Artem Laguta rounded Polish star Szymon Wozniak to seal a Russian 5-4 advantage.
That ride wasn’t the only decisive moment, as Sayfutdinov roared to the front in heat 13 to restrict Australia to a 5-4 race win. The Leszno star breathed in and squeezed through a seemingly impossible gap between Aussie captain Jason Doyle and the fast-approaching fence to take the lead.
It was a golden moment for Sayfutdinov, who scored 15 points, but he admits he didn’t have the best view of the action.
Emil Sayfutdinov
“I couldn’t see where I was going coming into the corner. The rain was coming into my goggles. There was a lot of material on the outside, but I got speed there and I just saw Doyle going straight to the fence. I found a little room and I passed him. I am really happy to have done it, stayed safe and got some good points.”
Emil Sayfutdinov, Artem Laguta and Evgenii Saidullin win 2020 Speedway of Nations
Russia hadn’t won a senior speedway world title – individual or team – prior to their 2018 Monster Energy SON win in Wroclaw. Now they are triple world champions and Sayfutdinov is elated to have written more racing history for his country.
Emil Sayfutdinov
“I know we didn’t continue with the whole meeting. But we are world champions, so we are really happy. That’s three times in a row! At the beginning of the meeting, track conditions were bad. But when they said ‘we need to go’, we were ready. We were focused on our points and concentrating on our starts. Everything was working and we are really happy to be world champions again. I hope speedway in Russia will grow up so quickly and we hope our federation and fans will support us, along with all the companies we have in Russia. Hopefully somebody can see us. We deserve that support and for us it is important.”
The Russians won their second world title in front of a passionate home crowd in Togliatti in 2019, but Sayfutdinov has made no secret of his desire for his national side to receive greater backing in their homeland. He hopes another Monster Energy SON win will boost the sport’s profile even further in Russia.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik starred on 15 points from a possible 16 for Poland as they fell agonisingly short of their first Monster Energy SON win.
They were forced to settle for silver for the second straight season in what was legendary coach Marek Cieslak’s last event as national boss following a career that saw him clinch seven FIM Speedway World Cup wins.
Denmark took third place on 19 points for their first world championship medal since they won SWC silver in 2015. They tied with Sweden, but claimed the last spot on the podium after winning their head-to-head battle in race 10.
Australia took fifth spot on 17, with Great Britain sixth on 12 and the Czech Republic seventh on 11.
2020 Monster Energy Speedway of Nations Final Result
RUSSIA 23: 1 Emil Sayfutdinov 15, 2 Artem Laguta 8, 3 Evgenii Saidullin DNR.
DENMARK 19: 1 Leon Madsen 10, 2 Anders Thomsen 4, 3 Marcus Birkemose 5.
SWEDEN 19: 1 Fredrik Lindgren 14, 2 Oliver Berntzon 5, 3 Alexander Woentin DNR.
AUSTRALIA 17: 1 Jason Doyle 5, 2 Max Fricke 12, 3 Jaimon Lidsey 0.
GREAT BRITAIN 12: 1 Robert Lambert 6, 2 Drew Kemp DNR, 3 Dan Bewley 6.
CZECH REPUBLIC 11: 1 Vaclav Milik 11, 2 Eduard Krcmar 0, 3 Petr Chlupac 0.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Full Gas Sprint Enduro – Silver Hawk Plantation Round 6
Kailub Russell claimed the 2020 Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro title with a close victory at this weekend’s Silver Hawk Plantation Sprint Enduro, the series finale, held at the Silver Hawk Plantation in Buffalo, South Carolina. The title was Russell’s third Full Gas Sprint Enduro championship and second in a row.
Layne Michael gave Russell a good battle, and in fact, led the race by two seconds with two tests remaining. However, as he often does, Russell dug deep and made up the distance to take the overall win.
Kailub Russell
“It was good to get the overall win, but it was kind of strange how it worked out. I won one test on Saturday and I won the day, and then I won all but one today and almost lost. It was a tough weekend. I was a little unsure how Saturday was going to go because I was a little bit off and you don’t have to be off by much to be pretty slow here. But I rode better on Sunday, and that was enough.”
Kailub Russell – Image courtesy of sprintenduro.com
In all, Russell won six tests, one on Saturday and five on Sunday. However, two crashes in test four on Sunday cost him dearly as the North Carolina rider finished the test 12 seconds behind Michael, moving him into the lead.
Trailing Michael with two tests remaining, Russell made up 1.2 seconds in the Cross test and entered the final test just .8 seconds behind. The final test would be the decider and Russell finished strong, winning the final test by 3.3 seconds and taking the overall victory by 2.4 seconds.
Kailub Russell
“I came out swinging today and rode good. I had awesome times the first three tests and then test four I kind of threw it away and had a couple falls. My front brake lever fell down and I couldn’t get it back up. It was so far down I was having a hard time getting to it, so my timing was a little bit off. But I was able to pull it together and win the last couple tests. So five out of six on the day.”
Although Michael won five tests over the weekend, the race marked the second round in a row where he was in position to take the overall win, only to lose out in the final test.
Layne Michael
“It’s frustrating because he got me at the last one in the last test and got me on this one in the last test. But it was a good weekend, nonetheless. I fought hard. I was there all weekend and pretty consistent. One little mistake kind of cost me, but like I said, he had a big one that kind of put me back in it. All in all, a good weekend. Any time you’re batting with Kailub it’s good.”
Josh Strang won a Cross test and was rewarded with third overall. The Aussie off-roader only returned to racing the week before after missing several weeks due to a shoulder injury.
Josh Strang – Image courtesy of sprintenduro.com
Josh Strang
“I was a little off the pace. I almost didn’t come this weekend just because of my shoulder. I still have a little bit of pain. To do these things, you have to go at 100% to be competitive, and I just wasn’t comfortable going as hard as I would have liked. There were some sections where I noticed I was just kind of riding around instead of attacking the track. But overall, it was a good day.”
Strang’s teammate Lyndon Snodgrass has improved with each race and finished an impressive fourth overall, which was also good enough for first in the Pro 2 division.
Lyndon Snodgrass
“I haven’t done a Full Gas in a while so it was good to get back to one. I had a good run. I think I won every test but the first one on Saturday in my class. So it was a good run for me. I was mixing it up with the pro guys a little bit in some of the tests, so that was cool. I think they did a good job this weekend and I was happy to be here.”
Lyndon Snodgrass – Image courtesy of sprintenduro.com
Liam Draper was fourth in the Pro class and fifth overall.
Liam Draper
“On Saturday I started off kind of slow, but I figured out the Cross test a lot better this weekend than I have in previous rounds. It was close racing all weekend with me, Jordan Ashburn and Josh. Then Jordan had some problems. So, it was good. It was a good year. I had fun racing these.”
Jesse Ansley turned in his best finish of the year with a sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class. The Florida rider has made big strides this year and his finish at the series finale was a good way to cap off the season.
Jesse Ansley
“I feel like I was really tight on Day One, I wasn’t on the bike all week and I think it showed on Saturday. I felt like I really shined in the woods test and I was sitting fifth overall going into the last Enduro test and then I just made a dumb mistake, which dropped me back to seventh overall for the day. I don’t know what I was thinking, I just went for a line that wasn’t there and ended up getting stuck between two trees and it must have cost me about 10 seconds. I gave up a little time on Saturday in the Cross test, so on Sunday, I just concentrated on that test and was able to pick up some time, which put me up into sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class.”
Pennsylvanian Ben Nelko has been solid all year and finished seventh overall and third in the Pro 2 class this weekend. Nelko is backed by 760 Husqvarna.
Cole Mattison was the top-finishing Pro Am rider in eighth overall on a Husqvarna, and secured the Pro Am class championship with his class win. Ohio’s JoJo Cunningham topped the Lites A division with a solid ninth overall finish and also won the Lites A class series championship.
Dalton Seals was 10th overall on a Yamaha and second Pro Am rider, Brewer Cawley rounded out the Pro Am podium.
Johnny Girroir, who wrapped up the Pro 2 championship at the round before, skipped the race due to a sore knee. Meanwhile, Jordan Ashburn was turning in some solid rides in the Pro class, but suffered an unfortunate DNF on Sunday.
Rachel Archer won every test in the Women’s Pro class to take the overall win ahead of Samantha Fisher and Alli Phillips.
Rachel Archer
“Tayla (Jones) and Kenzie (Tricker) were out with knee injuries, so I didn’t have those two to contend with. All in all, it was a good weekend and I managed to win every test. I made a couple of silly mistakes today, just my suspension was a bit soft. In the last test I wadded my shoulder pretty good, so that’s a bit sore. But other than that, it was a fun track, a good day.”
Rachel Archer – Image courtesy of sprintenduro.com
Round 6 Overall Results
Pos.
Rider
Class
Time
1
Kailub Russell
Pro (1)
37:15.8
2
Layne Michael
Pro (2)
37:18.2
3
Joshua Strang
Pro (3)
38:15.5
4
Lyndon Snodgrass
Pro 2 (1)
38:27.1
5
Liam Draper
Pro (4)
39:03.0
6
Jesse Ansley
Pro 2 (2)
40:06.0
7
Ben Nelko
Pro 2 (3)
41:48.2
8
Cole Mattison
Pro-Am (1)
42:23.9
9
Joseph Cunningham
Lites A (1)
43:10.6
10
Dalton Seals
Pro-Am (2)
44:10.7
11
Brewer Cawley
Pro-Am (3)
44:14.6
12
Andrew Matusek
Open A (1)
44:24.2
13
RJ Cook
Pro 2 (4)
44:36.8
14
Michael Delosa
Pro-Am (4)
44:40.2
15
Zachary Nash
Pro-Am (5)
44:46.8
16
Tyler Palmer
Lites A (2)
46:18.8
17
Joshua Guffey
Lites A (3)
46:30.0
18
Henry Symanski
Pro-Am (6)
46:46.4
19
Garyson Smith
Open B (1)
47:03.8
20
Billy Schlag
Pro-Am (7)
47:20.0
21
Dylan Dela Cruz
Pro-Am (8)
47:35.5
22
Hans Neel
Open A (2)
47:37.1
23
Grady Faint
Lites A (4)
47:39.6
24
Robby Norwood
Vet A 30+ (1)
47:48.8
25
Canon Kuneff
Lites A (5)
47:58.9
26
Sam Forrester
Pro-Am (9)
48:00.9
27
Cade Henderson
Juniors A/B 12-17 (1)
48:06.0
28
Bolton Beroth
Lites A (6)
48:42.4
29
Andrew Tsakanikas
Vet A 30+ (2)
49:18.7
30
Rachael Archer
Women’s Pro (1)
49:36.5
Pro Overall Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Kailub Russell
315
2
Layne Michael
254
3
Joshua Strang
191
4
Liam Draper
191
5
Jordan Ashburn
187
6
Steward Baylor
53
7
Ricky Russell
46
8
Tyler McSwain
44
9
Craig Delong
31
11
Cory Buttrick
30
10
Benjamin Herrera
30
Pro 2 Overall Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Johnny Girroir
265
2
Jesse Ansley
242
3
Ben Nelko
223
4
RJ Cook
181
5
lyndon snodgrass
149
6
Michael McLean
105
7
Ruy Barbosa
75
8
Samuel Evans
41
9
Ben Parsons
32
10
Will Riordan
32
2021 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship postponed
Motorcycling Australia, in conjunction with the MA Track Commission and key stakeholders have advised of the difficult decision to postpone the 2021 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship which was schedule for January 3rd – 13th 2021, issuing the following statement:
Whilst we are disappointed that the 2021 Australian Championship has had to be postponed, we believe it is in the best interest of the sport. With so much uncertainty around the national and international borders, and with a lot of our riders currently overseas we had to make a decision as early as possible.
Motorcycling Australia (MA) and the Track Commission are now concentrating on delivering a strong and successful condensed 2021 Championship in the latter part of 2021 pending Government restrictions around Covid-19. MA sincerely thank all stakeholders, clubs, and riders for their support and understanding.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Yamaha rake in the State championship titles
The past two weeks and have again proven successful for Yamaha Racing in Australia with multi race and championship wins across two states, as the 2020 continues to unfold.
QLD Women’s and Vets
The central Queensland mining town of Gladstone hosted the 2020 Queensland Women’s and Vets Championship over the weekend and the warm, humid conditions made for a challenging event for the large contingent of riders on hand.
In the junior girls, it was all eyes on Charli Cannon as she was clearly the one to beat having recently finished third racing the boys at the state championship in Hervey Bay. But a hand injury slowed her progress and she had done no riding for a month leading up to the event so there were some questions marks about her fitness in the days prior.
But it mattered little, as she went on to dominate the day and claim the win in the 13-U16 years 85cc and the 13-U16 years Lites class, taking all six race wins. Cannon had not been on an 85 all year, but a last minute call to jump on her brother Jakes’s practice bike, paid dividends and she was able to walk away with the win and add more championships to her already impressive resume.
Charli Cannon
“My lead up to this race wasn’t good as I fell a while ago and the handlebar drove into my hand and caused some internal damage. I wasn’t able to ride but I tried to keep up my off bike training as much as I could and I was able to get through the weekend with no problems. It was fun to get back on the 85 again, although I’m too big for it now. It kept me on the track and Dad busy in the pits all weekend and winning made it worth the effort. Thank you to Mum and Dad for their help again and also to Yamaha as well as the rest of my sponsors. We had a fun weekend in Gladstone and winning the state championship was another goal I wanted to achieve this year.”
Charli Cannon
In the Senior Women’s, it was Taylah McCutchen taking the win and like Cannon, dominated her division with three race wins from three starts. McCutchen, not only just turned senior after her 16th birthday but also just swapped over to Yamaha, is loving her YZ250F and it clearly showed on the weekend.
The win at Gladstone comes on the back of her first senior appearance at couple of weeks ago at the King of Capricorn event where she won the MX2 Support class against a field full of men.
Taylah McCutchen
“I put in a lot of effort over the last few weeks to prepare for this race so it’s awesome that it paid off and I was able to win the Queensland championship. The change to Yamaha has been good for me and I feel really comfortable on the YZ250F and its an awesome bike to ride. Thank you to the club and the organisers for running the event, my family who support me 100% as well as the Yamalube Yamaha Team who assisted me with some parts in the lead up to this race.”
Yamaha also won the 55 and Over Vets with YZ450F mounted Mal Dalton taking out the state championship with three race wins.
Queensland Women & Vets Results
12-U16 years 85cc
Charli Cannon – 105 (Yamaha YZ85)
Darci Whalley – 94
Madi Simpson – 92
12-U16 years Lites
Charli Cannon – 105 (Yamaha YZ250F)
Darci Whaley – 96
Holly Van der Boor – 88
Senior Women
Taylah McCutchen – 105 (Yamaha YZ250F)
Tahlia Drew – 96
Alysha Goullet – 84
Men’s 55 and Over Vets
Mal Dalton – 105 (Yamaha YZ450F)
Bruce Lowth – 96
Anthony Clarke – 88
Coffs Harbour Transmoto
An all Yamaha team of Josh Green, Michael Driscoll, Blake Hollis and Dean Wattus took the overall teams’ victory at the Transmoto 8 hour event in Coffs Harbour. The recent dry spell left the course a little dusty, but the fast and free flowing layout kept riders happy and the Off Road Advantage Team dominated the day. Mounted on a range of Yamaha machinery, the awesome foursome enjoyed the weekend and the laid back nature of the event.
Josh Green
In addition to the team winning, Josh Green won individual honours as well as taking fastest lap on the day.
Yamaha Junior Racing
The Hutton brothers made it a 1-2 finish at the recent Queensland Off Road Championships. Competing in the 7-11 years 65, Harley Hutton took the final round victory and in turn secured the state championship while younger brother Drake slotted in behind him for second.
Harley Hutton
Sons of enduro royalty, Kirk Hutton, both boys are on their way to emulating Dad’s career and the YZ65 has been the perfect bike to kick kickstart their careers. They are now about 20 state championships behind Dad, but they have plenty of time and talent on their side.
Speaking of brothers, Ryder and Kayd Kingsford were back in action at the Nowra round of the East Coast Motocross Series in New South Wales. Ryder proved ultra-fast on his YZ250F, winning the opening two motos but a flat rear tyre in the final leg kept him from the podium while he battled hard in the 125cc division to finish fourth with 4-3-3 results.
Kayd had just returned from a broken wrist and not yet back up to full speed and fitness. He took 4-8-6 results in the 12-15 years 85cc class to finish fifth on the day but will be better for the hit-out and looking to get back on the podium at the next event.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Yamaha Announces 2021 Supercross and Motocross Teams
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), has announced a three-year partnership with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team to field their campaign in both the 450 and 250 classes of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships. The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 team will be spearheaded by Aaron Plessinger and newly-crowned 2020 250SX and 250MX champion Dylan Ferrandis, while the 250 team has signed two-time 250 MX Champion Jeremy Martin and Christian Craig to join returning riders Colt Nichols, Justin Cooper and Jarrett Frye.
A long-time partner in the 250 support class and amateur ranks, the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team has had a history of success with 11 titles in the professional championships and multiple Amateur National titles. The team will now add the 450 premier class to its tent to provide a consistent program for riders advancing through the SX/MX racing ranks. Together, Star and Yamaha will continue to work towards the goal of winning championships. Along with key sponsorship from Monster Energy, the team will receive full support from Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA.
Aaron Plessinger – Image by Hoppenworld
Plessinger returns with Yamaha for his third season in the 450 class. Two of the titles added to Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s tally were earned by Plessinger in 2018 – the 250SX West and 250MX Championship. The Ohio native has shown promise in his first two years in the premier class, but unfortunately has had injuries that have sidelined him for a good part of both championships in 2019 and the 2020 Pro Motocross season. As Plessinger returns to the team, he looks to build on his progress and come out swinging in 2021.
Aaron Plessinger – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team
“I’m really excited for next season with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing. I really had a good run with the team in 2018 with the 250 Supercross and Motocross title. I love the team over there. I love the people on the team. I think we work really well together. The last two years haven’t been too good for me with some injuries and bad luck. I’m looking forward to getting back to my winning ways and having a good time doing it. Going into 2021, I couldn’t be more confident. With this team going in behind me I think we can do extraordinary things next year.“
Making his 450-debut next year, Ferrandis looks to keep his momentum rolling with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team as he transitions to the premier class. After a great 2019 season with the 250SX West Championship and runner-up finish in the Pro Motocross 250 class, the Frenchman was on fire in 2020. He won both the 250SX West and 250MX Championship, scoring three supercross wins as well as eight moto wins and three overall victories in motocross. Jeremy Coker will be the team manager for the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 squad.
Dylan Ferrandis – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team
“It’s been a dream of mine to fight for a championship in the 450 class in the U.S. I’m so happy to be able to do that with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha team. I feel at home there. I’m still feeling in paradise with two championships this year, but we will get back to work to fight next season.”
Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Jeff Kardy
Fresh off a stellar 2020 season, Martin returns to Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s 250 team to fight for the crown. Earning back-to-back titles in the Pro Motocross 250MX Championship in 2014 and 2015, Martin is eager to seal the deal in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and continue to add to an already accomplished 250 class career.
Jeremy Martin – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 Team
“I’m very excited to have the opportunity this late in the year to get back on the Yamaha for next year moving forward into 2021 with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team. I’ve won two championships with them in the past so I’m excited to pick up where I left off and end my 250 career with a bang!”
Jeremy Martin moves to Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 Team – Image by Jeff Kardy
Craig also joins Star Racing’s powerhouse 250 line-up in 2021. The Californian has challenged for top honors on multiple occasions and was in the fight for the 250SX West Championship before being sidelined with an injury early in the season. Craig looks to fight for top honors in 2021 with the Monster Energy Star Racing squad.
Christian Craig – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 Team
“Moving to the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing Team is quite a big deal for me. Bobby (Reagan) has talked to me every year the past few years to get me over here but the timing didn’t feel right. Finally this year, I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone if I wanted to take my career to the next level. Their whole program has a lot of structure, which is something that has always benefited me and helped my confidence. I’m extremely grateful to start the next chapter in my career with these guys and look forward to putting in the results I know I’m capable of.”
Christian Craig joins the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 Team
Nichols returns for his fifth season with the team. The Oklahoman hit the ground running in 2019 with his first 250SX win at Anaheim I and went on to score multiple podiums to finish third in the championship. Unfortunately, injuries have kept him out of most of this year, but now that he is close to full fitness, Nichols aims for the crown in 2021.
Cooper also returns with the team for 2021. Since his first full season with the team in 2019, the New Yorker has impressed. He finished second overall in the 250SX East Championship with six podiums and went on to take his first overall win in Florida, ending the year third in the Pro Motocross 250MX Championship. Cooper carried that momentum over to 2020, scoring his first Supercross win at Anaheim I and finishing second in the 250SX West Championship. After coming back from a preseason injury, Cooper made a late season charge in the Pro Motocross Championship returning to the top of the podium at Thunder Valley to finish fifth in the standings.
Stepping up to the professional ranks at Round 6 of the Pro Motocross Championship was one of Star’s top amateur riders, Frye. The 19-year-old impressed with solid results, including a best result of sixth overall at the final race of the season.
Lead by team manager Wil Hahn, the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 team has more top up-and-coming riders lying in wait: Nate Thrasher, Matt LeBlanc and Nick Romano. Thrasher, who recently joined the team had a good showing at the final two rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season. Both LeBlanc and Romano have multiple Amateur Nationals and show a lot of promise for the future. All three riders full-time professional debut is yet to be determined.
Jim Roach – Yamaha Racing Department Manager for YMUS
“The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team has had a tremendous amount of success over the years with both their Amateur and 250 Supercross and Motocross programs. Beginning in 2021, the Yamaha 450 program in both championships will transition to the Monster Energy Star Yamaha team, as well. The overall goal is to continue the success that the team has had, and to work toward winning 450 Championships. Having the Amateur, 250, and 450 Supercross and Motocross programs with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team also ensures a smooth transition for riders stepping through the program. It is an exciting time for Yamaha, and we look forward to the upcoming racing season!”
Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team Manager
“I have worked for Star Racing for six seasons and will be going on my seventh full season of racing with the team. For the last five years, I was the Engine Technician and have been a part of a total of 10 championships wins. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to step up and manage the 450 program and look to take Dylan and Aaron to the top step of the podium throughout the seasons ahead.”
Wil Hahn – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 Team Manager
“Coming off of two championship wins this season, I’m really looking forward to next season with the goal of carrying that success forward into 2021. We have a great lineup with Colt, Justin and Jarret returning, some great additions with Jeremy and Christian, and a bright future with Nate, Matt and Nick. I can’t wait for the new year!”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Race Team Announces 2021 Roster
The upcoming 2021 racing season marks 28 years of winning for Kawasaki and Pro Circuit. The successful Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki boasts an impressive resume including the most combined supercross/motocross wins in the 125/250 class at 29 championships, including the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross championship achieved by Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo.
Austin Forkner
Returning to the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team for 2021 aboard their all-new 2021 KX250 motorcycles is long-time Team Green racer Austin Forkner along with Jordon Smith and Cameron McAdoo. The trio welcomes, Seth Hammaker, as he graduates from the Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green amateur race program.
Mitch Payton – Pro Circuit Owner
“We have a great team returning for the 2021 season combined with an all-new KX250 motorcycle. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with our solid group of guys and Hammaker joining the crew. There is a lot of talent between our four riders, and we will provide all the necessary tools to help each of them reach their full potential. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team has high expectations to put Kawasaki and Pro Circuit on top of the podium.”
Forkner will enter the new season as the most experienced rider on the team. The 12-time 250 class race winner has high hopes of capturing multiple championships after his successful 2019 and 2020 seasons were cut short due to injury. 2020 brought the fresh face of Smith who earned three top-5 finishes out of the four rounds he competed in before withdrawing early due to injury.
Jordon Smith
McAdoo returned in 2020 to the brand that he found great success with throughout his amateur career, achieving career-bests in both supercross and motocross series, and looks to keep that momentum going into next season. Making his professional debut, Hammaker is set to join the team for both series at the beginning of the 2021 season.
The 2021 Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racing team is positioned for another championship campaign and awaits the announcement of the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM Championship and AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Jaimon Lidsey FIM Speedway Under-21 World Champion 2020 Torun SGP Round Seven
Almost four years to the day after he won the Under 21 Speedway World Championship, Mansfield’s Max Fricke admits he has realised “a childhood dream” after roaring to his first-ever FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory at FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round seven on Friday.
Another Aussie also achieved a childhood dream overnight with Jaimon Lidsey being crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Champion.
Lidsey, 21-years-old from Red Cliffs, has had a sensational European season and was calculated in his heat races during the Under 21 World Championship event last night scoring 3,3,3,2,3,3,3 on his run to the final.
Jaimon Lidsey – 2020 FIM World Under 21 Speedway Champion
While expectations were high for other riders to take the title, the young Victorian with plenty of Aussie grit held the best for last dominating the Final from the drop of the gate to now join a long list of Australian World Speedway Champions.
In Poland Fricke topped the FIM Speedway GP podium ahead of title-chasing trio Maciej Janowski, Tai Woffinden and series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik. With the victory Fricke, 24, became the seventh Australian who can boast winning the elite SGP joining Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, Jason Doyle, Chris Holder, Ryan Sullivan and Darcy Ward.
Fricke topped the podium ahead of title-chasing trio Maciej Janowski, Tai Woffinden
Zmarzlik overcame a crash in heat five to reach the semi-finals. He now just needs to reach the final of the title-deciding round eight on Saturday night to become Poland’s first double world champion after registering 14 points, giving him an eight-point cushion over nearest rival Woffinden in second spot.
But the night belonged to Fricke, who raced to 10 points in his heats, before delivering one of the rides on the season to pass Janowski and Fredrik Lindgren in semi-final one. He then made a world-class start in the final to leave three of the sport’s finest trailing and crown the greatest victory of his career so far.
The Wroclaw racer says he realised a boyhood dream as he enjoyed the Australian national anthem atop the Torun podium.
Max Fricke
“It’s unbelievable. I think it will take a while for it to sink in. I have been to Torun before and watched GPs. To win a GP has been a childhood dream for almost as long as I can remember – since I started racing. To actually be here and get a Grand Prix win is great. I have had a tough start to this year, so to have a win is unbelievable. I was doing everything I could to stay in front. I could hear Magic behind me. I just picked up a little too much right at the end. But I managed to bring it across the line. It was great to be on the podium with Tai and Magic. They are both great friends and we obviously ride together in Wroclaw. It was a really cool podium and great to be up there with some good friends.”
Fricke, 24, became the seventh Australian who can boast winning the elite SGP joining Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, Jason Doyle, Chris Holder, Ryan Sullivan and Darcy Ward.
Fricke nearly threw victory away when he lifted dramatically on the run to the line. He was delighted to lead a Wroclaw one-two-three on the rostrum.
Fricke wasn’t the only Aussie star to claim a huge international victory tonight. His former Belle Vue team mate Jaimon Lidsey was crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner at Czech track Pardubice.
Runner-up Janowski was delighted to be back on the SGP rostrum for the third time this season. Third-placed Woffinden raced to his third podium finish on the bounce.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Torun – Round 7 Results
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Max Fricke
20
2
Maciej Janowski
18
3
Tai Woffinden
16
4
Bartosz Zmarzlik
14
5
Emil Sayfutdinov
12
6
Fredrik Lindgren
11
7
Martin Vaculik
10
8
Leon Madsen
9
9
Artem Laguta
8
10
Jason Doyle
7
11
Matej Zagar
6
12
Jack Holder
5
13
Patryk Dudek
4
14
Mikkel Michelsen
3
15
Antonio Lindback
2
16
Niels-Kristian Iversen
1
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Torun SGP Round Eight
Polish hero Bartosz Zmarzlik was elated to join the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series’ elite club of back-to-back world champions after winning the FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round eight on Saturday.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
Zmarzlik was crowned Poland’s first-ever double world champion when he finished second in semi-final one – reaching the final he needed to put the sport’s biggest prize beyond Great Britain icon Tai Woffinden and Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren.
Woffinden won a run-off with Lindgren for the silver medal after the pair tied on 117-points, but the season belongs to Zmarzlik, who topped the standings on 133, winning four of this year’s eight rounds along the way.
He crowned an epic season with victory in Torun, seeing off fellow countryman Maciej Janowski, Artem Laguta and Lindgren in the final. Zmarzlik is only the third rider to retain the world title in the SGP era, following in the footsteps of SGP greats.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“Now I have followed some big heroes in speedway in winning back-to-back titles – Tony Rickardsson and Nicki Pedersen. It’s a great feeling and I don’t know what to say now. I don’t believe it at this moment. Wow! For me it is an unbelievable night. For the second year, I am number one in the world, and that’s really nice. It was a really hard day for me mentally. After yesterday and the crash in my second race, I wasn’t feeling so good in my body. But what an amazing race I had in the semi-final! I am happy I am a two-time world champion. Last season I could not have dreamed of this result. But again I am number one and for me it is unbelievable. Wow! What a night for me and the Polish fans! It’s unbelievable. I won the final again and that’s so nice. I don’t know what to say now. I can’t believe it at this moment, but maybe soon I will take in what I have done today.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik
World Championship runner-up Woffinden admitted 2020 has not been his year, but he was heartened to reach the SGP rostrum for the sixth time in eight seasons since he rejoined the series in 2013.
Tai Woffinden
“I am not on form. I have not been on form all year. It’s super frustrating. But on the flip side, when Tai Woffinden is out of form, I am still in the top three in the world. You have seen that over the years. When I am on form, I am world champion. I want to say a massive thanks to everyone at home for watching and supporting me. The fire is burning for next year – massively. You learn more by losing. When you win, you win. You don’t know how you did it. Many world champions can say the same thing. I have learned a lot – physically, mentally, nutritionally and with stuff on my bikes.”
Lindgren would have sealed the silver medal with a top-three finish on the night, but he suffered a mechanical failure at the start line in the final, forcing him into a run-off with Woffinden, which the Brit won.
The Orebro-born ace revealed a curburettor issue halted him at the cruellest of moments. But he takes heart from matching the bronze medal he achieved in 2018 and was pleased to mount a strong title challenge throughout 2020.
2020 Torun SGP Podium
2020 Speedway of Nations heads to Lublin
While SGP 2020 has concluded, world championship racing returns in less than two weeks when the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final takes place in Lublin on October 16 and 17. Hosts Poland face world champions Russia, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain and the Czech Republic in the ultimate test of team riding.
The Final was switched from Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium due to increased Covid-19 control measures across the UK, with the venue now staging the 2021 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final.
This year’s title-decider is set to take place at one of the sport’s fastest-growing clubs. Motor Lublin staged Polish Second Division action as recently as 2017, before back-to-back promotions saw them join the PGE Ekstraliga for the first time in 2019.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Torun – Round 8 Results
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Maciej Janowski
18
3
Artem Laguta
16
4
Fredrik Lindgren
14
5
Tai Woffinden
12
6
Jason Doyle
11
7
Leon Madsen
10
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
9
9
Antonio Lindback
8
10
Jack Holder
7
11
Patryk Dudek
6
12
Martin Vaculik
5
13
Max Fricke
4
14
Matej Zagar
3
15
Mikkel Michelsen
2
16
Niels-Kristian Iversen
1
17
Viktor Trofymov
0
18
Igor Kopec-Sobczynski
DNR.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
133
2
Tai Woffinden
117+3
3
Fredrik Lindgren
117+2
4
Maciej Janowski
107
5
Leon Madsen
89
6
Jason Doyle
87
7
Artem Laguta
84
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
81
9
Martin Vaculik
78
10
Max Fricke
64
11
Matej Zagar
46
12
Patryk Dudek
39
13
Niels-Kristian Iversen
32
14
Mikkel Michelsen
32
15
Antonio Lindback
22
16
Gleb Chugunov
16
17
Jack Holder
12
18
Anders Thomsen
10
19
Vaclav Milik
1
20
Eduard Krcmar
1
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Speedway GP Wild Cards Announced
FIM Speedway Grand Prix quartet Artem Laguta, Emil Sayfutdinov, Martin Vaculik and Max Fricke all return for SGP 2021, while Denmark’s Anders Thomsen joins the sport’s elite after next season’s permanent wild cards were revealed.
The 2021 Speedway GP rider line-up
Thomsen takes his place in the full World Championship field for the first time after enjoying a stellar 2020 campaign, which culminated in him winning his first Danish Championship at Vojens last Wednesday.
Russia’s double Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations winner Laguta has also enjoyed a season to remember after topping the podium at the SGP opener in Wroclaw, before finishing third in last night’s FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round eight to claim seventh spot in the final standings.
His international team mate Sayfutdinov finished eighth in this year’s championship, as well as topping the PGE Ekstraliga averages in Poland on 2.557 points per race – just ahead of Laguta in second, who recorded 2.479.
Slovakian star Vaculik secures a return after claiming ninth spot overall, reaching six out of eight semi-finals as well as enjoying a strong season for Zielona Gora.
Double Australian champion Fricke returns for his second full SGP season on the back of a sensational victory in Friday’s FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round seven – the first win of his World Championship career in only his second final. He finished 10th in this season’s standings.
The wild-card selections are joined by this year’s top six – Poland’s first double world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, Great Britain’s triple world champion Tai Woffinden, Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren, Polish ace Maciej Janowski, Danish racer Leon Madsen and Australia’s 2017 world champion Jason Doyle.
Great Britain shooting star Robert Lambert also earned automatic qualification after winning this year’s Speedway European Championship.
The line-up is completed by the top three from this year’s GP Challenge in Gorican – five-time SGP winner Matej Zagar, Swedish debutant Oliver Berntzon and former world No.2 Krzysztof Kasprzak. The list of SGP 2021 substitute riders will be revealed soon.
2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix Line-Up (in FIM ranking order – rider numbers to be confirmed):
Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
Maciej Janowski (Poland)
Leon Madsen (Denmark)
Jason Doyle (Australia)
Artem Laguta (Russia)
Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia)
Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
Max Fricke (Australia)
Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
Anders Thomsen (Denmark)
Oliver Berntzon (Sweden)
Krzysztof Kasprzak (Poland)
Robert Lambert (Great Britain)
Jaimon Lidsey nabs 2021 SGP reserve spot
Aleksandr Loktaev could become the first Ukrainian to appear in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series as he heads the list of SGP 2021 substitute stars.
The Lodz rider, currently seventh in the Polish First Division average charts on 2.111 points per race, stormed agonisingly close to SGP qualification at the GP Challenge in Gorican, Croatia on August 22.
Australian shooting star Jaimon Lidsey is next in line as the second substitute rider. He was crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner in Pardubice on Friday night.
Jaimon Lidsey
Polish young gun Dominik Kubera finished second in that meeting and is named as third substitute, while Latvia’s Olegs Mihailovs took third place and is named as fourth SGP reserve.
Great Britain racer Dan Bewley is named as SGP fifth substitute, with World Longtrack champion Lukas Fienhage of Germany sixth reserve and the Czech Republic’s Jan Kvech rounding off the list at No.7.
2020 SGP Substitutes
S1. Aleksandr Loktaev (Ukraine)
S2. Jaimon Lidsey (Australia)
S3. Dominik Kubera (Poland)
S4. Olegs Mihailovs (Latvia)
S5. Dan Bewley (Great Britain)
S6. Lukas Fienhage (Germany)
S7. Jan Kvech (Czech Republic)
Toby Price & Daniel Sanders all set for 2020 Andalucia Rally
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team of Toby Price, Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner are ready to take on the 2020 Andalucia Rally. In their first competitive rally since the Dakar back in January, the team will be joined in Spain by KTM Factory Racing’s newest signing Daniel Sanders, who will be making his debut rally appearance.
Daniel Sanders joins Toby Price, Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner with Red Bull KTM for the 2020 Andalucia Rally
Held in the south of Spain from October 6 to 10, the Andalucia Rally will challenge riders over five demanding days of racing. A short Super Special Stage will decide the start order for the first full day of rallying, with the four main legs made up of looped stages based around the bivouac town of Villamartin. With the event covering a total of over 1,300 kilometers, competitors will face 1,030 km of timed specials, the longest of which being on stage three – a demanding 300-kilometre route covering the dry, rocky tracks to the east of Sevilla.
Following his podium result at the 2020 Dakar Rally, Toby Price returned home to Australia where he kept himself busy riding and working on bikes whenever possible. Now with racing starting up again with the Andalucia Rally, Price is keen to make the best use of the time on his KTM 450 RALLY and prepare for the 2021 Dakar Rally.
Toby Price
“It’s certainly been a tough time for everyone since January – the whole world has been turned upside down, but we’re doing the best we can considering. I’m really thankful that the organizers have managed to arrange this rally in Spain, and we get to go racing again. After all, it’s what we love to do! It’s been good to get back out on the bike with the team and now we just need to do our best in Andalucia and learn what we can before the big one next January.”
Toby Price
Making his first rally appearance for the KTM Factory Racing team, enduro star and outright ISDE winner Daniel Sanders is confident, yet fully aware of the challenge ahead of him. Undoubtedly fast offroad, as seen in his Australian desert racing successes, the 26-year-old will use the event to gain invaluable experience with the navigation required for top-level rally competition. Sanders travelled to Europe in September to spend time with KTM Rally Team Manager Jordi Viladoms and get up to speed with both his KTM 450 RALLY and essential road book techniques – he now has a chance to put that newly-found knowledge into practice.
Daniel Sanders
“I’m only a few weeks into my rally career and it’s a really different experience. It’s exciting though, I’m learning every day and I’ve been working on my road book skills a lot. Learning the bike is new for me as well, and I have to thank my team manager Jordi Viladoms for helping me fast-track my skills. It’s a new discipline and I’m taking it step-by-step and learning as safely as possible. We have a few days to go before the Andalucia Rally and I’m excited for it. Prior to that it’ll be some more roadbook work, and then race time! Hopefully it will go well, and I’ll qualify for the 2021 Dakar.”
Daniel Sanders
2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Sam Sunderland was forced to abandon his 2020 Dakar Rally campaign following a crash on stage five. After a short period of rehabilitation at his home in France, Sunderland quickly returned to full fitness and restarted his training. Now, with a couple of recent weeks testing under his belt, the 2017 Dakar winner is fully motivated to get back to competition.
Following his excellent fifth-place performance at the 2020 Dakar Rally, Matthias Walkner returned to Austria for the Covid-19 lockdown period. Maintaining a solid fitness regime, the 34-year-old was also able to get some invaluable riding time in the woods near his home. Now fully fit and eager to get racing again, the former motocross star is hoping for a strong race in Andalucia.
The Monster Energy Honda Team is back in action is also back in action, with current Dakar champion Ricky Brabec lining up alongside the current holder of the most Dakar stage wins, Joan Barreda. Both have reinforced their relationship with Honda this year and will join Kevin Benavides and Nacho Cornejo, the team that displayed such strength in the previous season.
Ricky Brabec
“It feels really good to be back and hanging out with the team and also to be with the rest of the rally racers. I’ve actually done a couple of races this year since the Dakar but it is really nice to be back riding a road book that will be Dakar spec against Dakar competitors to see where we line up. I don’t think anyone knows how it is going to be here but we’re just excited to be back together.”
The full Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team is also set for the Andalucia Rally 2020, with two new riders – American Andrew Short and Botswana’s Ross Branch, joining Adrien Van Beveren, Franco Caimi and Jamie McCanney.
The Monster Energy Honda Team is really for the Andalucia Rally 2020
The Andalucia Rally commences with the Super Special Stage on Tuesday October 6, followed by four days of racing with the stages covering a total of 1,354 kilometers, 1,030 of which are timed specials.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Atlanta Short Track
Images by Scott Hunter
AFT SuperTwins
Jared Mees stood triumphant at the conclusion of the Atlanta Short Track in Woodstock, Georgia. The AFT SuperTwins Main Event got off to an appropriately hot start with Jeffrey Carver Jr. somehow storming into the lead from the second row. Carver’s turn at the front lasted just over a lap before he relinquished the position to Sammy Halbert.
2020 Atlanta ST – SuperTwins
After a few hectic laps, Halbert was joined at the front by Mees, and the two promptly teased a repeat of their epic 2017 shootout at the venue. At one point, Halbert’s line pushed Mees up into the hay bales as they traded haymakers for first and set the stage for more fireworks to come.
However, before the two could reserve the spotlight for themselves exclusively, reigning champion Briar Bauman inched his way up to join the party in third.
With seven minutes remaining, Mees sailed past Halbert to grab the lead, only to see Bauman dive under them both in the very next corner. Bauman then threatened to clear off for a fifth consecutive race as Mees and Halbert continued their melee for second.
With five minutes to go, Mees finally shook free of Halbert and chased his championship rival back down at the front. The two then engaged in a bar-to-bar war for the win, crossing lines and pulling off slidejobs with abandon.
The race came down to the final corner; Mees held on to the high line while Bauman attempted to square him up at the line. Mees won out by 0.308 seconds to snap Bauman’s four-race win streak.
2020 Atlanta ST – SuperTwins – Jared Mees
Even after losing touch with the leaders, Halbert remained in fight mode, attempting to defend third from up-and-comers Brandon Price and Bronson Bauman.
In the end, the younger Bauman handed the Indian Wrecking Crew its first podium sweep of the season, finishing in third by 0.193 seconds over Halbert. Price rounded out the top five another second back.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
34 Laps
2
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+0.308
3
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+5.141
4
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+5.334
5
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+6.357
6
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+8.663
7
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
+9.772
8
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+9.875
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
HD XG750R
+9.931
10
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+10.346
11
Dalton Gauthier
HD XG750R
+11.489
12
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+12.035
13
Bryan Smith
HD XG750R
+12.381
14
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
+14.038
15
JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07
+14.496
16
Kolby Carlile
Yamaha MT-07
+14.63
17
Jay Maloney
Indian FTR750
+33 Laps
18
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+6.44
2020 Atlanta Short Track – AFT Singles
The rolling Dallas Daniels racked up his fourth consecutive AFT Singles victory following an extremely entertaining duel with polesitter Morgen Mischler. Mischler ripped into the lead at the green light with only Daniels able to match his pace. Early in their showdown, Mischler took to his preferred high line, while Daniels went low, and the two practically rode side-by-side for several laps.
2020 Atlanta ST – Singles – Dallas Daniels
Their battle escalated from there, with several more laps of high-low maneuvers that saw them trade the lead back and forth repeatedly.
The third and final stage of their showdown saw Daniels at last grasp control. Mischler sought out a variety of lines in hopes of tracking Daniels back down but came up 0.482 short at the checkered flag.
Second-ranked Henry Wiles ran alone in third deep into the Main. However, he saw even more (increasingly crucial) points slip away when eventual third-place finisher Brandon Kitchen overhauled him with a minute remaining, and fourth-place finisher Trent Lowedid the same on the race’s final lap. Aussie Max Whale was just outside the top five in sixth.
2020 Atlanta ST – Singles – 1) Dallas Daniels, 2) Morgen Mischler, 3) Brandon Kitchen
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
21 Laps
2
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+0.482
3
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
+3.679
4
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+4.705
5
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+4.966
6
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+5.717
7
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+5.876
8
James Ott
KTM 450 SX-F
+6.06
9
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
+6.454
10
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+6.464
11
Cameron Smith
Honda CRF450R
+7.422
12
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+7.77
13
Aidan RoosEvans
KTM 450 SX-F
+7.91
14
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
+9.305
15
Cole Zabala
Honda CRF450R
+9.855
16
Tyler Raggio
Honda CRF450R
+11.566
17
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
+12.586
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Atlanta Short Track – AFT Production Twins
At long last, defending AFT Production Twins champion Cory Texter brought the win streak of runaway title leader James Rispoli to a halt at five. Texter, who hadn’t won a race since the season’s opening weekend and had subsequently finished as runner-up to Rispoli on four occasions, was justifiably starving to return to the top of the box. It showed. Brilliant from the start, Texter accelerated into the lead from pole and pulled several bike lengths on the opening lap.
2020 Atlanta ST – Production Twins – Corey Texter
Once a second free out front, he switched his focus to simply maintaining that advantage. On rails and incredibly precise, Texter appeared comfortable weathering a late-race charge from Rispoli when a monkey wrench was thrown into his plans of cruising to a relatively easy victory.
Despite the potential setback of a late-race red flag, Texter simply powered off the line (again) and stretched out a one-second-plus advantage (again) to claim the checkered flag.
Rispoli, meanwhile, continued his march to the 2020 crown with his tenth top-two finish in eleven starts. Ryan Varnes and Ben Lowe finished third and fourth after running locked in that order for the entire affair. Danny Eslick rounded out the top five.
2020 Atlanta ST – Production Twins – 1) Corey Texter, 2) James Rispoli, 3) Ryan Varnes
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
21 Laps
2
James Rispoli
HD XG750R
+1.571
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+2.343
4
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+3.482
5
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+4.035
6
Chad Cose
HD XG750R
+4.767
7
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
+4.781
8
Mitch Harvat
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.8
9
Michael Inderbitzin
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6.193
10
Brock Schwarzenbacher
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6.922
11
Garret Wilson
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+8.666
12
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+14 Laps
13
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
DNS
14
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
DNS
15
Jimmy McAllister
Kawasaki Ninja 650
DNS
2020 Atlanta Short Track II – Super Twins
Jared Mees doubled up at Dixie Speedway with a second barn-burning American Flat Track victory in Saturday night’s Atlanta Short Track. While Mees was forced to overcome his great rival, defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman, to win on Friday night in Woodstock, Georgia, Saturday’s challenge came from a more unexpected source: young rising star Brandon Price.
Jared Mees & Brandon Price
Despite their contrasting résumé, that test proved no less stiff; the up-and-comer gave the masterful Mees all he could handle.
Price actually led the bulk of the race, deftly corralling a racey Mees behind him despite the multi-time series king’s repeated attempts to fight his way through. At one point, Mees’ overtaking maneuver sent him up into the wall, jamming the factory Indian rider’s footpeg into his own brake.
At that moment, it seemed like Price might power away to an easy win, but Mees regrouped, adjusted and mounted another assault. Their vast difference in experience didn’t factor in until after the countdown clocks hit zero, at which point Mees executed a tough-but-fair pass to lead the final two laps and win by 0.339 seconds.
Jared Mees
“Early on, I thought I could just settle in and get by, but I don’t know…(Price) was probably getting a little tense at the end because I was throwing everything I could at him. I threw him some bait in Turn 1 where I was acting like I was coming real high and just sliced across the middle and threw in a little block pass. It was a great race. I can’t say enough for my team. We’re going to just keep plugging one race at a time. We’re not out of this yet. We’re going to fight back as best we can and what the points are at the end is what they are.”
Jared Mees
Meanwhile, title leader Bauman slashed his way forward from an early seventh to finish a lonely third some two-and-a-half seconds back. Sammy Halbert finished in fourth another second in arrears, with an injured Brandon Robinson registering a gritty ride to round out the top five.
Mees’ Atlanta double provided his title hopes a major boost; he now trails Bauman by just 12 points (256-244) with four races remaining to decide the 2020 AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Championship.
Altanta ST II AFT SuperTwins Podium – 1) Jared Mees, 2) Brandon Price, 3) Briar Bauman
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
35 Laps
2
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+0.339
3
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+2.774
4
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+3.727
5
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
+4.473
6
Jarod Vanderkooi
HD XG750R
+6.775
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+8.564
8
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+9.39
9
Bryan Smith
HD XG750R
+10.186
10
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+10.271
11
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+11.123
12
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+11.208
13
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+13.077
14
Dalton Gauthier
HD XG750R
+15.655
15
JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07
+16.435
16
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
+17.375
17
Jay Maloney
Indian FTR750
+18.349
18
Kolby Carlile
Yamaha MT-07
34 Laps
2020 AFT SuperTwins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
256
2
Jared Mees
244
3
Sammy Halbert
193
4
Bronson Bauman
153
5
Brandon Price
148
6
Brandon Robinson
143
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
131
8
Davis Fisher
119
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
108
10
Bryan Smith
94
11
Dan Bromley
93
12
Robert Pearson
91
13
Dalton Gauthier
90
14
JD Beach
68
15
Jake Johnson
62
16
Kolby Carlile
50
17
Larry Pegram
48
18
Jay Maloney
43
19
Andrew Luker
22
20
Ryan Varnes
16
21
Morgen Mischler
6
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Atlanta Short Track II – AFT Singles
AFT Singles title favorite Dallas Daniels out-dueled Morgen Mischler in an Atlanta Short Track rematch that may have been even more spectacular than their Friday epic.
Dallas Daniels
Mischler and Daniels shook free from the pack in the early stages of the race and then set about resuming last night’s dogfight. In contrast to the previous round, however, Mischler maintained a slight advantage for almost the entire race, with Daniels trying out his lines and (apparently) biding his time just behind.
He finally struck with only a half lap remaining. The two actually made contact on the back straight with Daniels then forcing his way underneath as they dove into Turn 3 for the final time. Mischler attempted to square the corner back up and take advantage of a small slip on Daniels’ part, but came up just 0.090 seconds short at the flag.
Dallas Daniels
“I wasn’t holding back, I wasn’t trying to not show him what I was doing. That was literally all I had. It was kind of making me nervous; I was pretty much tapped out and I needed a mistake from him, which is what happened. Coming off of (Turn) 2, he spun up a little bit and we got together. I took that thing off into 3 harder than I did all day, just hoping it would stick and it did. It’s awesome.”
Max Whale
Aussie Max Whale won out in a similar shootout with super sophomore Brandon Kitchen to earn the final spot on the podium. Class legend Shayna Texter bounced back from a disappointing outing on Friday to complete the top five.
As a result of Daniels’ seventh win of the season, the 17-year-old prodigy now leads the championship by 70 points (233-163) over Wiles and Whale, while Rush has dropped to fourth with 151 points. Should Daniels up his current win streak to six next Friday night, he’ll be crowned the 2020 AFT Singles champion three races early.
Max Whale
“Stocked to be back on the podium again. Had a solid weekend at Atlanta double header. Friday ran P6 and Saturday P3. Had some great battles and pumped to. Come out equal second in the Championship. Once again I can’t thank my weekend worriers enough. I would be lost with out them @mattguenther61 , Keith Singleton and @bjbcrewdad. And a shout out to all my awesome sponsors.”
Altanta ST II AFT Singles Podium – 1) Dallas Daniels, 2) Morgen Mischler, 3) Max Whale
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
21 Laps
2
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+0.09
3
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+1.962
4
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
+1.99
5
Shayna Texter
KTM 450 SX-F
+4.177
6
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
+4.656
7
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+5.065
8
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
+6.012
9
Aidan RoosEvans
KTM 450 SX-F
+6.229
10
Cole Zabala
Honda CRF450R
+7.111
11
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+7.444
12
Cameron Smith
Honda CRF450R
+8.301
13
James Ott
KTM 450 SX-F
+8.437
14
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
+8.849
15
Tyler Raggio
Honda CRF450R
+9.634
16
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+10.806
17
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+10.985
2020 AFT Singles Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dallas Daniels
233
2
Henry Wiles
163
3
Max Whale
163
4
Michael Rush
151
5
Morgen Mischler
139
6
Trent Lowe
139
7
Brandon Kitchen
138
8
Tanner Dean
124
9
Chad Cose
104
10
Trevor Brunner
103
11
Michael Inderbitzin
97
12
Shayna Texter
89
13
Cameron Smith
73
14
Kevin Stollings
71
15
Cole Zabala
65
16
Ryan Wells
58
17
James Ott
57
18
Andrew Luker
52
19
Aidan RoosEvans
48
20
Jesse Janisch
39
2020 Atlanta Short Track II – AFT Production Twins
Saturday’s AFT Production Twins Main saw 2020 championship leader James Rispoli outlast defending class champion Cory Texter in a race-long straight fight.
Corey Texter
The two quickly separated from the field and raced side-by-side for virtually the entire six-minute plus two lap affair. Rispoli ran the high line while Texter controlled the low line, and rarely did either rider demonstrate a clear advantage in their battle.
Rispoli turned it on late, sliding just out in front as the clock showed 0:00, and that’s where he’d remain to the checkered flag.
The victory placed Rispoli right back up on top of the box just one day after Texter brought his five-race win streak to a conclusion.
James Rispoli
“Cory has been riding out of his shoes this weekend – just so well. I don’t know how you can’t love that racing, me and Cory just going back and forth the entire race. He committed to the low and I committed to the high every lap. He’d just give me a skosh of space. At the end of the day, we got just a little bit of breathing room and I hit the low line and brought it home.”
Corey Texter & James Rispoli
Once Ryan Varnes dropped from third due to a mechanical, Chad Cose assumed the position and spent the remainder of the race with his head down in pursuit of the Rispoli-Texter duel.
Clawing his way back from approximately two seconds back, Cose arrived right on their rear wheels just in time to see the two cross the stripe a few tenths ahead of him.
Danny Eslick won out in a multi-rider scrap for fourth, taking the checkered flag just ahead of Michael Inderbitzin and Ben Lowe.
Rispoli now leads by 48 points (269-221). That means if he gains just two more points on Texter next weekend, he’ll accomplish his stated goal of locking up the class championship ahead of the DAYTONA finale.
2020 Altanta ST II AFT Production Twins Podium – 1) James Rispoli, 2) Corey Texter, 3) Chad Cose
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
James Rispoli
HD XG750R
21 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+0.412
3
Chad Cose
HD XG750R
+0.612
4
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+4.803
5
Michael Inderbitzin
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.001
6
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+5.789
7
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6.958
8
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+11.945
9
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
+13.153
10
Brock Schwarzenbacher
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+13.734
11
Mitch Harvat
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+15.608
12
Garret Wilson
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+19.819
13
Jimmy McAllister
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+12 Laps
14
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6 Laps
2020 AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
269
2
Cory Texter
221
3
Ben Lowe
188
4
Ryan Varnes
185
5
Danny Eslick
164
6
Chad Cose
154
7
Jeremiah Duffy
129
8
Nick Armstrong
101
9
Cody Johncox
96
10
Jimmy McAllister
59
11
Michael Inderbitzin
58
12
Dylan Bell
53
13
Brock Schwarzenbacher
52
14
Mitch Harvat
51
15
Patrick Buchanan
50
16
Hayden Gillim
45
17
Garret Wilson
40
18
Johnny Lewis
29
19
Morgen Mischler
26
20
Scott Barrett
26
21
Jacob Lehmann
25
22
Ryan Wells
22
23
Gary Ketchum
13
24
Jeremiah Alexander
12
25
Kevin Stollings
9
26
Max Whale
9
2020 AFT Next Stop: Charlotte Half-Mile I & II
All three Progressive American Flat Track classes approach a critical juncture in their evolving championship battles as the series arrives at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for this weekend’s Progressive Charlotte Half-Mile I & II on October 9-10.
The atmosphere for the season’s penultimate doubleheader is destined to be electric as Progressive AFT shares the spotlight with the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, which will continue its playoff run at the venue in Charlotte, North Carolina, the following day.
Even if third-ranked Sammy Halbert retains a mathematical shot at the 2020 AFT SuperTwins crown, the season has proven to be a heavyweight title fight featuring reigning champ Briar Bauman and the record-breaking Jared Mees.
Sammy Halbert & Jared Mees – Image by Scott Hunter
A mid-season string of wins put Bauman in the driver’s seat to retain the #1 plate, but Mees’ clutch double this past weekend in Atlanta has provided the former class king a clear path to reclaiming the throne. 12 points now separate the two at the top of the order, which means Mees would need to sweep the final four races to guarantee himself this year’s Grand National Championship.
Of course, if any riders in a field full of potential spoilers were able to get between Mees and Bauman, that could provide considerably more wiggle room. Among those most likely to do so are the aforementioned Halbert, who’s been fast all year long, Bryan Smith, who’s won two of the last three races in Charlotte, and Brandon Price, who narrowly missed out on claiming his maiden premier-class victory on a similar clay surface in the season’s most recent Main Event.
Meanwhile on the undercard, the dominant Dallas Daniels and James Rispoli are poised to lock up their respective AFT Singles and AFT Production Twins championships as early as this weekend.
Dallas Daniels – Image by Scott Hunter
Daniels has been unstoppable in a class that typically features a wide variety of winners and unpredictable outcomes. While the results from race to race have shuffled around behind him, the 17-year-old superstar has proven his superiority with seven wins in 12 races, including the last five in succession.
As a result, he’s assembled a massive 70-point margin over his nearest challengers, Henry Wiles and Max Whale. A win on Friday night would increase that margin to at least 75 points with three races remaining, clinching him the ‘20 AFT Singles championship.
Rispoli’s position is not quite that commanding, but he’s still well positioned to end the AFT Productions Twins championship ahead of the season finale. With a 48-point lead on defending class champion Cory Texter, Rispoli simply needs to outscore his rival by two points in Charlotte to bring their title fight to an early conclusion.
James Rispoli
Considering that Rispoli has ripped off seven wins, four runner-ups, and one fifth-place in the season’s 12 races, it’s not too difficult to imagine that scenario playing out.
As always, spectator safety has been placed at a premium and Progressive AFT has worked closely with local health and government officials toward those ends. For more on the specific precautions being undertaken, please consult the Progressive AFT Events Health & Safety FAQ. Just 980 tickets have been made available for each night and are selling quickly as fans are eager to witness the final rounds of this knockout Progressive AFT Championship season.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 MXGP Round 11 – MXGP of Europe – Mantova
The MXGP of Europe concludes the 11th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, marking the second of the three Italian triple-headers this season, as three rounds have been held at Mantova across a 10-day period.
Tim Gajser
The MXGP of Europe saw Team HRC’s Tim Gajser make his return to the top step of the podium, as he took the overall win in MXGP for the first time this season.
Gajsers 1-2 result was enough to finish the round six-points ahead of Tony Cairoli, who went 5-1, with Glenn Coldenhoff third for the GP with a 2-5 result. Aussie Mitch Evans had a strong weekend, with a fourth place finish in the first race, with eighth in race 2, leaving him fifth overall.
The MXGP standings see Gajser in the lead from Cairoli, 399 to 388, with Jeremy Seewer third overall on 369-points. Mitchell Evans sits just outside the top 10, in eleventh, 14-points off Desalle.
Mitch Evans
“Today was a good day and a bit of a disappointing day too. In the first moto I got a good start, made a few passes and was in third for most of the race. I ended up fourth but it was still a good moto and I enjoyed running with the top guys. In moto two I didn’t get the best jump which made things difficult because it was still hard to pass, but I got back to eighth for fifth overall. This was the same as in Matterley Basin at the first GP of the year, so I’m pleased with that. I did really want that podium today but it didn’t quite happen but there are still seven more rounds to get it done and that’s what I’m focusing on when we head to Spain.”
Mitch Evans
2020 MXGP of Europe Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
25
22
47
2
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
16
25
41
3
Coldenhoff, Glenn
NED
GAS
22
16
38
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
15
20
35
5
Evans, Mitchell
AUS
HON
18
13
31
6
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
11
18
29
7
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
14
14
28
8
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
9
15
24
9
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
20
4
24
10
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
12
11
23
11
Monticelli, Ivo
ITA
GAS
13
10
23
12
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
10
12
22
13
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
8
9
17
14
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
4
8
12
15
Butron, Jose
ESP
KTM
3
7
10
16
Lapucci, Nicholas
ITA
KTM
6
3
9
17
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
2
5
7
18
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
7
0
7
19
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
0
6
6
20
Guillod, Valentin
SUI
HON
5
1
6
21
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
1
2
3
22
Guryev, Artem
RUS
HON
0
0
0
23
Bernardini, Samuele
ITA
YAM
0
0
0
MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
399
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
388
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
369
4
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
341
5
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
341
6
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
304
7
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
285
8
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
9
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
262
10
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
11
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
228
12
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
197
13
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
137
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
127
15
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
118
16
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
116
17
Monticelli, I.
ITA
GAS
105
18
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
82
19
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
73
20
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
71
21
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
45
22
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
41
23
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
41
24
Bobryshev, E.
RUS
HUS
33
25
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
31
MX2
Meanwhile in MX2, Jago Geerts also made a comeback to the top, as a second and a race win was enough to put him first on the podium, marking his fourth overall victory of the season.
Tom Vialle narrowly missed the round overall, also finishing the round on 47-points, which each rider taking a win and a second place each. Thomas Kjer Olsen was third overall, with Australian Jed Beaton sixth overall after two consistent fifth place finishes.
Vialle retains a sizeable lead in the MX2 standings, with Jago Geerts 46-points in arrears, while Beaton is third overall, with a seven-point lead over Maxime Renaux, while Olsen is a more distant fifth.
Jed Beaton
“Today wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I know I had the speed but just wasn’t able to get among the top guys. It certainly wasn’t the worst day but wasn’t the best either. I’m now back in third in the standings so I just need to work on starts, get up front early and try to get some more wins to finish the season off strong.”
Jed Beaton
2020 MXGP of Europe MX2 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
22
25
47
2
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
25
22
47
3
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
18
18
36
4
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
15
20
35
5
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
20
15
35
6
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
16
16
32
7
Forato, Alberto
ITA
HUS
13
11
24
8
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
12
10
22
9
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
7
13
20
10
Boisrame, Mathys
FRA
KAW
10
9
19
11
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
9
7
16
12
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
0
14
14
13
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
14
0
14
14
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
0
12
12
15
Sandner, Michael
AUT
GAS
6
6
12
16
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
11
0
11
17
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
0
8
8
18
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
KTM
8
0
8
19
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
2
5
7
20
Toriani, Enzo
FRA
HUS
3
4
7
21
Sikyna, Richard
SVK
KTM
4
2
6
22
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
5
0
5
23
Zonta, Filippo
ITA
KTM
0
3
3
24
Dickinson, Ashton
GBR
KTM
1
1
2
MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
478
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
432
3
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
348
4
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
341
5
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
311
6
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
293
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
287
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
252
9
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
234
10
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
208
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
150
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
141
13
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
119
14
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
15
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
16
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
86
17
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
74
18
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
19
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
73
20
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
70
21
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
65
22
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
23
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
61
24
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
60
25
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
EMX250
In the opening EMX250 race, it was Marcel Conijn who led the way, with Guadagnini second and Tom Guyon of Team VRT Nordpesca Holland in third.
Guadagnini wasted no time to get around Conijn, as he passed him on the second lap of the race. It then didn’t take long for Guadagnini to get ahead and lead the race by 5.642 seconds. Meanwhile Hakon Fredriksen of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing was looking to pass Guyon for fourth in the race.
EMX250 Start
Championship leader Thibault Benistant of the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing squad had a tough start to the race as he was forced to make his way back up from the back of the pack. He managed to get up to 14th and still had plenty of time to keep climbing up the field.
On lap 5 of the race, Pierre Goupillon of BUD Racing Kawasaki caught and passed Emil Weckman, the rider of Honda Racing Assomotor for 6th in the race.
Meanwhile Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf crashed out twice in the first half of the race, eventually dropping down to 15th.
On lap 6, after several attempts, Fredriksen was finally able to pass Guyon and get up into 4th. While Talviku was battling with Conijn for 2nd place.
With 5 minutes and 2 laps to go the top 10 was comfortably led by Guadagnini, who was followed by Conijn, Talviku, Fredriksen, Guyon, Goupillon, Weckman, Tomass Sileika, Lorenzo Corti and Tim Edberg.
Talviku then moved into P2 past Conijn, though not long after crashed which allowed Conijn and Fredriksen back through. Fredriksen than crashed himself, though only losing one position to Talviku.
Mattia Guadagnini
In the end it was Mattia Guadagnini who won the race by an impressive 17.882 margin, with Marcel Conijn and Hakon Fredriksen behind in P2 and P3.
In EMX250 race two, it was Talviku and BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Lorenzo Locurcio who led the way, meanwhile Guadagnini and Benistant were down in 4th and 5th.
Talviku was then getting caught by Locurcio, while Gianluca Facchetti of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing was sitting in 3rd place.
Guadagnini then made a mistake, which allowed Benistant through. Benistant was then the fastest rider on track as he went after his teammate to move into the top 3. Locurcio and Facchetti then crashed out of 2nd and 3rd, as Guadagnini forced his way past the championship leader, Benistant, to move into 2nd.
Keen to get another win, Guadagnini then went on to set the fastest lap of the race – a 1:59.301, which was immediately bettered by Benistant as he clocked a 1:58.597 as he put the hammer down to catch the Italian and go for the lead.
Guadagnini then became the new race leader, pushing Talviku to 2nd, with Benistant pushing the Estonian another position as he went through as well.
As the race progressed Guadagnini continued to lead the way with Benistant 2nd. Though the rider in P3, Talviku, started to come under pressure from Locurcio, with the BUD Racing Kawasaki rider eventually passing him for 3rd.
Jorgen Matthias Talviku
In the end it was Mattia Guadagnini who won the race, with Thibault Benistant in P2 and Locurcio in P3. On the podium it was Guadagnini who occupied the top step of the podium for the second time in a row, with Talviku 2nd overall and Fredriksen 3rd.
With three rounds left, Thibault Benistant leads the championship with 286 points, with Guadagnini 28 points down in second and De Wolf third.
EMX250 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Guadagnini, Mattia
ITA
HUS
25
25
50
2
Talviku, Jorgen-Matthias
EST
HUS
18
18
36
3
Fredriksen, Hakon
NOR
YAM
20
16
36
4
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
YAM
13
22
35
5
Conijn, Marcel
NED
KTM
22
11
33
6
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
16
15
31
7
Locurcio, Lorenzo
VEN
KAW
7
20
27
8
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
12
10
22
9
Corti, Lorenzo
ITA
KTM
11
9
20
10
Boegh Damm, Bastian
DEN
KTM
6
13
19
11
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
5
12
17
12
Goupillon, Pierre
FRA
KAW
15
0
15
13
Facchetti, Gianluca
ITA
YAM
0
14
14
14
Weckman, Emil
FIN
HON
14
0
14
15
Mc Lellan, Camden
RSA
HUS
9
2
11
16
Sileika, Tomass
LAT
KTM
10
0
10
17
Tuani, Federico
ITA
HUS
0
8
8
18
Lugana, Paolo
ITA
KTM
8
0
8
19
Gerhardsson, Albin
SWE
HUS
0
7
7
20
Lucas, Mario
ESP
KTM
0
6
6
21
Oliver, Oriol
ESP
KTM
0
5
5
22
Del Coco, Matteo
ITA
KTM
1
4
5
23
Van Essen, Twan
NED
KTM
2
3
5
24
Vesterinen, Matias
FIN
KTM
4
0
4
25
Louis, Axel
FRA
HON
3
0
3
26
Martinez, Yago
ESP
YAM
0
1
1
EMX250 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Benistant, T.
FRA
YAM
286
2
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
258
3
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
198
4
Fredriksen, H.
NOR
YAM
188
5
Talviku, J.
EST
HUS
180
6
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
174
7
Locurcio, L.
VEN
KAW
141
8
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
137
9
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
137
10
Gifting, Isak
SWE
KTM
128
11
Boegh Damm, B.
DEN
KTM
110
12
Facchetti, G.
ITA
YAM
98
13
Conijn, Marcel
NED
KTM
94
14
Florian, Lion
GER
KTM
93
15
Everts, Liam
BEL
KTM
87
16
Spies, M.
GER
HUS
84
17
Sileika, T.
LAT
KTM
81
18
Mc Lellan, C.
RSA
HUS
72
19
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
54
20
Oliver, Oriol
ESP
KTM
49
EMX125
The first race of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class, saw Raul Sanchez of Team Yamaha Ausio, who grabbed the holeshot. Meanwhile series leader, Andrea Bonacorsi of Fantic Racing was caught out in the first corner and have to fight through from the very back of the field.
Early on in the race, Pietro Razzini passed Karlis Alberts Reisulis for second, with Valerio Lata from Marchetti Racing Team KTM and ASA United Husqvarna Team’s Bobby Bruce, closely behind in fourth and fifth.
Razzini then got caught out by Reisulis, who fought back to move back into second, while also going after the race leader, Sanchez, straight away.
Bonacorsi then charged through from the back of the field as he got into the top 20. With 15 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock, Bonacorsi was up in 15th, though still with a long way to go.
EMX125 Start
There was drama at the front of the field, which Sanchez and Reisulis down, which allowed Bruce into the lead, as he was followed by Lata, Meico Vettik, Razzini and Cas Valk of TBS Conversions Racing Team.
Bruce then extended his lead to 4.576 seconds, as Vettik passed Lata for second. At the same time, Reisulis set the fastest lap of the race and was down in 7th.
It looked like Vettik stepped it up a gear, as the gap between him and the race leader, Bruce, came down to 2.7 seconds. Vettik then continued to charge after Bruce for the race win as less than a second separated the two.
Bruce then managed to pull the gap back to 1.777 seconds. Though that didn’t stop Vettik, who with 2 laps to go moved into the lead. Bruce then crashed out of P2, to eventually finish the race in 6th.
Meico Vettik was the race 1 winner, with Valerio Lata second and Max Palsson of WZ Racing having a strong ride to finish third.
In the second EMX125 race it was Valk with the holeshot, while Bonacorsi had another unlucky start to the race and was down in 35th.
Valk then led Lata, Palsson and Andrea Roncoli, though Lata was able to find a way through into the lead, and Palsson followed the Marchetti Racing KTM rider too, pushing Valk down to 3rd within a few corners.
Valk then lost another spot to Palsson and was down in P4. At the same time, Bonacorsi was making his way through the field to move into 25th, as Bruce fell out of 10th.
Valerio Lata
With 10 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock, Lata continued to lead, though Roncoli was the rider in 2nd place, 5.621 seconds down. Meanwhile Vettik was pushing to pass David Braceras of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team for 6th in the race.
Valk then rode into the pits with a bike issue, which forced the Dutch rider out of race two.
Further down the field Bonacorsi got himself back into points in 19th and he picked up a few more positions towards the end of the race to eventually finish in 10th.
With just a few laps to go, Palsson and Roncoli were locked in a battle for 2nd, with Roncoli going through into P2 towards the end.
Valerio Lata went on to take his first race win of the season, with Roncoli crossing the line 2nd and Palsson 3rd.
In terms of the overall, Lata took to the top step of the podium, with Vettik finishing 2nd and Palsson occupying the 3rd step of the podium. As it stands, Bonacrosi leads the championship by 33 points, with Razzini second and Vettik third. There are still four rounds of the championship left to go.
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Round Eight – Thunder Valley National Lakewood, CO, October 3rd, 2020
Images Jeff Kardas
As expected, the eighth and penultimate round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship was brimming with intensity as the title fights in both the 450 Class and 250 Class move one step closer to completion. Perfect conditions and the high altitude of Thunder Valley Motocross Park made for an action-packed afternoon of racing at the WPS/FLY Racing Thunder Valley National.
Thunder Valley AMA Pro Motocross
While his quest for a fourth consecutive 450 Class title has been filled with challenges, reigning three-time champion Eli Tomac always brings his best whenever he has the chance to race in front of the home Colorado crowd. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider entered the day on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from title contention, but he kept his hopes alive with a motivated performance that saw Tomac break a tie for the overall win with team-mate Adam Cianciarulo by capturing a second-moto victory that put him atop the results sheet.
Eli Tomac kept his championship hopes alive, albeit they are very slim
In the 250 Class it was a long overdue triumph for Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper, who outlasted both championship contenders, teammate Dylan Ferrandis and GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin, to prevail with his first win of the season and the second win of his career. Aussie siblings Hunter and Jett Lawrence finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Thunder Valley Video Highlights
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will close out the 2020 season with its ninth and final round next weekend from Southern California’s Fox Raceway in Pala, just outside of San Diego.
450MX Moto 1
As the gate dropped on the first 450 Class moto of the afternoon it was Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo who emerged with his fifth MotoSport.com Holeshot with Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton right behind him as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne slotted into third. With a clear track Cianciarulo was able to quickly build a multi-second advantage that he then managed through the middle portion of the moto. Meanwhile, Sexton shed himself of Osborne to assert his hold of second.
Adam Cianciarulo scored the holeshot
As the second half of the moto wore on, Sexton was able to gain some ground on Cianciarulo and got to within less than two seconds of the lead. However, Cianciarulo responded and was able to restabilize the lead. With less than five minutes remaining Cianciarulo narrowly avoided a crash when he briefly lost control of his Kawasaki, which allowed Sexton to close within just a second-and-a-half. Once again Cianciarulo dug deep in response and was able to rebuild his lead to its largest margin. Behind the see-saw battle up front Tomac, who started sixth, was able to track down Osborne and make the pass for third.
Cianciarulo went wire-to-wire for his fourth moto win of the season, crossing the finish line 2.6 seconds ahead of Sexton with a hard-charging Tomac in third. Osborne followed in fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia completing the top five.
450MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
16 Laps
2
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+02.620
3
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
+11.332
4
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
+38.499
5
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
+42.680
6
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+58.919
7
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+1:00.293
8
Blake Baggett
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:02.708
9
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:06.140
10
Broc Tickle
YAM YZ 450F
+1:17.397
11
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:19.575
12
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:20.829
13
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+1:55.328
14
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
+2:10.110
15
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
15 Laps
16
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
+11.521
17
John Short
HON CRF450R
+12.262
18
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+26.397
19
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX 450F
+27.999
20
Grant Harlan
HON CRF450R WE
+30.647
21
Jeremy Smith
KAW KX450
+55.674
22
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
+56.973
23
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
+1:00.280
24
William Clason
KAW KX 450F
+1:16.872
25
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:24.526
26
Dalton Dyer
KAW KX 450F
+1:37.285
27
Connor Olson
HQV FC450 RE
+1:42.079
28
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+1:43.211
29
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:52.256
30
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
+2:03.949
31
Cole Shondeck
HON CRF450R
+2:05.759
32
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:09.240
33
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
+2:10.498
34
Austin Root
HQV FC450
+2:29.080
35
Matthew Toth
HON CRF450R
14 Laps
36
Nick Schmidt
HQV FC450
+45.492
37
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
13 Laps
38
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ RMZ 450
11 Laps
39
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
8 Laps
40
Felix Lopez
KTM 450 SX-F
DNS
450MX Moto 2
450
The 450 Class field made uphill charge once more to begin the final moto of the day and as the riders exited the first turn it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin who secured the MotoSport.com Holeshot over Cianciarulo, who quickly applied pressure and jumped into the lead, followed by Osborne into second.
Musquin and Sexton
Musquin continued to lose ground as Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Suzuki’s Max Anstie took over third and left Musquin to deal with Tomac in a battle for fourth. Tomac pounced and stormed past both Musquin and Anstie to go from fifth to third.
450
After a busy opening lap Cianciarulo was able to sprint away to a second-and-a-half advantage over Osborne, while Tomac gave chase from third. The top three ran within a couple seconds of one another and after several laps of trading momentum Tomac began to apply pressure on Osborne, successfully taking control of second a little more than 10 minutes into the moto. From there Tomac kept looking ahead and started to make the move on his teammate for the lead. With the home crowd cheering him on, Tomac made the pass happen and took control of the moto.
Once out front Tomac dropped the hammer and quickly gapped the rest of the field. Together, the Kawasaki tandem then pulled away from Osborne. The pace of the top three was so impressive that the leaders enjoyed more than a 10-second advantage over fourth halfway through the moto. With a handful of time left on the clock it appeared as though Tomac had the win in hand, but his place slowed as he appeared to deal with something on his motorcycle, which allowed Cianciarulo to close back in. Tomac’s slowing was brief and he regrouped to rebuild his advantage.
Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo
With Tomac back up to speed, managing a lead of about five seconds, Cianciarulo was forced to deal with some pressure from a late charge by Osborne from third. The championship rivals were within a few bike lengths of one another when Cianciarulo nearly crashed after his bike took off awkwardly on a jump. He kept his Kawasaki on two wheels, but it allowed Osborne to assume second. Just a few laps later Cianciarulo put in one final charge to catch and pass Osborne. Cianciarulo came to the inside on one of the track’s downhill sections but couldn’t get the bike slowed enough, causing slight contact between the two that sent Cianciarulo off the track momentarily. Out front Tomac finished strong to take his second moto win of the season by 8.9 seconds over Osborne, with Cianciarulo in third.
450MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
16 Laps
2
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
+08.983
3
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
+11.557
4
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+41.064
5
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+48.632
6
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+56.261
7
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
+1:27.126
8
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:30.932
9
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:41.325
10
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+1:55.970
11
Grant Harlan
HON CRF450R WE
+2:11.417
12
John Short
HON CRF450R
15 Laps
13
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+23.154
14
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+32.247
15
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
+42.187
16
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
+46.487
17
Jeremy Smith
KAW KX450
+53.472
18
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX 450F
+57.712
19
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
+1:06.907
20
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+1:15.476
21
Austin Root
HQV FC450
+1:27.968
22
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:33.929
23
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:36.545
24
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:43.775
25
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
+1:51.747
26
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
+2:00.632
27
William Clason
KAW KX 450F
+2:12.927
28
Dalton Dyer
KAW KX 450F
+2:16.459
29
Connor Olson
HQV FC450 RE
+2:22.668
30
Jorge Rubalcava
HQV FC450 FE
+2:23.642
31
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
+2:39.957
32
Jeffrey Walker
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+2:44.658
33
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
14 Laps
34
Dominic DeSimone
HON CRF450R
+10.538
35
Matthew Toth
HON CRF450R
+1:28.345
36
Cole Shondeck
HON CRF450R
+1:43.258
37
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
10 Laps
38
Nick Schmidt
HQV FC450
9 Laps
39
Broc Tickle
YAM YZ 450F
2 Laps
40
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
+18.206
450MX Overall
Tomac (3-1) and Cianciarulo (1-3) finished with identical moto scores, leaving them tied atop the overall classification. However, by virtue of his win in the final moto Tomac earned the tiebreaker to give him his second victory of the season and the 25th win of his career. It also signified the first 1-2 sweep for the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo. Osborne rounded out the overall podium in third (4-2).
“Such a cool day here in Colorado. So glad we were able to get back here this season,” expressed Tomac. “I finally had a race where I felt like myself. In the first moto I was out of touch (from the leaders) early on, but in the second moto I was much closer to the front. I had a bit of a clutch hang up, but it fixed itself. We really needed this. I’ve kind of been searching lately, so it feels good to have a day like this and get back on top.”
Osborne lost five points to Cianciarulo in the championship and will now enter the final round with a 24-point lead in the standings, looking to secure his first premier class title.
“In the first moto I got slammed by another rider in the second turn and my foot got jammed really bad. The more I went the more I could feel it,” explained Osborne. “I got it massaged before the second moto and then adrenaline carried me from there. I had a mid-race lull there in the second moto, but was able to finish strong and get a good result. I wasn’t in my comfort zone today so I did a little bit of point racing. We’ll look forward to next week.”
450MX Overall Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Points
1
Eli Tomac
3
1
45
2
Adam Cianciarulo
1
3
45
3
Zachary Osborne
4
2
40
4
Chase Sexton
2
5
38
5
Christian Craig
7
4
32
6
Marvin Musquin
6
8
28
7
Max Anstie
9
6
27
8
Benny Bloss
14
7
21
9
Justin Bogle
12
9
21
10
Jake Masterpool
13
10
19
11
Fredrik Noren
11
13
18
12
Justin Barcia
5
37
16
13
Blake Baggett
8
13
14
John Short
17
12
13
15
Grant Harlan
20
11
11
16
Justin Rodbell
16
15
11
17
Ben LaMay
15
16
11
18
Broc Tickle
10
39
11
19
Isaac Teasdale
18
14
10
20
Tyler Bowers
19
18
5
21
Jeremy Smith
21
17
4
22
Richard Taylor
23
19
2
23
Matthew Hubert
28
20
1
24
McClellan Hile
25
22
0
25
Scott Meshey
22
26
0
26
William Clason
24
27
0
27
Adam Enticknap
29
24
0
28
Dalton Dyer
26
28
0
29
Austin Root
34
21
0
30
Tristan Lane
32
23
0
31
Jerry Lorenz III
30
25
0
32
Connor Olson
27
29
0
33
Nathen LaPorte
33
31
0
34
Cole Shondeck
31
36
0
35
Carter Stephenson
37
33
0
36
Matthew Toth
35
35
0
37
Nick Schmidt
36
38
0
38
Alex Ray
39
40
0
39
Jorge Rubalcava
30
0
40
Jeffrey Walker
32
0
41
Dominic DeSimone
34
0
42
Joseph Savatgy
38
0
43
Felix Lopez
40
0
450MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
325
2
Adam Cianciarulo
301
3
Marvin Musquin
283
4
Eli Tomac
278
5
Chase Sexton
245
6
Justin Barcia
234
7
Blake Baggett
232
8
Christian Craig
195
9
Max Anstie
166
10
Joseph Savatgy
147
11
Broc Tickle
145
12
Fredrik Noren
125
13
Dean Wilson
97
14
Justin Bogle
93
15
Jake Masterpool
82
16
Justin Rodbell
69
17
Benny Bloss
68
18
Henry Miller
59
19
Jason Anderson
58
20
John Short
34
21
Ben LaMay
32
22
Coty Schock
31
23
Cooper Webb
29
24
Grant Harlan
29
25
Isaac Teasdale
29
26
Tyler Bowers
28
27
Jeremy Smith
22
28
Justin Hoeft
17
29
Kyle Chisholm
15
30
Luke Renzland
11
31
Matthew Hubert
11
32
Chase Felong
8
33
Alex Ray
7
34
Tristan Lane
5
35
Felix Lopez
5
36
Robbie Wageman
4
37
Jeffrey Walker
4
38
McClellan Hile
3
39
Cory Carsten
3
40
Jared Lesher
3
41
Bryce Backaus
2
42
Richard Taylor
2
43
Dalton Dyer
0
44
Austin Root
0
45
Scott Meshey
0
46
Christopher Prebula
0
47
Tristan Lewis
0
48
Jerry Lorenz III
0
49
Carson Tickle
0
50
Bryce Hansen
0
51
Adam Enticknap
0
52
Vann Martin
0
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
250MX Moto 1
The opening moto of the 250 Class began with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Mitchell Harrison prevailing with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, but he quickly gave way to the Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing teammates of Shane McElrath and Dylan Ferrandis. As the lead duo quickly built a gap over the field, the race soon turned into a breakaway for the Star Yamaha squad as Cooper moved into third.
With Cooper closing in, Ferrandis picked up the pace and put the pressure on McElrath for the lead, successfully making the pass about 10 minutes into the moto. Once out front the Frenchman was able to sprint away to a multi-second advantage. As Ferrandis continued to build on his lead the battle for second intensified between McElrath and Cooper just past the halfway point of the moto. Cooper soon made his way around his teammate and looked to chip away at the deficit to Ferrandis.
Dylan Ferrandis
Out front Ferrandis was able to maintain a comfortable margin over Cooper the rest of the way to secure his eighth moto win of the season and his fifth consecutive checkered flag by 5.3 seconds over Cooper, with McElrath securing a 1-2-3 sweep for Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing. GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin followed in fourth, while his team-mate Hunter Lawrence rounded out the top five ahead of younger sibling Jett.
Hunter Lawrence 5th in the opening moto
250MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
+05.390
3
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+11.527
4
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+14.150
5
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+20.856
6
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+31.921
7
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+32.542
8
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+41.938
9
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+41.985
10
Dilan Schwartz
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:07.589
11
Nathanael Thrasher
YAM YZ 250F
+1:14.023
12
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:15.346
13
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+1:15.500
14
Mitchell Falk
YAM YZ 250F
+1:27.657
15
Preston Kilroy
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:29.160
16
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
+1:29.845
17
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
+1:34.515
18
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+1:46.972
19
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:49.725
20
Derek Drake
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+1:53.364
21
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+1:56.676
22
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+2:00.813
23
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
15 Laps
24
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
+02.423
25
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
+20.266
26
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+24.403
27
Zack Williams
KTM 250 SX-F
+40.008
28
Kai Aiello
HQV FC250
+49.110
29
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+1:03.781
30
Blake Ashley
YAM YZ 250F
+1:04.517
31
Gerhard Matamoros
YAM YZ 250F
+1:08.912
32
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+1:17.157
33
Wade Brommel
KAW KX 250
+2:04.870
34
Robert Fitch, Jr.
YAM YZ 250
+2:09.237
35
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW KX 250
14 Laps
36
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
+3:46.806
37
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ RMZ 250
13 Laps
38
RJ Hampshire
HQV FC250
12 Laps
39
Mason Gonzales
YAM YZ 250F
8 Laps
40
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
+00.697
250MX Moto 2
As the field roared out the gate to start Moto 2 it was Cooper who came away with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by his teammates Jarrett Frye and McElrath, with McElrath getting by Frye for second. Ferrandis started outside the top 10 while his primary championship rival, Martin, got by Frye for third. Martin didn’t stop there. He kept his push to the front going and made the pass on McElrath for second before attacking Cooper for the lead. As the battle for first took shape Ferrandis had worked his way to just outside the top five.
Cooper responded to the pressure and maintained his hold of the lead. Behind them Ferrandis encountered some misfortune when two riders ahead of him came together and forced the Yamaha off track and onto the ground. The point leader got back on his bike and reentered quickly, but had to make up a few lost positions from 10th place. Back up front, Martin closed back in on Cooper just past the halfway point of the moto. The lead duo again engaged in a spirited fight, where Cooper fended off virtually every one of Martin’s moves and successfully rebuilt his advantage after several laps of tight racing.
As time ran out on the moto the focus shifted to the battle for third, which turned into a three-rider fight between McElrath, Hunter Lawrence and Ferrandis, who successfully battled back from his early incident. Hunter Lawrence was aggressive in trying to keep Ferrandis at bay and it carried him by McElrath for third. Ferrandis followed through into fourth and then made an impressive pass on Hunter Lawrence to take control of third. Out front Cooper pulled out to a margin of more than five seconds and carried on to his first moto win of the season, followed by Martin in second and Ferrandis in third after a resilient ride.
Jett Lawrence finished the second moto in sixth place which gave him sixth for the round while older brother Hunter was fifth for the round.
Jett Lawrence
250MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+03.166
3
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
+12.795
4
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+14.978
5
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+17.331
6
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+39.731
7
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+51.384
8
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+54.471
9
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+57.325
10
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+1:00.384
11
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+1:00.944
12
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:25.882
13
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
+1:34.994
14
Mitchell Falk
YAM YZ 250F
+1:43.012
15
Dilan Schwartz
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:45.414
16
Nathanael Thrasher
YAM YZ 250F
+1:48.808
17
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+2:03.602
18
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:10.642
19
Preston Kilroy
SUZ RMZ 250
15 Laps
20
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+11.434
21
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
+23.324
22
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
+27.007
23
Zack Williams
KTM 250 SX-F
+27.728
24
Kai Aiello
HQV FC250
+41.802
25
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+45.667
26
Wade Brommel
KAW KX 250
+48.222
27
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+54.630
28
Robert Fitch, Jr.
YAM YZ 250
+1:12.177
29
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+1:27.879
30
Gerhard Matamoros
YAM YZ 250F
+1:36.260
31
Jake Pinhancos
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:55.462
32
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
14 Laps
33
Otto Berton
KTM 250 SX-F
+17.809
34
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
8 Laps
35
Kyle Greeson
KTM 250 SX-F
7 Laps
36
Tyler Lowe
KTM 250 SX-F
+24.453
37
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
5 Laps
38
Jacob Bork
YAM YZ 250F
2 Laps
39
Blake Ashley
YAM YZ 250F
DNF
40
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
DNS
250MX Overall
The second moto win was enough to put Cooper atop the overall classification (2-1) for his second career victory, where he became the fourth different 250 Class winner this season. Ferrandis’ spirited effort in Moto 2 allowed him to secure the runner-up spot (1-3), while Martin ended up third (4-2).
“A lot of pressure was on my shoulders, but I’m glad it’s off,” exclaimed Cooper. “There were only two rounds left (entering today) so it’s a good time to do it. Now I can go into next weekend feeling a lot more confident and look to finish out the season strong. I really enjoy this place. I get good vibes here. It just feels good to pull off a win.”
Justin Cooper
The come-from-behind effort by Ferrandis paid dividends in the 250 Class standings where he gained five points on Martin to carry a 18-point lead into the final round.
“I was in a bad position (in the second moto). I wanted to get as many points as possible, so I rode as hard as I could,” said Ferrandis. “I got a bad start and then I got caught up in an incident. There was nothing I could do. I just put my head down and gave it my all. We still were able to get on the podium so that’s good for the championship.”
250MX Overall Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Points
1
Justin Cooper
2
1
47
2
Dylan Ferrandis
1
3
45
3
Jeremy Martin
4
2
40
4
Shane McElrath
3
5
36
5
Hunter Lawrence
5
4
34
6
Jett Lawrence
6
6
30
7
Jo Shimoda
7
8
27
8
Mitchell Harrison
8
9
25
9
Jarrett Frye
9
10
23
10
Carson Mumford
13
11
18
11
Alex Martin
12
12
18
12
Dilan Schwartz
10
15
17
13
Nathanael Thrasher
11
16
15
14
Brandon Hartranft
22
7
14
15
Mitchell Falk
14
14
14
16
Joseph Crown
40
13
8
17
Preston Kilroy
15
19
8
18
Joshua Varize
19
18
5
19
Jerry Robin
16
37
5
20
Jesse Flock
21
17
4
21
Derek Kelley
18
20
4
22
Nick Gaines
17
40
4
23
Gared Steinke
23
21
0
24
Derek Drake
20
1
25
Gage Schehr
25
22
0
26
Zack Williams
27
23
0
27
Curren Thurman
26
25
0
28
Kai Aiello
28
24
0
29
Ezra Hastings
29
27
0
30
Kevin Moranz
24
34
0
31
Wade Brommel
33
26
0
32
Maxwell Sanford
32
29
0
33
Gerhard Matamoros
31
30
0
34
Robert Fitch, Jr.
34
28
0
35
Lane Shaw
36
32
0
36
Blake Ashley
30
39
0
37
Jake Pinhancos
31
0
38
Otto Berton
33
0
39
Cameron Mcadoo
35
0
40
Kyle Greeson
35
0
41
Tyler Lowe
36
0
42
Colton Eigenmann
37
0
43
RJ Hampshire
38
0
44
Jacob Bork
38
0
45
Mason Gonzales
39
0
250MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dylan Ferrandis
352
2
Jeremy Martin
334
3
Shane McElrath
254
4
Justin Cooper
251
5
Alex Martin
242
6
Jett Lawrence
230
7
RJ Hampshire
217
8
Cameron Mcadoo
165
9
Mitchell Harrison
163
10
Brandon Hartranft
148
11
Jo Shimoda
141
12
Carson Mumford
134
13
Hunter Lawrence
122
14
Derek Drake
107
15
Mason Gonzales
75
16
Stilez Robertson
70
17
Nick Gaines
62
18
Jarrett Frye
55
19
Ty Masterpool
54
20
Pierce Brown
36
21
Hardy Munoz
33
22
Jerry Robin
33
23
Joseph Crown
32
24
Darian Sanayei
24
25
Dilan Schwartz
22
26
Jalek Swoll
19
27
Derek Kelley
19
28
Lance Kobusch
18
29
Nathanael Thrasher
15
30
Ezra Hastings
14
31
Mitchell Falk
14
32
Joshua Varize
12
33
Jesse Flock
12
34
Gared Steinke
11
35
Austin Root
9
36
Preston Kilroy
8
37
Kevin Moranz
7
38
Zack Williams
6
39
Jordan Bailey
6
40
Maxwell Sanford
4
41
Mathias Jorgensen
4
42
Curren Thurman
2
43
Ryder Floyd
0
44
Colton Eigenmann
0
45
Chase Lorenz
0
46
Jace Kessler
0
47
Vincent Luhovey
0
48
Gage Schehr
0
49
Gerhard Matamoros
0
50
Carson Brown
0
51
Lane Shaw
0
52
Christopher Williams
0
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Australian Motocross Championship
Motorcycling Australia have officially announced that the 2020 Australian Motocross Championship will not run, as continuing border restrictions related to COVID-19 create ongoing uncertainty, with the decision reached after consultations with teams, riders, clubs and stakeholders. See the full statement below:
Due to the ongoing uncertainty around State Government COVID-19 border restrictions, Motorcycling Australia (MA) after consultation with key stakeholders, have been forced to make the difficult decision to abandon any further attempts to conduct the 2020 Australian Motocross Championship.
MA reviewed the championship operations including the format and potential event dates, in consultation with industry, teams, riders and clubs to see if it was possible to run the championship during this COVID-19 period.
Despite significant work by MA over recent months in exploring all possible options to hold the Championship, the uncertainly around State Government COVID-19 border restrictions, has meant it is not possible to run the Championship in 2020.
MA sincerely thank all stakeholders, clubs, teams and riders for their support and patience, but this late in the year has proven too difficult to start the Championship without clear plans from State Government’s around State borders being reopened.
MA is now focusing all its efforts on delivering a successful 2021 Australian Motocross Championship.
Peter Doyle – MA CEO
“While the cancellation is disappointing for riders, teams, industry and fans, MA is already working hard to ensure that we have the best possible championship in 2021. The Australian Motocross Championship is the breeding ground of future superstars and will continue to showcase the best motocross action in the country.”
Mitchell Evans & Tim Gajser renew with HRC
Mitch Evans & Tim Gajser
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) have announced that it has renewed its contracts with Tim Gajser (24-years-old, Slovenia) and Mitchell Evans (21-years-old, Australia), for multiple years. Both riders are currently competing for Team HRC in the FIM Motocross World Championship Premier MXGP Class.
After becoming the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 world champion in 2015, Tim Gajser joined Honda’s Team HRC factory team to compete in, and win the premier MXGP class. He won his second MXGP title in 2019, and is currently leading the 2020 championship, aiming for his second consecutive, and third total, title in the premier class.
Tim Gajser
“I’m super happy to extend my contract with Honda and Team HRC. I’ve been here for the past seven years and to me this team feels like a family so I’m really happy to stay. We will keep giving our best and we are all excited and ready to fight for the title every year and I believe this is the best place for me to be, especially on board the Honda CRF450RW. It is great to confirm this and continue our partnership that has already seen us become multi-time world champions.”
Tim Gajser & Mitch Evans
Mitchell Evans entered the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 class in 2019, to finish an impressive 11th in his debut year. In 2020 he joined Team HRC to race in the MXGP class, and is currently ranked 11th.
Mitchell Evans
“I’m very happy to have the deal done and in place. It now allows me to focus on the rest of the season and putting in the best results possible. It also gives me a platform to build upon for the future, and I feel like we’ve built a good relationship already and I’m excited for that to continue. I want to keep improving and working with this team and riding the Honda CRF450RW and I feel Team HRC has proven itself as the best team for me to achieve my dreams of challenging for a world title.”
FIM & Eurosport Events partner to promote Speedway globally
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Eurosport Events has agreed a long-term partnership which will see the Discovery-owned event management company promote FIM Speedway events including FIM Speedway Grand Prix, Speedway of Nations, Speedway U21 and Speedway Youth World Championships globally for the next 10 years. The new agreement will begin in 2022 and builds on the existing partnership between the organisations for the promotion of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) since 2015.
In an expanded role following a competitive tender to select the new global promoter of the sport, Eurosport Events will leverage its long-standing motorsport promotion expertise and the international scale of Discovery to develop the sport and grow Speedway around the world.
The partnership will seek to expand Speedway GP’s international calendar, extend the distribution of the sport on TV and digital platforms, launch Speedway into new territories and increase its audiences around the world.
Jorge Viegas, FIM President & François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events
Eurosport Events will oversee the full operational and commercial aspects of the sport including multi-platform rights management and distribution, broadcast production, sponsorship rights strategy and the full suite of marketing, brand and promotional activity. It will also work with local organisers on local promotion and maximising ticketing, hospitality and fan engagement activities.
Jorge Viegas – FIM President
“The FIM launched the tender process back in 2019 for the promotion of the FIM Speedway World Championships 2022-2031. Discovery and Eurosport Events has won the vote of the Board of Directors for its innovative proposal in terms of sport promotion and television coverage. The FIM is delighted to expand its collaboration with Discovery and Eurosport Events, who has been the promoter of the FIM Endurance World Championship since 2015. This new collaboration will provide increased media visibility of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship through Eurosport platforms and key third-party broadcasters. The FIM would like to thank BSI and OneSport who have made a significant contribution to the development of the Speedway over the past twenty years and to wish them every success in 2021 and for the remainder of this season.”
YME confirm Jago Geerts & Maxime Renaux till 2022
Yamaha Motor Europe has confirmed that Jago Geerts will remain with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team through 2022, and that the young Belgian will be joined on the gate of the 2021 and 2022 MX2 World Championships by young Frenchman Maxime Renaux.
Yamaha Motor Europe confirm Jago Geerts and Maxime Renaux through 2022
Geerts made his MX2 debut with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team back in 2018. The combination of the young Belgian and the Yamaha YZ250F has been fruitful with the ‘193’ scoring his first-ever Grand Prix podium on his way to eighth overall in his rookie season. After one-year of learning and improvement at an elite level, Geerts was able secure the MX2 bronze medal with six more podium finishes in his second season.
Starting 2020 strong, the 19-year-old won his first ever Grand Prix at the opening round of the MX2 series in Matterley Basin, Great Britain. He has since turned 20-years-old and has gone on to win two more rounds, in Kegums, Latvia, and has extended his career podium count to 13.
As a long-time Yamaha rider, Renaux has already raced on the Hans Corvers led ‘Kemea Yamaha’ team in the past. It was back in 2015 where he celebrated three EMX125 wins onboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 and was crowned Junior 125cc World Champion in that same year. Since then, the team has taken on Factory status as the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Team and is solely focused on the FIM MX2 World Championship.
Renaux, now 20-years-old, has shown great promise since his MX2 debut in 2018 where he raced five rounds of the FIM MX2 World Championship as a wildcard rider. He completed his first full-term in MX2 in 2019 where he managed to steer his YZ250F to a maiden podium finish on his way to seventh overall in the final classification.
Nine rounds into the 2020 series, the ‘959’ has quickly established himself as a title threat. He is currently third in the MX2 World Championship standings and has already celebrated his first ever Grand Prix race and overall win, at the MXGP of Italy in Faenza one month ago.
Producing many notable performances since his MX2 debut, which includes four podium celebrations and eight top-three race finishes, Renaux shows signs of great promise and will be a strong challenger for the 2021 and 2022 MX2 crowns.
Jago Geerts – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Rider
“I’m really happy to sign with Yamaha for another two years. The last three years were really nice, and it’s really cool I have extended my contract. Everything works nicely within our team and we have had some really good races this year. I’m really happy with my bike, the Yamaha YZ250FM, so it’s good for me to stay with Yamaha for another two-years.”
Maxime Renaux – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Rider
“I’m really looking forward to moving up to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team for 2021 and 2022. It will be a new beginning for me and I’m ready to fight for the title during those next years. The team looks really motivated and so am I. I am already really looking forward to starting our winter program and to start testing and training ahead of 2021.”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Holcombe moves into Italian Enduro Championship lead
Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has fought his way through an incredibly wet and wild penultimate stop of the Italian Enduro Championship to take control of the series’ overall points lead.
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
After two busy weekends of Enduro World Championship racing, Steve returned to Italian Enduro Championship duty in Darfo Boario for rounds five and six. Blighted by exceptionally heavy rain, riders faced a wet and wild opening day of competition before conditions thankfully dried a little for day two.
Opting not to take any unnecessary risks in the conditions, Steve maintained a comfortable pace on his Beta RR Racing 4T 350, finishing a strong second overall on day one. Greeted with drier weather on day two he opened his account with the fastest time in the day’s first special test. Losing some ground on the enduro test, he fought back in the latter stages of the day to secure third overall.
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
With a double podium result, Steve now moves into the overall championship lead with just the final two days of competition remaining, in Arma di Taggia at the end of October.
Steve Holcombe
“That was a tough weekend on the bike for sure. The weather was crazy on Saturday and I think that was the wettest I’ve ever been. Honestly, all credit to the organisers for keeping the racing going. The rain made it so challenging and it was very easy to make a mistake out there. I tried to play it a little safe and took second, then in drier conditions for Sunday I finished third. Beating Thomas Oldrati both times has helped me take the championship lead, which was always the end goal here. After three hectic weekends in a row I’m going to take a little bit of time to recover and then regroup for the final rounds of the Italian Championships and EnduroGP.”
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
Results – Italian Enduro Championship – Round 5
Brad Freeman (Beta) 35:50.37
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 36:31.48
Joe Wootton (Husqvarna) 36:36.63
Thomas Oldrati (Honda) 36:49.11
Matteo Cavallo (Sherco) 37:08.83
Results – Italian Enduro Championship – Round 6
Brad Freeman (Beta) 36:51.61
Andrea Verona (TM) 37:15.68
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 37:23.88
Joe Wootton (Husqvarna) 37:25.42
Thomas Oldrati (Honda) 37:35.79
Championship Standings (After Round 6)
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 94
Thomas Oldrati (Honda) 87
Brad Freeman (Beta) 75
Andrea Verona (TM) 69
Matteo Cavallo (Sherco) 61
Arminas Jasikonis wakes from medically induced coma
Husqvarna Motorcycles have reported positive news regarding Arminas Jasikonis’ condition following his crash at the MXGP of Lombardia.
Admitted to hospital in Cremona, Italy, on Sunday, September 27, Arminas woke from his medically induced coma on Wednesday, September 30 and was quickly able to recognise and talk with his family and the exceptional medical staff around him, both in Lithuanian and English. AJ can also move his body unaided, is in no pain and despite being understandably tired is thankfully over the worst of his injury and can soon start his rehabilitation.
Arminas Jasikonis has just awakened from a medically induced coma
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing extended their thanks to all of the medical staff that have cared for AJ, and to those from around the world that expressed overwhelming support for him during the last few days.
Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager
“Honestly, I have never been so happy to comment on one of my riders. To be able to say that AJ is ok, that he is going to be ok, it’s a kind of miracle. These last few days since his accident have been so, so emotionally draining for everyone close to AJ, and just the worst of times. When he woke, when we realised that he could talk, that he could move all of his arms and legs, that he was in no pain and had no other injuries, it’s still almost impossible to put into words how incredible that feeling was. Of course, AJ still has some way to go before he is fully recovered, and understandably he is still very tired, but the worst is now behind him and he can soon start his recovery. Again, I want to say a sincere thank you to every single person who had AJ in their thoughts during the last few days, to the overwhelming support and positivity we received from the MXGP paddock and the global motocross community. But especially I want to thank everyone at Husqvarna Motorcycles in Austria and the entire motorsports family there, to Robert Jonas and Heinz Kinigadner and also to our team owner Kimi, who immediately started organising many things behind the scenes. Everyone in the team is hugely thankful for this positive outcome and so, so relieved that AJ will be ok.”
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Waters Wins Inaugural King of Capricorn
Todd Waters has been crowned the 2020 King of Capricorn after an impressive display of racing at the Six Mile circuit at Rockhampton. Waters, the current Australian Motocross champion, claimed the crown and the hefty prize money to go along with it, after a full weekend of on track action that saw Waters not only win the King of Capricorn feature event but also the MX1 (450cc) and MX2 (250cc) pro divisions as well.
The feature race saw the top 40 riders from the MX1 and MX2 classes race their way through a series of sprint races that saw the last seven riders from each race eliminated until the final 15 lined up and ready to unleash in a three lap frenzy.
The star studded field included Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs, Aaron Tanti and Jay Wilson as well as young guns Jai Walker and Noah Ferguson, with all riders already under plenty of physical duress from racing all weekend.
From the drop of the gate, it was Walker who led the field and built a small gap on the stars behind him but he made a mistake at the half way point and that was all Waters needed to get to the front and take a popular victory in front of an enthusiastic crowded gathered at the Rockhampton track.
Todd Waters
“What an awesome event. Its so good to see so many riders turn up for a race like this and for me its special because it was a track I raced a lot as a kid growing up and to come back here now as a pro and not just win but also get to talk to the younger riders and spend time with them is something I hope they remember, just like I did as a kid. This is something our sport has not seen for a long time and I’m glad it proved to be so successful at the first attempt. I’m extremely proud to have won here and hopefully this is the start of plenty more events like this in the future. Thank you to the event organisers and sponsors for putting on such a cool race and hopefully events like this can continue as racing a dirt bike is fun and this weekend was awesome fun.”
Todd Waters
Taking the Prince of Capricorn in the junior division was Mackay’s, Jackson Camilleri. Camilleri was on fire all weekend and like Waters, took victory in his 125 and 250cc classes over the weekend before going on to cap of a huge weekend for the teenager who celebrated his 16th birthday on Sunday, with an emphatic win in the junior feature event.
Jackson Camilleri
“It was good to get the win here and finish the season on a good note. I had an injury that saw me miss a few events earlier in the year and then I wasn’t prepared as I wanted to be for the state titles but it’s good to be back up front and winning again.”
Jackson Camilleri
Despite the 20K on offer across the weekend, the vibe of the event was fun and light-hearted with all the pro races taking time to work with the young riders. Each rider was assigned a class to mentor and encouragement prize packs were handed out to young riders by their heroes.
Jay Wilson
“With our national events cancelled due to COVID, to have this event was awesome for everyone in Queensland. All the riders got behind it with over 300 turning up and supporting the weekend and the prizemoney on offer made it the biggest for the 2020 season. The racing was serious but also a bit more relaxed than a national title and the club did a great job of running the event. The pro riders all got a kick out of working with the young guys and hopefully they now feel we are approachable and can talk to us about their riding any time. Hopefully it’s the first of this style event and we can do more like this in the future.”
Jay Wilson
With the dust now settled on a successful event, race secretary Debbie Dark can now reflect on the weekend.
Debbie Dark
“The event came about because plenty of enthusiastic people wanted to continue racing in Queensland. We were due to have the Australian Junior Motocross Championships the past week, but when they was cancelled, the club got together with supporters and we put the event on. It was great to see so many sponsors support it and not only raise money to host it, but also boast $20,000 in prizemoney. I also must thank the dedication of the people in our club who put in so much hard work as well those that helped me behind the scenes. The smile on the riders and their thanks at the end of the weekend made it all worth it.”
Round 2 of the 2020 WA MX Senior State Championship had wrapped up with Regan Duffy sweeping the MX1 and MX2 classes, while Chris Errey went 2-1-1 in Veterans for the round win. The Amateur Cup saw Jay White take the win, going 1-2-2, with Callum Bayliss second with a 2-1-3 result.
MX1 Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
REGAN DUFFY
105
35
35
35
2
JOHN DARROCH
94
32
30
32
3
CHARLIE CREECH
86
30
28
28
4
JOSH ADAMS
84
28
26
30
5
CONNOR TIERNEY
83
25
32
26
6
STUEY WILMOT
74
24
25
25
7
LUKE FEW
67
20
24
23
8
ASH ROGERS
66
21
23
22
9
STEVEN POCOCK
61
19
21
21
10
ANTHONY HICKS
59
17
22
20
11
BRYNN CUTTS
53
16
19
18
12
DYLAN HEARD
51
23
11
17
13
BLAIR OUTRAM
47
14
17
16
14
CORBEN WEINERT
46
22
–
24
15
DANE CUTTS
43
13
16
14
16
MITCHELL WILHELM
42
12
15
15
17
JOE DI GIULIO
38
18
20
–
18
CHRISTIAN SILVESTRO
33
15
18
–
19
JACOB WHATELY
26
–
13
13
20
LUKE DAVIS
26
26
–
–
21
TAINE KINGS
23
11
12
–
22
BRENDON BAYLISS
19
–
–
19
23
SAM CLARKE
14
–
14
–
MX2 Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
REGAN DUFFY
105
35
35
35
2
DANIEL PAJEWSKI
96
32
32
32
3
JOSH ADAMS
90
30
30
30
4
CONAN FORRESTER
82
26
28
28
5
CODY CHITTICK
74
25
23
26
6
SETH MANUEL
73
28
26
19
7
BRENDON BAYLISS
70
23
22
25
8
CHRISTIAN SILVESTRO
65
20
21
24
9
EVAN BROWNE
65
24
25
16
10
CHRISTOPHER WHEELER
57
18
18
21
11
TOM LILLY
57
19
20
18
12
SHAUN SNOW
52
16
19
17
13
JAYDEN MCFERRAN
50
14
16
20
14
REVONN NIEUWOUDT
47
–
24
23
15
HARRISON SMITH
45
15
15
15
16
BRAYDON BAYNES
44
13
17
14
17
BEN COOK
43
21
–
22
18
MATTHEW MARSON
36
11
12
13
19
SHANE MURRAY
36
22
14
–
20
MITCHELL KILLEEN
30
17
13
–
21
KARA CATS
12
12
–
–
22
ZAC SAFFIOTI
10
10
–
–
Veterans Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
CHRIS ERREY
102
32
35
35
2
BEN SHINGLER
97
35
30
32
3
AARON CHIRCOP
90
28
32
30
4
TREVOR UNSTEAD
82
30
24
28
5
STEVE BARRINGTON
78
26
28
24
6
STUART MCFERRAN
74
23
26
25
7
AARON MAZZA
73
25
22
26
8
SCOTT KOSTIN
71
24
25
22
9
DIARMUID FITZPATRICK
66
20
23
23
10
MARC PAYNE
64
22
21
21
11
NATHAN WILLCOCKS
59
19
20
20
12
BRETT NEWBOULT
59
21
19
19
13
BEN MARTIN
53
17
18
18
14
CHRIS HALLETT
50
18
17
15
15
TIMOTHY WARR
46
15
14
17
16
JOHN GAILES
45
16
13
16
17
BENJI DAWSON
43
14
16
13
18
PETER FREIGHT
42
13
15
14
Amateur Cup Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
JAY WHITE
99
35
32
32
2
CALLUM BAYLISS
97
32
35
30
3
FLETCHER STUBBS
89
28
26
35
4
DANIEL WRIGHT
74
25
28
21
5
DECLAN O’LEARY
74
24
30
20
6
CALLUM THOMSON
73
30
20
23
7
KACEY KINGS
69
22
22
25
8
CAMPBELL LEE
67
26
15
26
9
BEN TRELOAR
65
20
21
24
10
JACOB JONES
65
23
23
19
11
JOSHUA RASMUSSEN
62
21
19
22
12
KIRK SHIER
59
18
24
17
13
MASON COOPER
55
19
18
18
14
SCOTT BROWN
50
17
17
16
15
RICKY LADISZLAI
50
10
25
15
16
CLAYTON CLUNIE
42
14
–
28
17
RUBEN PLANT
40
16
12
12
18
WILLIAM JONES
39
12
14
13
19
HANNAH STEWART
30
–
16
14
20
SAM DAVIES
29
8
13
8
21
JEREMY RODGER
26
15
–
11
22
TAHLIA LANG
24
6
11
7
23
REECE LAWRENCE
22
13
–
9
24
JUDD THOMAS
22
7
9
6
25
RILEY LITTLEFAIR
19
9
–
10
26
ADAM PLANT
11
11
–
–
27
MAKALA EDWARDS
10
–
10
–
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Queensland Dirt Track Titles – Ayr MCC
The 2020 Queensland Dirt Track Titles saw Ayr MCC host the event over October 3 & 4, with Jarred Brook dominating the MX Open and Pro 450 classes across both days.
Jarred Brook
“That’s a wrap for the 2020 QLD Long Track and Dirt Track Titles. Thank you to Ayr Motorcycle Club Inc for running a great event. Thank you to my little team and sponsors for helping me come away with a win in the MX Open, second place in the Pro 450 for Long Track, then the double win for Dirt Track!”
Jaimon Lidsey FIM Speedway Under-21 World Champion
Amost four years to the day after he won the Under 21 Speedway World Championship, Mansfield’s Max Fricke admits he has realised “a childhood dream” after roaring to his first-ever FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory at FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round seven on Friday.
Another Aussie also achieved a childhood dream overnight with Jaimon Lidsey being crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Champion.
Lidsey, 21-years-old from Red Cliffs, has had a sensational European season and was calculated in his heat races during the Under 21 World Championship event last night scoring 3,3,3,2,3,3,3 on his run to the final.
Jaimon Lidsey – 2020 FIM World Under 21 Speedway Champion
While expectations were high for other riders to take the title, the young Victorian with plenty of Aussie grit held the best for last dominating the Final from the drop of the gate to now join a long list of Australian World Speedway Champions.
In Poland Fricke topped the FIM Speedway GP podium ahead of title-chasing trio Maciej Janowski, Tai Woffinden and series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik. With the victory Fricke, 24, became the seventh Australian who can boast winning the elite SGP joining Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, Jason Doyle, Chris Holder, Ryan Sullivan and Darcy Ward.
Fricke topped the podium ahead of title-chasing trio Maciej Janowski, Tai Woffinden
Zmarzlik overcame a crash in heat five to reach the semi-finals. He now just needs to reach the final of the title-deciding round eight on Saturday night to become Poland’s first double world champion after registering 14 points, giving him an eight-point cushion over nearest rival Woffinden in second spot.
But the night belonged to Fricke, who raced to 10 points in his heats, before delivering one of the rides on the season to pass Janowski and Fredrik Lindgren in semi-final one. He then made a world-class start in the final to leave three of the sport’s finest trailing and crown the greatest victory of his career so far.
The Wroclaw racer says he realised a boyhood dream as he enjoyed the Australian national anthem atop the Torun podium.
Fricke: “It’s unbelievable. I think it will take a while for it to sink in. I have been to Torun before and watched GPs. To win a GP has been a childhood dream for almost as long as I can remember – since I started racing.
“To actually be here and get a Grand Prix win is great. I have had a tough start to this year, so to have a win is unbelievable.”
Fricke nearly threw victory away when he lifted dramatically on the run to the line. He said: “I was doing everything I could to stay in front. I could hear Magic behind me. I just picked up a little too much right at the end. But I managed to bring it across the line.”
He was delighted to lead a Wroclaw one-two-three on the rostrum. Fricke added: “It was great to be on the podium with Tai and Magic. They are both great friends and we obviously ride together in Wroclaw. It was a really cool podium and great to be up there with some good friends.”
Fricke, 24, became the seventh Australian who can boast winning the elite SGP joining Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, Jason Doyle, Chris Holder, Ryan Sullivan and Darcy Ward.
Fricke would love a repeat performance in Saturday’s final SGP round of 2020, but admits he will take things step by step.
He said: “I just want to keep consistent. My plan is to make the semis and once you make the semis, anything can happen. I am just trying to keep that attitude and give it 110 percent in every race I go out in.”
Fricke wasn’t the only Aussie star to claim a huge international victory tonight. His former Belle Vue team mate Jaimon Lidsey was crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner at Czech track Pardubice.
A delighted Fricke said: “It has been an unbelievable night. We were watching the results earlier and checking out how Jaimon was doing. We are really excited for him as well.
“He has been coming along really well over the last couple of years and has done awesome this whole season in Poland. He definitely deserves it – good on him!”
Fricke topped the podium ahead of title-chasing trio Maciej Janowski, Tai Woffinden
Runner-up Janowski was delighted to be back on the SGP rostrum for the third time this season.
The fourth-placed star said: “It’s great to be on the podium, especially here in Torun. I am very excited. See you tomorrow!”
Third-placed Woffinden raced to his third podium finish on the bounce. He said: “I am happy with tonight’s performance. It could have been better and I am still making silly mistakes. But it’s another podium and another trophy.”
Reigning American Flat Track Grand National Champion Briar Bauman obliterated the world’s best dirt trackers for the third consecutive race, putting on yet another masterclass at Friday night’s Dallas Half-Mile I in Mesquite, Texas.
Briar Bauman
Bauman was in control of the AFT SuperTwins Main Event from green light to checkered flag, looking remarkably smooth throughout an unfamiliar circuit that caught many of his rivals out. In some ways, the victory celebration started with more than four minutes remaining when the blue flags started flying in earnest. By the time the race was complete, Bauman had lapped his way all the way up to seventh position.
Sammy Halbert was the only rider that looked to be in Bauman’s league on this evening. The Springfield Mile winner maintained a gap of right around two seconds back deep into the Main before the run through packs of slower riders eventually dropped him to a final margin of 3.445 seconds.
Jared Mees seemed destined to limit the championship damage he would absorb by rounding out the podium. However, he took another hit when he was victimised by an on-form Robert Pearson, who returned to action in Dallas following a couple rounds away with a new team and plenty of motivation.
Briar Bauman topped the podium from Sammy Halbert and Robert Pearson
Pearson powered his way forward from outside the top five to reel in Mees late. He then executed the decisive maneuver after the clocks showed 0:00 to notch up his first podium of the 2020 season.
Dan Bromley – who earlier exploited the high line to win his Semi – ran fourth over the race’s opening half. Unfortunately, his bike was damaged in an incident, and he was forced to retire after losing his seat. Brandon Price completed the top five.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
36 Laps
2
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+3.445
3
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+5.212
4
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+6.485
5
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+14.101
6
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+16.942
7
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+19.343
8
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+35 Laps
9
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+0.783
10
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+0.95
AFT SuperTwins – Dallas Half-Mile II
Briar Bauman delivered another devastating performance to up his run of dominance to four in Saturday evening’s Roof Systems Dallas Half-Mile II at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. Bauman was again untouchable, streaking out to the lead when the lights went green for the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event and piling it on from there.
Briar Bauman
Friday’s runner-up, Sammy Halbert, got caught up behind Jeffrey Carver Jr. while Bauman escaped at the front during the race’s opening stages. Halbert managed to slip into second with just over nine minutes remaining, providing him plenty of time to track down the leader if he had the pace to do so. And while Halbert did immediately open up some space behind him once through, Bauman in turn just kept running away from him en route to an eventual 4.393-second margin of victory.
Bauman’s monster weekend has the potential to be a turning point in this year’s Grand National Championship fight. Prior to the Dallas doubleheader, Bauman and rival Jared Mees had traded the title lead back and forth at each successive event. Bauman brought that trend to an end in a major way in Texas, turning what was a narrow five-point advantage into a protective 25-point lead.
Briar Bauman
Mees, meanwhile, got away in fifth and started looking for a way past Friday podium man Robert Pearson in earnest with seven and a half minutes remaining. Mees attempted to go low and then high – and then low and high again – but the most he could ever do was pull alongside the scrappy Pearson. Their battle caught and overhauled Carver, the two storming through into third and fourth, respectively, in one fell swoop with four minutes to go.
Mees threw in several more attempts at the podium but was unable to make a move stick; for the second night in a row, Pearson beat him to the line for third, this time by 0.257 seconds. Carver held on to round out the top five.
Briar Bauman topped the podium from Halbert and Pearson
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
36 Laps
2
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+4.393
3
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+5.183
4
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+5.44
5
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+11.033
6
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+13.5
7
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+14.777
8
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+15.098
9
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+16.327
10
JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07
+17.587
AFT SuperTwins Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
219
2
Jared Mees
194
3
Sammy Halbert
163
4
Bronson Bauman
127
5
Brandon Robinson
117
6
Brandon Price
114
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
112
8
Davis Fisher
104
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
85
10
Dan Bromley
84
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
AFT Singles – Dallas Half-Mile I
It was only natural that the AFT Singles rider to shine the brightest in Dallas was one Dallas Daniels. Of course, Daniels hasn’t required any type of luck to separate himself from the pack in 2020.
Dallas Daniels
The rising star seized control of the race by the end of lap one and never saw an opponent’s wheel from that point forward. In a class where no other rider has more than one win on the year, Daniels already boasts four as he has firmly established himself as the championship favourite with the season heading down the stretch.
Daniels’ primary challenger this season — the hugely experienced and decorated Henry Wiles – chased him as deep into the Main as he could manage. However, by mid-distance he was forced to turn his attention to charging teammate Michael Inderbitzin.
Inderbitzin was the one rider who may have had the pace to beat Daniels. However, the polesitter dropped outside the top five off the line and was forced to use that speed just to put himself on Wiles’ rear wheel as they took the halfway flags. Not surprisingly, Wiles proved a hard target, fending Inderbitzin off until the very final lap.
After being displaced to third, Wiles attempted to square his teammate back up in the short sprint to the flag, but Inderbitzin narrowly held on to earn his first podium of the season by 0.089 seconds.
AFT Singles
A couple seconds further back, Williams Grove runner-up Trent Lowe edged Morgen Mischler for fourth by just over a tenth of a second. Daniels’ teammate, Mikey Rush, ran in the lead group early but ultimately crossed the stripe down in eighth. As a result, Daniels now leads the points by 22 over Wiles and 37 over Rush ahead of tomorrow’s rematch.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
24 Laps
2
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+2.421
3
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+2.511
4
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+4.409
5
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+4.547
6
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+6.579
7
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
+8.127
8
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+8.835
9
Jesse Janisch
Husqvarna FC450
+10.565
10
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+11.347
AFT Singles – Dallas Half-Mile II
Ten races into the 2020 AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys season, five riders have one win, and one rider has five wins. The five-win rider, Dallas Daniels, doubled up at his namesake event on Saturday night with a Dallas HM performance that accurately represented the superiority he’s demonstrated as of late.
Henry Wiles and Dallas Daniels
Despite claiming the first pick on the front row, Daniels slipped off the line, allowing Henry Wiles, Mikey Rush, and Morgen Mischler through at the start.
In response, Daniels went to work. He dropped Mischler within a lap. Not long after, Daniels ducked under Rush to move into second, nearly acing Wiles in the same maneuver. Less than a minute later, Daniels drove up alongside Wiles mid-corner and then powered by him on exit in the exact same manner.
With clear air in front of him, Daniels opened up several bike lengths in just a half lap and ultimately sprinted away to a five-plus second margin of victory.
Dallas Daniels
“It’s definitely not easy, especially when you get a terrible start like I did. Me and my crew chief were talking about getting a good start, and I guess I wanted to do the exact opposite. I had a move going out of Turn 2; there was a little bit of a rut those guys were hitting and going wide, and I was able to go underneath them. I was able to do it to Mikey and then Henry too. To be honest, I didn’t know what was going on behind me. I just charged, charged, charged. When I looked back after the checkers, I had a really big gap.”
Dallas Daniels won from Michael Rush and Tanner Dean
While Daniels erased all drama in the fight for victory, there was plenty of action behind. Rush and Wiles went at it for second for the majority of the race. However, second-ranked Wiles lost the groove as the clock hit 0:00, and over the race’s final two laps, he’d drop from a potential runner-up to an eventual sixth.
With Wiles out of contention, Rush gave Estenson Racing the 1-2. Less than a half-second back, Tanner Dean just beat Michael Inderbitzin to the line to finish third. Mischler finished a further 1.3 seconds back to complete the top five.
Even after missing the Main in the season opener, Daniels now boasts more than a full race’s advantage in the standings, leading Wiles by 34 points (183-149). Rush is in third at 141.
Max Whale
“Hard week at the office, drove 24 hours solo in the RV to race Dallas Texas. Struggled big time with setup and made a few mistakes. On Friday and ran P12, my worst result this year. Regrouped and ran P7 on Saturday. Gone back to 4th in the championship. A little disappointed but more than ready to Hit the last 3 double headers. Specials thanks this week to Don, from Dons Kawasaki for freshening up the bikes. Also to my helpers on the day Matty, Keith and Barry. Your legends would be lost without you.”
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
25 Laps
2
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+5.029
3
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+5.436
4
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+5.529
5
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+6.859
6
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+7.168
7
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+7.552
8
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
+8.043
9
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+8.174
10
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+12.398
AFT Singles Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Dallas Daniels
183
2
Henry Wiles
149
3
Michael Rush
141
4
Max Whale
133
5
Trent Lowe
112
6
Brandon Kitchen
106
7
Tanner Dean
104
8
Morgen Mischler
99
9
Chad Cose
89
10
Michael Inderbitzin
88
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
AFT Production Twins – Dallas Half-Mile I
James Rispoli continued to operate in another orbit compared to the rest of the AFT Production Twins field, streaking to his fifth win in six races with relative ease. Defending class champion Cory Texter shot into the lead off the light, followed by Chad Cose.
James Rispoli
Polesitter Rispoli dropped to third at the start but was already in the lead and shaking free by the end of the opening lap. Cose did all he could to give the title leader a fight, holding onto his draft for about three minutes before Rispoli put an end to his challenge and blasted off to yet another blowout victory.
Title contender Ryan Varnes suffered a huge moment early, dropping from third to seventh in the process. He spent the next half race clawing his way forward. Varnes did well to battle his way back into third and even closed in on runner-up Cose for a spell, but was forced to accept the final spot on the box in the end.
Ben Lowe held down fourth for much of the contest but became embroiled in a scrap for the position with Jeremiah Duffy. Duffy managed to find a way through to take fourth at the flag while Lowe rounded out the top five less than a second back. After getting such a strong start, Texter’s race ended down in seventh, 0.154 seconds back of Danny Eslick. Rispoli now holds a title lead equal to his competition number, up a full 43 points on second-ranked Texter.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
24 Laps
2
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+3.137
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+3.527
4
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+7.124
5
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+8.067
6
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+9.929
7
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+10.083
8
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
+14.152
9
Brock Schwarzenbacher
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+18.687
10
Dylan Bell
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+19.435
AFT Production Twins – Dallas Half-Mile II
James Rispoli continued his march toward the 2020 AFT Production Twins title, locking down his sixth win in the season’s last seven races. This victory was not as easily earned as it sounds, however.
James Rispoli chases Corey Texter
Cory Texter rode like a reigning class champ and executed a perfect launch from the inside starting position, successfully translating the holeshot into an extended run at the front. Texter continually fended off a stalking Rispoli, who repeatedly looked for a way up the inside of his rival as the two ripped away from the rest of the pack.
Texter managed to keep the fleet Rispoli corralled behind him until just after the half distance flags flew. At that point, the champ ran slightly wide and that was all the invitation the current title leader required. Rispoli put his XG750R into first and immediately went into super cruise mode, blasting away at the front.
Behind, Ryan Varnes and Chad Cose applied heavy pressure to third-placed Jeremiah Duffy as the three tussled over the final podium position. That pressure transformed into chaos when Varnes’ front wheel contacted Duffy’s rear wheel, sending Varnes over the bars. The incident brought out the red flag with just over two minutes remaining, giving the field another shot at ending Rispoli’s win streak.
James Rispoli
Unfortunately for them, Rispoli held on to the lead as they left the staggered start and immediately started throwing in the Main’s fastest laps. Texter did well to keep him honest, but ultimately, it added up to a fifth consecutive AFT Production Twins victory for the two-time AMA Pro SuperSport champion.
James Rispoli
“I’m stoked that Cory was able to put up a massive, massive challenge tonight. He rode really well. This wasn’t easy at all. The track was hard and technical. I’ve got to take my hat off to my team. We weren’t the fastest guy, and we had to come a little bit from behind, and they were able to get it done. Five in a row… This is a dream season.”
James Rispoli won from Texter and Cose
Cose beat Duffy off the line at the restart to collect third. Duffy was dropped a couple more positions before it was over, as Rispoli’s fellow former road racing national champion, Danny Eslick slid past claim fourth while Dylan Bell got by as well to round out the top five. Despite his heavy fall, Varnes not only made the restart, he raced his way up from the back of the field to finish seventh.
Rispoli now leads Texter by 48 points with six races remaining, 224 to 176.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
23 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+0.663
3
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+1.842
4
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+3.824
5
Dylan Bell
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+4.379
6
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.202
7
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.553
8
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+5.722
9
Michael Inderbitzin
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.933
10
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
+6.618
AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
224
2
Cory Texter
176
3
Ryan Varnes
163
4
Ben Lowe
160
5
Danny Eslick
135
6
Chad Cose
124
7
Jeremiah Duffy
114
8
Nick Armstrong
95
9
Cody Johncox
74
10
Dylan Bell
53
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 EnduroGP of Italy – Spoleto
Day 1 – Saturday
The first day of the Italian Grand Prix was contested under bright and warm sunshine. Although heavy rain and thunderstorms late on Friday made slippery special tests seem likely, conditions were actually much drier and more straight forward than expected. The FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship competitors attacked all three tests with gusto and a passionate crowd, all respecting Covid-19 restrictions, cheered them through every twist and turn.
Reigning World Champion Brad Freeman delivered a perfect performance on this opening day of the Italian Grand Prix. From the start of the day onwards, the Factory Beta rider took the lead and never relinquished it. Consistent and quick all day, the Brit always kept his opponents at least 30 seconds behind him. He won all 3 special tests on the first lap and remained in the top 3 for all the rest.
Freeman therefore won the day by more than 45 seconds ahead of team-mate and rival Steve Holcombe. Holcombe intelligently built up his day with patience, chipping away on each test. Realising that catching up to his team-mate was hard task, the Englishman chose to settle for a safe second place. This move could pay off come the end of the season.
Steve Holcombe
The fight for 3rd place on the podium was absolutely superb. Three riders fought it out to take a coveted rostrum. Andrea Verona, Thomas Oldrati and Loïc Larrieu, each took it in turns to occupy the spot. In the end it was Italy’s Oldrati to take the honours at his home race. Verona and Larrieu completed the Top 5.
Jaume Betriu confirmed the strong performances he managed in France by taking an impressive 6th place overall. He was ahead of Christophe Charlier, Danny McCanney and Antoine Basset. The disappointment of the day goes to Matteo Cavallo who made too many mistakes and finished 12th. Alex Salvini still suffering with his shoulder did not finish the day.
In E1 it was therefore Thomas Oldrati who won ahead of Andrea Verona and Christophe Charlier.
Andrea Verona
In E2 Steve Holcombe completes a third success in as many starts, he was in front of Loïc Larrieu and Danny McCanney.
E3 went the way of Brad Freeman who beat Jaume Betriu and a combative Antoine Basset.
In Junior, Theo Espinasse perfectly controlled the assaults of Hamish Macdonald. Macdonald was the initial leader of the day and was looking strong but he lost 40 seconds in a crash on the second lap of the tricky Xtreme. He picked himself up and began to claw back the time he lost, but the victory was out of reach. Matteo Pavoni put his Beta Boano on the podium at home with third.
Finland’s Roni Kytonen finished fourth, while Pau Tomas completed the Top 5. Ruy Barbosa finished 6th. Talented Aussie Wil Rruprecht had a hell of a day, he was vying for the podium but he heavily damaged his Beta in the first Xtreme Test of the day, eventually finishing 16th in the category.
Roni Kytonen
In Youth Cup Jed Etchells kept everyone in suspense until in the last special test. He won the category against an impressive Sergio Navarro, the Fantic rider crucially beat his Spanish rival by 4 seconds. Claudio Spanu accompanied them on the podium.
In the Champion Enduro Open World Cup, Belgian Mathias Van Hoof won in the 4-Stroke class ahead of his compatriot Damiaens Dietger and Jorge Rodriguez Paradelo. In the 2-Stroke category the Portuguese rider Goncalo Reis took another victory ahead of his compatriot Goncalo Sobrosa. Robert Friedrich was third. In Senior, Italian enduro legend Alessio Paoli marked his comeback by winning in front of Duccio Graziani and David Martinez Corbalan.
Day 2 – Sunday
The dreaded heavy rain and chilly weather hit the FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship for the entirety of Sunday. As could be expected, the organisers and stewards of the Italian Grand Prix made changes to the course in order to ensure the safety of all competitors, and the cream rose to the top as Steve Holcombe perfectly dominated this day, despite many pitfalls.
The Beta Factory rider felt completely at home with the weather conditions on day two of the Italian GP. Even in the middle of the deluge, Steve Holcombe remained master of his discipline. His bike problems of the day before were forgotten, and the Brit was able to relax into a strong rhythm. He nevertheless had to keep a close eye on his teammate at Beta Factory: Brad Freeman.
Steve Holcombe
“It’s been a weekend of two halves, for the result and how I rode. I’ll hold my hand up and say I rode too smooth on Saturday and any chance of fighting for the win got away from me. When we sorted things, Brad was too far gone to challenge him. On Sunday we turned it around a lot. I attacked from the word go and was able to step my pace up when I needed to throughout the day. I had a strong opening lap and pulled a gap on third. From then on it was down to Brad and me for the win. I really wanted it and seemed to step it up again on the final lap and bring the result home. Conditions were tricky today with the rain, so proving the 350F in the mud with a victory is awesome.”
Steve Holcombe
The 2019 EnduroGP World Champion was very threatening during the first lap, the gap even dropping below half a second at times. But Freeman was forced to let victory slip through his fingers, losing a few seconds in each of the tests on the last laps. However, Freeman and Holcombe can leave Italy satisfied with their domination of the World Enduro field. Third on the day was Loïc Larrieu, more than a minute behind the British duo.
Brad Freeman
“I can’t say I’m happy with my day. I just didn’t know how to get into the right rhythm. I got through the day and I have to take my hat off to Steve who was absolutely on fire. The fight continues, there are 4 days of racing left, anything can happen and I will be ready to battle.”
Larrieu can be happy with this result as he had to push hard to take the coveted final podium spot. 6th at the end of the first lap, Loïc went on the offensive and was extremely impressive as the day went on, even beating local favourites. He held on to the podium from the end of the second lap onwards, setting test times close to the Beta riders.
Loïc Larrieu
Thomas Oldrati fell short of third place by just six seconds but his general performance over the weekend satisfied the Honda rider. Andrea Verona never quite managed to get into the groove. However, he still put in a superb performance as a Senior ranks rookie, finishing in the Top 5.
Similarly, Belgian rookie Antoine Magain was the great revelation of the day. He was contesting the top positions throughout day but a fall in the last Enduro test forced him to cool down. However, he will certainly be one to watch in the coming races.
Andrea Verona
Very disappointed after missing out on victory due to a crash on Day 1, New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald his revenge on his Sherco team-mate Théo Espinasse on Day 2. The rider from the southern hemisphere played all his cards right in the tricky conditions, winning by more than a minute in only his second race in the Junior class. Last year’s Youth 125cc Cup winner was thrilled with this strong result which keeps him in contention.
Wil Ruprecht made amends for his Day 1 difficulties by taking a fine podium with 2nd place in the category. The Australian was ahead of Théo Espinasse by just under 2 seconds. The Frenchman who was so strong at his home race in Requista is still at the top of the standings however.
Ruy Barbosa upped his game on Saturday. The Chilean still struggled a bit under the downpours, but today’s 4th place should give him the confidence to aim higher next time out.
In Youth Cup, Jed Etchells was completely unfazed by the mud and took victory by more than a minute over Spain’s Sergio Navarro. Etchell’s team-mate Harry Edmondson completed the podium. Fantic will certainly be satisfied as their third rider, Hugo Svard made it three Fantics in the Top 5 with fourth place.
Jed Etchells
In the Champion Enduro Open World Cup, the 4-Stroke category was again dominated by Mathias Van Hoof ahead of his compatriot Damiaens Dietger. They were once again accompanied on the podium by Jorge Rodriguez Paradelo. In the 2-Stroke category the podium is a copy-paste of the day before, namely Goncalo Reis won ahead of Goncalo Sobrosa and Robert Friedrich. In Senior, Alessio Paoli took another impressive victory in front of Duccio Graziani and David Martinez Corbalan third.
The Italian Grand Prix brought a little bit of everything to the party; enthusiastic fans, unpredictable weather, challenging tests, and great racing! The FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship will reconvene in November for two back-to-back in Northern Portugal.
EnduroGP Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
77
2
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
71
3
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
52
4
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
52
5
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
46
6
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
37
7
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
30
8
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
26
9
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
22
10
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
21
E1 Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
74
2
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
72
3
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
52
4
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
41
5
REMES Eero
FIN
Yamaha
41
6
SNOW Alexander
GBR
Honda
37
7
TARROUX Jeremy
FRA
Sherco
30
8
SORECA Davide
ITA
Beta
28
9
BURUD Kevin
NOR
Yamaha
27
10
ALUN Richard
SWE
Sherco
27
E2 Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
80
2
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
68
3
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
56
4
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
50
5
GESLIN Anthony
FRA
Beta
37
6
WOOTTON Joe
GBR
Husqvarna
34
7
VIAL Max
FRA
Husqvarna
33
8
BLANJOUE Hugo
FRA
Honda
28
9
HUEBNER Edward
DEU
KTM
26
10
SALVINI Alex
ITA
Honda
22
E3 Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
80
2
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
66
3
BASSET Antoine
FRA
Beta
50
4
GUARNERI Davide
ITA
TM
46
5
FRANCISCO Enric
ESP
Sherco
40
6
ABGRALL David
FRA
Beta
39
7
GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal
ESP
Beta
34
8
PASSET Thibaut
FRA
Beta
30
9
SANS SORIA Marc
ESP
KTM
26
10
RECCHIA Nicola
ITA
Beta
24
Junior Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
ESPINASSE Theophile
FRA
Sherco
75
2
MACDONALD Hamish
NZL
Sherco
71
3
KYTONEN Roni
FIN
Honda
48
4
PAVONI Matteo
ITA
Beta
47
5
RUPRECHT Wil
AUS
Beta
40
6
BARBOSA Ruy
CHL
Husqvarna
39
7
MACORITTO Lorenzo
ITA
Beta
30
8
CRIVILIN Bruno
BRA
Honda
28
9
VAN OEVELEN Matthew
BEL
Husqvarna
26
10
CRIQ Antoine
FRA
Sherco
20
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC
The 2020 Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC saw the world’s fastest off-road motorcycle racers taking to the woods of Ohio. The tenth round of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, took place in Millfield, Ohio at Sunday Creek Raceway, also home to The John Penton GNCC.
Getting the jump off the line first to earn the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot award was Ben Kelley. However, after overshooting the first turn Kelley would lose a couple of positions. Steward Baylor Jr. would capitalise, moving into the early lead as the group of XC1 Open Pro riders made their way into the woods.
As the leaders made their way through the finish line on the opening lap it was Baylor Jr. holding a 7 second lead over Kailub Russell, with Kelley running third just eight-seconds behind him. Russell looked like he was making a charge for the lead, but on the second lap he would find himself on the ground after a mistake in the John Penton section of the track. Russell was able to ride his machine back to his pit area but was unable to return to racing due to a knee injury. Russell will have his knee evaluated this week.
Steward Baylor Jr – Image by Ken Hill
Baylor Jr. would continue to push at the front of the pack with Kelley trying to reel him in as he moved into second overall. Kelley would close the gap to just about nine-seconds, but as the white flag came out Kelley would make a mistake costing him valuable time. Baylor Jr. would come through to take his second-straight win of the season after a grueling three-hour race. Kelley would hold onto second overall, coming through 58 seconds behind the leader.
Grant Baylor got off to a great start coming through timing and scoring in fourth overall on lap one. Baylor would continue to push and would find himself third overall after the second lap. Baylor would try to close the gap between himself and the leaders, but he would be unable to make any passes on the lead duo before the checkered flag came out. Baylor expressed what a great feeling it was to be on the podium, and that it was cool to share the overall podium with his older brother.
Grant Baylor – Image by Ken Hill
Getting off to a top five start was Jordan Ashburn. Ashburn would then make the move up to fourth on lap two, as he tried to gain momentum to challenge for a three position. Ashburn would continue to ride a consistent race, but he would be unable to challenge the top three riders. Ashburn would finish out the day fourth in XC1 and fifth overall.
Andrew Delong had his second best race of the season on Sunday afternoon. Delong came through running sixth in the XC1 class for the first two laps of racing, and as the race wore on, he then found himself making the move up to fifth in his class. Delong finished out the three-hour race with a fifth place finish in class, and eighth overall.
Returning after a small injury sidelined him for the previous round of racing was Josh Strang. As the pack of racers came through on the opening lap Strang made his way around in the eighth place position. Strang would then stop to help his fellow competitor, Russell, out of the track and back to his motorcycle. Even after stopping to help, Strang would make the move up to seventh in the XC1 class. On the last lap of racing Strang would make a late charge and take over sixth in the class, with a 13th overall finishing position on the day.
Layne Michael found himself in a continuous battle throughout the day in Ohio. Michael would swap back-and-forth from sixth to seventh place multiple times throughout the race. As Michael was running in sixth on the final lap of racing, he would be unable to hold off a charging Strang. Michael would check in seventh in class, 18th overall at round 10. Evan Earl would come through to earn eighth in the XC1 Open Pro class after missing round nine of racing.
Jonathan Girroir – Image by Ken Hill
In the XC2 class it was Jonathan Girroir making his way to the lead on the opening lap. Girroir would maintain his lead for the duration of the race, placing a 22 second gap between himself and second place by the time the checkered flag flew. Girroir earned his fifth win of the season, and now takes over the points lead in the XC2 class by nine.
AmPro Yamaha/St. Lawrence Radiology’s Mike Witkowski had a consistent race as he made his way into second and never looked back. Witkowski was looking to make a charge for the lead, but he would be unable to close the gap between them. Witkowski remains third in the points standings, 20 points behind the leader.
Craig Delong had some work cut out for him as he came through timing and scoring sixth on lap one. Delong would steadily work his way through the pack, making his way into fourth by the second lap and then third by the next. Delong would finish out the day third in his class, and seventh overall.
Zack Hayes – Image by Ken Hill
As the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am competitors came through it was Zack Hayes taking the class win and extending his points lead by 35. Jason Lipscomb would battle from third to second in the class, making his way to the podium for the second time. Michael Delosa rounded out the top three in the FMF XC3 class.
As the 10 a.m. race got underway it was Rachel Gutish grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot award. However, Rachael Archer made her way to the lead early on in the race. Archer checked in 18 seconds ahead of Gutish on the opening lap with current points lead Becca Sheets right behind her.
Archer continued to hold her lead position throughout the two-hour race, crossing the finish line with over a minute gap back to second. Sheets made the pass on Gutish for the second, but she was ultimately unable to catch Archer to battle for the lead. Sheets earnt second in the WXC class and remains in control of the points standings. Gutish held onto third in the class, and she currently sits fourth in the WXC class points standings with three more rounds of racing to go.
Rachael Archer – Image by Ken Hill
Racing got underway at 8 a.m. Sunday morning with the youth motorcycle racers taking to the woods first. It would be a three-way battle between the Team Green Kawasaki due of Jack Joy and Grant Davis, and Coastal Racing Husqvarna’s Lane Whitmer. Davis jumped out to the early lead with Whitmer and Joy just seconds behind him.
Joy made a pass on Whitmer for second and set his sights on Davis as the race worse on. As the trio came through after four laps of racing it was Joy out front with Whitmer and Davis running second and third. Joy would hold on and take the youth overall win as well as the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Davis made the pass on Whitmer stick as they round out the top three youth overall finishers and top three in the YXC1 class.
In the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class it was Nicholas Defeo taking the class win, with Andrew Segars and Chase Landers rounding out the top three. Colton Shields would earn the 85cc (12-13) class win, and seventh overall. Ryan Amancio came through to take another 85cc (7-11) class win.
XC1 Pro Event Results
Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Grant Baylor (SHR)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Andrew Delong (HON)
Josh Strang (KAW)
Layne Michael (YAM)
Evan Earl (KAW)
Kailub Russell (KTM)
*Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (256)
Josh Strang (201)
Jordan Ashburn (159)
Craig DeLong (147)
Jonathan Girroir (139)
Michael Witkowski (138)
Grant Baylor (124)
Benjamin Kelley (107)
Steward Baylor Jr. (103)
Cody Barnes (102)
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
Michael Witkowski (YAM)
Craig Delong (HQV)
Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
Cody Barnes (BET)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Thorn Devlin (BET)
Jesse Ansley (KTM)
Jonathan Johnson (YAM)
Benjamin Nelko (HQV)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Jonathan Girroir (254)
Craig Delong (245)
Michael Witkowski (234)
Cody Barnes (170)
Liam Draper (158)
Thorn Devlin (135)
Jonathan Johnson (113)
Ryder Lafferty (111)
Benjamin Nelko (93)
Simon Johnson (79)
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Sea to Sky Extreme Enduro
Graham Jarvis (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) has secured yet another extreme enduro victory, this time topping the 2020 Sea to Sky. Delivering a winning performance on the final day’s Mountain Race, Graham notched up his sixth victory at the Turkish event. Graham’s teammate Billy Bolt dominated the event’s first three races, but a navigational error on the final day relegated him to third overall.
Billy Bolt
As always at Sea to Sky, Jarvis made a solid, but cautious start to the event. Claiming an impressive fifth in the hectic Beach Race, the 45-year-old then began to put on the pressure in the Forest Race, taking third and staying within touch of race leader Bolt. Despite a heavy impact with a rock damaging his bike, Graham was able to skilfully bring his Husqvarna TE 300i home in fourth on the technically demanding Sky Race.
Going into Saturday’s Mountain Race, Graham was lying third overall, a minute down on second place and close to four minutes down on his teammate Bolt in first. In typical Jarvis style, the Brit kept his nerve and maintained a strong pace throughout the 55-kilometre course. Making no mistakes, the extreme enduro expert crested the final hill in first place and with enough of an advantage over his rivals to claim the overall win.
Billy Bolt had looked on form throughout the 2020 edition of Sea to Sky. Winning the opening Beach Race, Billy went on to top the proceedings in both the subsequent Forest and Sky Races. Leading much of Saturday’s Mountain Race, the young British rider was first to reach many of the more challenging sections with other riders playing catch up behind.
Unfortunately, in following track marking tape left from a previous running of the event, Bolt was forced to double back on himself, losing a considerable amount of time. Pushing hard for the remainder of the enduro, the reigning FIM SuperEnduro World Champion was able to salvage fourth, earning himself a place on the overall podium, in third.
2020 Sea to Sky Podium – 1) Graham Jarvis, 2) Wade Young, 3) Billy Bolt
Graham Jarvis – P1
“It was a great race today and I was lucky if I’m honest, especially after damaging the bike earlier in the event. I went into the Mountain Race about four minutes down on Billy and as all the top guys ended up riding together, I thought there was no chance for me today. Billy took a wrong turn and I managed to get out in front and for that last 20 minutes I just pushed as hard as I could to the finish. It feels nice to get another win here in Turkey, it really is an amazing event.”
Billy Bolt – P3
“Overall, it’s been a really good week here in Turkey. I’m really happy with my riding and know I had the pace to win every day. I had led 80 or 90 percent of the Mountain Race today and was first to reach this tricky hill – it seems they had left some route marking tape up from last year and so I followed it. As it turns out, it wasn’t the right way to go, and by the time I had realised and turned back I had lost too much time to catch up with the leader. Finishing on the podium is good, but I’m disappointed not to have taken the win.”
Billy Bolt
Overall Results – 2020 Sea to Sky, Kemer, Turkey
Pos
Rider
Man.
Time
1
Graham Jarvis
Husqvarna
4:48:37
2
Wade Young
Sherco
4:51:12
3
Billy Bolt
Husqvarna
4:52:12
4
Mario Roman
Sherco
4:56:23
5
Teodor Kabakchiev
KTM
5:14:59
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Speedway of Nations Final moved to mainland Europe
In light of an increase in cases of COVID-19 in the UK, the subsequent tighter restrictions being put in place and ongoing travel and quarantine restrictions, BSI Speedway has announced that the 2020 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final, scheduled to take place at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium on October 24 and 25, will be moved to a new venue in mainland Europe.
Paul Bellamy – Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG
“We’re committed to delivering the thrilling, action-packed final that our speedway community is looking forward to. And to do this, we need to make sure the top riders from all seven competing nations are able to race, which is unfortunately no longer possible in the UK due to changing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. We’re looking forward to revealing our new venue as soon as possible, and in the meantime, we thank our fans, riders, partners, staff and everyone involved for their ongoing support.”
2020 Speedway of Nations update
BSI Speedway is in the process of finalising the new venue for the final in October which will be announced along with additional details in the coming weeks.
The 2021 final will return to Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium over a weekend in October 2021 – date to be confirmed. Fans who have purchased tickets for the event will receive an email with further details.
Jack Holder secures FIM Speedway GP wildcard entry
In-form Australian racer Jack Holder has been handed a dream opportunity on the FIM Speedway Grand Prix stage after being named as wild card for FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP rounds seven and eight. The Torun rider dons the famous No.16 race jacket at his Polish home track on October 2 and 3.
Holder made his one and only previous World Championship appearance as a track reserve at the 2016 Australian SGP in Melbourne, scoring two points from as many rides on the night older brother Chris topped the podium in his homeland. Jack was watching from the sidelines on the night Chris clinched the 2012 SGP world title at Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena.
Jack Holder
But the 24-year-old is now very much making his own mark on the sport. After finishing second in this season’s Australian Championship, he has enjoyed a sublime season for Torun in the Polish First Division, topping the average charts comfortably on 2.600 points per race.
He was signed by PGE Ekstraliga side Gorzow as a guest rider and has played a key role in their charge from the bottom of the table to second place inside a month. He’s ninth in the top-flight average charts on 2.091 points per race.
This will be Holder’s first SGP opportunity over five rides, and he will be keen to carry this scintillating form into the final SGP weekend of 2020, where the world champion will be crowned, next year’s qualifiers will be confirmed and riders will have one last chance to impress the SGP Commission before permanent wild cards for 2021 are selected.
The Appin-born racer is joined in the FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP rounds by track reserves Wiktor Trofymov and Norbert Krakowiak, with the Polish pair lining up in the No.17 and No.18 race jackets respectively.
Changes to MXD For 2021
Motorcycling Australia (MA) have announced changes to the current MXD class and junior pathway that will support development of motocross in Australia and will assist riders to gain the vital skills to be able to progress to MX2 and MX1 classes through the new MX3 class which replaces MXD.
Currently there is very little overlap in the class structure, and riders must move even if not willing or ready to, or don’t have the skills to do so. In addition, where a Junior rider is ready to move up a class, they can be held back by age group limitations.
By creating a new pathway with an overlap in age group classes, riders will have some flexibility to remain in a class or move up a class if they are ready and eligible to do so. The MX3 class also brings Australian motocross more in line with the FIM age groupings.
Peter Doyle – MA CEO
“This change will provide a clear pathway for Australia’s talented young riders into the senior classes of MX2 and MX1. It also provides talented young riders ready to step up to senior competition a clear pathway through the junior ranks and into the premier categories.”
MXD Coolum 2019
Currently at 13 years of age a junior can be endorsed to ride a full-sized MX machine of 122cc to 150cc 2-Stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-Stroke capacity, this has not changed. At 14 years of age competitors with this endorsement can elect to compete in the MX3 class. This will not prevent competitors under the age of 16 competing in any other junior event.
The MX3 class is for 14 to under 18-years-old competitors (as of the January 1 of the year of competition) and allows for less experienced competitors to compete with their peers until the age of 18, and the more accomplished competitors to move into the MX2 class early as the entry age has been lowered to 15 years under strict endorsement procedures. You can enter MX1 or MX2 at 16-years-old.
Once a competitor has chosen to move up to Senior classes MX1 or MX2, they can no longer compete in Junior or MX3 classes. The current endorsement “Off Road 122cc to 150cc 2-Stroke / up to 250cc 4-Stroke” for 13 to Under 16-year-old junior competitors will apply to a 14-year-old junior wishing to compete in MX3.
However, a new endorsement is required for a competitor who at the age of 15 years wishes to compete in the MX2 class. There are no changes to the current Junior categories allowing Juniors between the age of 13 to Under 16 years to compete at National Championship events in their chosen classes.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 MXGP of Lombardia, Mantova
Round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship concluded with the MX2 and MXGP action for the MXGP of Lombardi, with Jeremy Seewer reaching an incredible career milestone as he claimed his first MXGP overall victory and stood on the top step of the MXGP podium
Jeremy Seewer took the overall victory, with Glenn Coldenhoff taking second and Jorge Prado on the third step of the podium. Jeremy Seewer’s last GP win is back in 2017 when he stood at the top step on the podium at the MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla in MX2 class.
Jeremy Seewer
“I just won my first MXGP. Amazing. It’s in the books and it’s a big milestone in my career. Everybody dreams of winning an MXGP round, especially at the level we are racing right now, so it’s amazing. Especially the first race, I won the start then led every lap to the finish. The second race it didn’t go as planned but still I was lucky today, I was at the right place at the right time and now celebrating an overall.”
Jeremy Seewer
With an eighth and a race win, Gajser now leads the MXGP Championship by five-points over Antonio Cairoli and Jeremy Seewer is just a further 11 points behind.
Tim Gajser
“The first race didn’t start very well as I was back in the pack and it was tough to come through the field and pass the riders as everyone is very fast. I managed to come back to eighth but I was a little disappointed because I know that the start makes all the difference. For the second race, I put a lot of focus on the start and I managed to come out of the first corner around fifth and then I made a couple of quick passes which put me into third. I was following Romain and Jorge for around 15 minutes, before I was able to make two passes to get myself into the lead. I pulled a good gap, controlled the race to take the win and I’m super happy with how it turned out. Obviously getting the red plate is a big bonus and I will try my best to hold onto it until the end of the season.”
Tim Gajser
Australian Mitch Evans had a rough weekend in the MXGP class, with a crash in Race 1 leaving him unable to finish the race, while Race 2 saw him return to claim ninth. He leaves Lombardia in 11th overall in the standings.
Mitch Evans
“It wasn‘t the greatest day, although qualifying went quite well. I wasn’t feeling overly comfortable on the bike as I hadn’t ridden since Tuesday as I’ve been unwell but I was happy with qualifying. Unfortunately in race one I crashed in the first turn and then crashed a couple of laps later and was fighting all moto long to score some points. In moto two I didn’t get the best start either but didn’t crash, so I was still in a position to get a top 10 finish. I fought through to ninth and felt a lot better but I need to work on my starts and then I’ll be able to battle with the guys at the front of the races.”
Mitch Evans
MXGP Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
25
20
45
2
Coldenhoff, Glenn
NED
GAS
18
22
40
3
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
22
18
40
4
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
13
25
38
5
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
14
14
28
6
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
11
16
27
7
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
16
10
26
8
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
20
6
26
9
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
8
15
23
10
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
12
11
23
11
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
7
13
20
12
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
9
8
17
13
Evans, Mitchell
AUS
HON
3
12
15
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
6
9
15
15
Jasikonis, Arminas
LTU
HUS
15
0
15
2020 MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
316
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
311
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
300
4
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
277
5
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
273
6
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
7
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
8
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
230
9
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
224
10
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
222
11
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
168
12
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
164
13
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
106
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
106
15
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
84
MX2
In MX2, Thomas Kjer Olsen made an epic return to the podium with his first overall victory of the season, with teammate Jed Beaton only a single point off the round overall. Ben Watson was also having a good day, standing on the third step of the box.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I’m pretty surprised. I went into the race not really knowing that I was on the podium, it was just a crazy battle out there and I’m really happy about my riding. I wanted to be up there in the front and that’s what we will work on for the next race. I had a rough few races and the confidence was not really there but I felt this week just went better and better. I got my confidence back on the bike that I had last year and the confidence that I should have had from the beginning. I’m just super happy to get this overall as it’s been a long time since I’ve been up there and it’s an amazing feeling.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Despite missing out on the podium, Tom Vialle continues to lead the championship now by 30-points over Geerts and Renaux, while Beaton sits in fourth, just nine-points off Renaux.
Jed Beaton
“I can’t explain how happy I am to have won the second moto today. I had a great start in race two and got into the lead early on lap three. I then had a clear track and just focussed on my lines. As the race wore on I got a little nervous but kept it together. I did make a few mistakes but held on for the win. It’s been a tough year until this point and it’s all coming together now. The team have been great and I’m so happy and pleased for them, too. I’m looking forward to Wednesday now.”
Jed Beaton and Thomas Kjer Olsen celebrate a successful MXGP of Lombardia
Bailey Malkiewicz went 10-23 in the weekends races, while Nathan Crawford went 30-16, with the two Aussie riders now 15th and 21st in the standings respectively.
MX2 Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
22
18
40
2
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
14
25
39
3
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
15
22
37
4
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
20
16
36
5
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
18
15
33
6
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
25
7
32
7
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
13
12
25
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
3
20
23
9
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
10
13
23
10
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
12
11
23
11
Forato, Alberto
ITA
HUS
9
10
19
12
Boisrame, Mathys
FRA
KAW
16
0
16
13
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
1
14
15
14
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
4
9
13
15
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
11
0
11
16
Renkens, Nathan
BEL
KTM
7
2
9
17
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
0
8
8
18
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
8
0
8
19
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
0
6
6
20
Sandner, Michael
AUT
GAS
6
0
6
21
Crawford, Nathan
AUS
HON
0
5
5
2020 MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
386
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
356
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
295
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
286
5
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
243
6
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
228
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
228
8
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
198
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
185
10
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
164
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
143
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
127
13
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
15
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
85
16
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
17
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
72
18
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
19
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
62
20
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
21
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
54
WMX
In the WMX Courtney Duncan had a mixed weekend, claiming the first race win, before a massive crash in Race 2 snapped her ‘bars, ending what seemed like a dominant performance, that would have handed her another overall win and extended the championship lead.
Courtney Duncan
“It was an up and down day for me, which started off really well as I won the first race and felt pretty good. I had a comfortable lead and maintained it. I’d made some passes on the opening laps and made my way into second. I wasn’t too far off the lead when I had a massive crash. I ran back to the bike but the handlebars were snapped so there was no way of finishing, which resulted in a DNF. “That’s the way life goes sometimes it doesn’t always go to plan. I can dwell on it, or I can go back to work on Tuesday and continue to fight. That’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to show up on Tuesday and give it everything I’ve got.”
Instead Larissa Papenmeier took the overall with consistent second places, while Nancy Van De Ven took the Race 2 win. Papenmeier now leads the standings from Van De Ven by 10-points, with Fontanesi in third, a further three points behind. Duncan is now fourth, with only four-points separating second through fourth, and 14-points to first.
Larissa Papenmeier
“For sure it’s a nice feeling. When I’m riding, I’m not really thinking about the championship and what could happen. I knew that second place was enough to win but I actually didn’t think about the red plate, so I tried to keep it smooth, tried to make no mistakes and it was really good. I had a good feeling and I liked the track, it’s a bit bumpy so I’m looking forward to Tuesday.”
WMX Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Papenmeier, Larissa
GER
YAM
22
22
44
2
Van De Ven, Nancy
NED
YAM
16
25
41
3
Fontanesi, Kiara
ITA
KTM
20
16
36
4
Andersen, Sara
DEN
KTM
15
20
35
5
Dam, Line
DEN
YAM
18
15
33
6
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
14
18
32
7
van der Vlist, Shana
NED
KTM
11
14
25
8
Duncan, Courtney
NZL
KAW
25
0
25
9
Borchers, Anne
GER
SUZ
9
12
21
10
O’Hare, Tahlia Jade
AUS
KTM
5
13
18
11
Berry, Avrie
USA
KTM
8
10
18
12
Jakobsen, Malou
DEN
KTM
13
4
17
13
Astudillo, Jamie
USA
KTM
12
0
12
14
Keller, Sandra
SUI
KTM
0
11
11
15
Kapsamer , Elena
AUT
KTM
3
8
11
2020 WMX Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Papenmeier, L.
GER
YAM
129
2
Van De Ven, N.
NED
YAM
119
3
Fontanesi, K.
ITA
KTM
116
4
Duncan, C.
NZL
KAW
115
5
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
98
6
Dam, Line
DEN
YAM
87
7
van der Vlist, S.
NED
KTM
75
8
Andersen, Sara
DEN
KTM
60
9
Borchers, Anne
GER
SUZ
60
10
O’Hare, T.
AUS
KTM
54
11
Martinez, M.
FRA
KTM
39
12
Jans-Beken, B.
NED
KTM
35
13
Dahl, Emelie
SWE
YAM
32
14
Van Der Werff, B.
NED
SUZ
31
15
Astudillo, J.
USA
KTM
30
EMX250
The first races of the weekend in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia, were by the EMX250 riders, andt saw Thibault Benistant have a successful end to his day as he took a fourth consecutive overall victory in the category.
As the gate dropped for the opening EMX250 race of the day, it was Meico Vettik who got off to a flying start and was the early race leader. He was followed by Emilio Scuteri and Tom Guyon.
Bastian Boegh-Damm didn’t have such a good start to the race as he crashed out and seemed to be in discomfort as he hopped towards his bike. He did re-join for a couple of laps though eventually retired from the race.
Meanwhile Mattia Guadagnini and Thibault Benistant didn’t get off to the best start in the race, as both were down the field, with Guadagnini 10th and Benistant 14th. Another rider struggling in the beginning of the race was Kay De Wolf who was further down the order in P17.
Back with the leaders it was Vettik who had already pulled a 5.654 second gap over Guyon, as Scuteri, Oriol Oliver and Hakon Fredriksen, were locked in a battle for third position. Gianluca Facchetti was meanwhile having a great ride in fourth place.
Meanwhile Vettik could not afford to relax as his five-second gap was being cut short rapidly as the group caught up. And things then went downhill for the Estonian who crashed out of the lead, though was able to pick himself up pretty quickly and re-join in fourth position. Guyon then moved into the lead, though this didn’t last long as the KTM rider crashed out and was dropping down the race order fast.
Hakon Fredriksen
This then allowed Fredriksen to inherit the lead, all while Guadagnini was making good progress and was already up into fifth on lap 5 of the race. Fredriksen continued to lead the race as he opened up a seven-second gap over Facchetti and Vettik, while Guadagnini was catching the pair as he searched for higher positions. The Italian eventually was able to find a way through into third pushing Vettik to fourth in the race.
As the race progressed, Guadagnini then started to go after Facchetti and after several attempts was able to jump into second. At the same time the Husqvarna rider also set the fastest lap time of the race with a 1:56.878 with just 3 laps to go.
Facchetti then was being caught by Vettik for P3, though was able to retain his position as Fredriksen crossed the line to win race 1. Guadagnini finished second.
In the second EMX250 race, it was Guadagnini and Guyon who led the way, though things changed quickly as Guadagnini went down. Guyon then came under fire from Benistant who was eager to get into the lead and finish the day with a solid result. As Guyon tried to hold off Benistant, this allowed Tim Edberg to get closer.
EMX250 Start
Meanwhile further down the order, Vettik was not having the best start to the race as he was down in 18th on the opening few laps of the race.
Guadagnini then continued to cruise around the circuit, passing pitlane and giving the crew a signal at the bike, which must’ve taken an impact from his crash a lap earlier. He continued to ride around for a few more laps before going out of the race.
By lap 3, Benistant was the new race leader as he led Guyon, Edberg and De Wolf. Though Guyon looks to have made a mistake as he lost two positions and dropped to fourth in the race. Benistant then went on to set a fast lap of the race, with 12 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock.
Just five seconds separated the top three riders, as De Wolf was searching for a way into second place and after several attempts was able to do just that as he moved up a position past Edberg.
As the race progressed, Benistant continued to edge away from the rest of the field as he pulled a 10.441 second gap over De Wolf and Edberg who remained second and third. In the end not much changed in the top 10, as Benistant claimed his first race win of the day, with De Wolf and Edberg crossing the line to finish in the top three.
A fifth and a win was enough to give Thibault Benistant the overall as Hakon Fredriksen claimed his first podium of the season to finish second and Tim Edberg also getting the third spot on the box.
As it stands Benistant now leads the EMX250 Championship by 57 points, with Guadagnini and De Wolf tied on points in second and third.
Thibault Benistant
“The day started not so easy as I finished a little bit far on the lap time. In the first race I tried to start a little bit far from the outside and I needed to push hard for a comeback, but I did quite a good race and finished fifth. In the second race I started better, I was third and there was a crash at the front. I waited for a mistake from Tom and then I was leading. I kept the gap and win the race. I feel good, I like the track when it becomes a little bit bumpy, so I hope to do the same.”
Thibault Benistant
EMX250 Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
YAM
16
25
41
2
Fredriksen, Hakon
NOR
YAM
25
13
38
3
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
15
20
35
4
Facchetti, Gianluca
ITA
YAM
20
14
34
5
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
9
22
31
6
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
18
12
30
7
Locurcio, Lorenzo
VEN
KAW
12
16
28
8
Talviku, Jorgen-Matthias
EST
HUS
13
10
23
9
Guadagnini, Mattia
ITA
HUS
22
0
22
10
Spies, Maximilian
GER
HUS
4
15
19
11
Florian, Lion
GER
KTM
10
9
19
12
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
0
18
18
13
Oliver, Oriol
ESP
KTM
14
3
17
14
Cenerelli, Gianmarco
ITA
HUS
0
11
11
15
Scuteri, Emilio
ITA
KTM
11
0
11
EMX250 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Benistant, T.
FRA
YAM
215
2
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
158
3
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
158
4
Gifting, Isak
SWE
KTM
128
5
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
126
6
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
114
7
Talviku, J.
EST
HUS
112
8
Fredriksen, H.
NOR
YAM
110
9
Florian, Lion
GER
KTM
87
10
Everts, Liam
BEL
KTM
87
11
Boegh Damm, B.
DEN
KTM
79
12
Locurcio, L.
VEN
KAW
78
13
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
76
14
Facchetti, G.
ITA
YAM
74
15
Spies, M.
GER
HUS
73
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Arminas Jasikonis in induced coma
Following Arminas Jasikonis’ admittance to hospital on Sunday afternoon, September 27, during the second MXGP race at the MXGP of Lombardia, Mantova, Italy, Husqvarna Motorcycles issued the following update on AJ’s condition:
Taken to hospital in Cremona, Italy, Arminas was diagnosed as having a traumatic brain injury and, as is routine procedure with injuries of this type, placed in a medically induced coma in order to stabilise his situation. Due to the serious nature of injuries of this kind, AJ remains in a coma and is receiving ongoing specialist care. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing would like to thank all medical staff that have assisted Arminas as well as the numerous well-wishers both from within the MXGP paddock and the wider motorcycle community.
Arminas Jasikonis is in an induced coma, as a routine procedure, following a traumatic brain injury suffered at the MXGP of Lombardia
Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager
“This is a very serious situation for Arminas and a very difficult time for his family and all involved in the team. After AJ was flown to hospital on Sunday night, he was placed in a medically induced coma because of the trauma he suffered to his brain. Really, there is not much else to say at this time – this is the situation, a situation that is very serious and difficult for everyone, and now we have to wait and stay positive. He has the best medical care around him, and we are in close contact with both the specialists at the hospital here in Italy but also in Innsbruck, Austria. Thank you to everyone who has expressed their concerns and wishes AJ all the best.”
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Round Seven – GEICO Motorcycle WW Ranch National, Florida September 26, 2020
Images Jeff Kardas
The seventh round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured an action-packed afternoon of racing in both the 450 Class and 250 Class. The sandy conditions of WW Ranch Motocross Park and Florida’s heat provided riders with one of the most challenging rounds of the season.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne showed why he’s the man to beat in the 450 Class this summer, sweeping both motos to capture a class-leading fourth victory of the season and extend his championship point lead to 29-points. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin logged two consistent motos to finish second overall, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac gave Osborne a run late in the second moto and ended the day third.
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis won in dominant fashion by going 1-1 for the second consecutive week and extended his championship lead to 13. Ferrandis’s Star Racing Yamaha teammate Justin Cooper secured a season-best second overall, just edging out GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin.
Jett Lawrence went 2-5 for fourth overall, just missing out on the overall podium but strengthening his seventh place in the 250 Championship standings with 200-points to his name.
Hunter Lawrence started well with a sixth in the opening Moto but failed to finish the second bout after encountering a mechanical gremlin.
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next weekend on Saturday, October 3 for the penultimate round of the 2020 season in Lakewood, Colorado.
Video Highlights
450MX Moto 1
As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class Moto, Osborne grabbed the Motosport.com Holeshot, closely followed by Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton. The premier class rookie duo of Cianciarulo and Sexton quickly sprinted around Osborne on the opening lap, shuffling the championship point leader to third. Following a hard crash in the final qualifying session, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin started just behind the leaders in fourth.
While Cianciarulo and Sexton paced one another at the head of the field, Osborne trailed by just over three seconds, keeping the leaders within sight. At the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Sexton saw an opening and struck by pulling alongside Cianciarulo and taking second. Cianciarulo instantly retaliated with a move of his own to reclaim the lead.
Entering the final stages of the moto, Osborne inched his way closer to the lead duo and used his aggressive riding style to pass Sexton around the outside of a corner. Just one lap later Osborner dove to the inside of his closest championship rival Cianciarulo and took control of the race lead.
Osborne’s late race charge helped him secure his fifth moto win of the season by 2.7 seconds over Cianciarulo. Musquin took advantage of a late race mistake by Sexton to complete the podium in third, followed by Sexton in fourth.
450MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
16 Laps
2
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
+02.733
3
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+14.333
4
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+19.188
5
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
+22.263
6
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
+40.597
7
Blake Baggett
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+48.758
8
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:03.459
9
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:21.711
10
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+1:27.313
11
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+2:00.818
12
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+2:11.164
13
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+2:16.874
14
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
15 Laps
15
Kyle Chisholm
YAM YZ 450F
+29.684
16
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX450
+37.410
17
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
+46.322
18
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+50.440
19
Bryce Backaus
YAM YZ 450F
+1:10.787
20
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:30.248
21
Jared Lesher
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:35.361
22
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+1:37.238
23
Christopher Prebula
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:14.502
24
Vann Martin
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:23.439
25
Tristan Lewis
YAM YZ 450F
14 Laps
26
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:17.896
27
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
+1:20.278
28
Nicolas Rolando
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:31.986
29
Joshua Berchem
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:37.277
30
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
+1:49.156
31
Nick Fratz-Orr
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+2:46.853
32
Bryton Carroll
YAM YZ 450F
+3:20.771
33
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
13 Laps
34
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
10 Laps
35
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
9 Laps
36
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
7 Laps
37
Jeffrey Walker
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+12.858
38
Carson Tickle
HON CRF450R
5 Laps
39
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
3 Laps
40
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+24.431
450MX Moto 2
The final 450 Class moto of the afternoon saw Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia launch out of the gate to grab the Motosport.com Holeshot, followed by Musquin and Cianciarulo. Exiting the first turn, Cianciarulo grabbed a handful of throttle to blitz his way around Musquin and Barcia to take the race lead. Prior to the completion of the opening lap, Barcia would lose the front end entering a corner, allowing Anstie to take over third, just ahead of Osborne in fourth.
Cianciarulo continued his strong early moto form out front, while Musquin looked to keep the Kawasaki rider in his sight in second. A mistake by Anstie allowed Osborne to sneak by and into third. With just under 20-minutes to go, Musquin saw an opportunity to make the pass for the lead, which saw the two riders collide entering a corner and Cianciarulo hitting the ground. Musquin was able to stay up and take the lead, while Osborne and Sexton moved into second and third. Cianciarulo would remount in seventh.
Osborne made an attack on the Frenchman Musquin and took over the race lead at the halfway point of the moto. Shortly after, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac latched onto the rear fender of Sexton to pass him for third. Tomac continued his charge forward, working his way up to and around Musquin for second.
Entering the final lap, Osborne and Tomac were wheel-to-wheel in the battle for the moto win. Osborne fended off the multi-time reigning champion to take his sixth moto win of the season. Tomac crossed the checkered flag to finish second, followed by Musquin in third.
450MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Lapt/Interval
1
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
16 Laps
2
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
+04.201
3
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+23.839
4
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+29.490
5
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+37.275
6
Blake Baggett
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+49.082
7
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
+1:10.201
8
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:19.318
9
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:24.249
10
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+1:33.139
11
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+2:11.411
12
Kyle Chisholm
YAM YZ 450F
15 Laps
13
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
+01.612
14
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+09.289
15
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+35.423
16
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX450
+39.649
17
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+41.688
18
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
+45.985
19
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
+52.703
20
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+55.548
21
Jared Lesher
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:17.841
22
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:26.179
23
Carson Tickle
HON CRF450R
+1:35.195
24
Bryce Backaus
YAM YZ 450F
+1:57.211
25
Vann Martin
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:33.092
26
Cory Carsten
SUZ RMZ 450
14 Laps
27
Nicolas Rolando
KTM 450 SX-F
+04.721
28
Nick Fratz-Orr
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:02.905
29
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:05.948
30
Joshua Berchem
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:45.940
31
Brandon Pederson
HQV FC450 FE
+2:07.653
32
Christopher Prebula
KTM 450 SX-F
13 Laps
33
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
12 Laps
34
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
8 Laps
35
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
7 Laps
36
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
5 Laps
37
Bryton Carroll
YAM YZ 450F
+1:36.693
38
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
3 Laps
39
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
2 Laps
40
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
DNF
450MX Overall
Osborne went 1-1 for the second time this season, capturing his fourth overall victory of the season in the premier class. Musquin’s consistency rewarded him with second overall (3-3), edging out Tomac who made his return to the podium in third (6-2).
“It’s an unreal feeling to get back on top” explained Osborne. “A week ago we were faced with some adversity, but we responded with two moto wins today. This is what makes all of the hard work and tough times we face during the week worth it. I had to fight for that second moto win, Eli was on it, but we dug deep and managed to get the job done.”
The overall win helped Osborne extend his championship lead to 29-points over Cianciarulo who finished fourth overall (2-7). Musquin maintains his third position in the standings, just a single point behind Cianciarulo.
450MX Overall
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
1
1
50
2
Marvin Musquin
3
3
40
3
Eli Tomac
6
2
37
4
Adam Cianciarulo
2
7
36
5
Chase Sexton
4
5
34
6
Blake Baggett
7
6
29
7
Max Anstie
13
4
26
8
Fredrik Noren
9
8
25
9
Joseph Savatgy
8
9
25
10
Justin Barcia
5
13
24
11
Christian Craig
10
10
22
12
Isaac Teasdale
12
14
16
13
Justin Bogle
11
15
16
14
Kyle Chisholm
15
12
15
15
Jake Masterpool
40
11
10
16
Tyler Bowers
16
16
10
17
Justin Rodbell
14
19
9
18
Alex Ray
17
18
7
19
Tristan Lane
20
17
5
20
McClellan Hile
18
22
3
21
Bryce Backaus
19
24
2
22
Matthew Hubert
22
20
1
23
Jared Lesher
21
21
0
24
Vann Martin
24
25
0
25
Nicolas Rolando
28
27
0
26
Adam Enticknap
26
29
0
27
Christopher Prebula
23
32
0
28
Nick Fratz-Orr
31
28
0
29
Joshua Berchem
29
30
0
30
Carson Tickle
38
23
0
31
Scott Meshey
27
38
0
32
Jerry Lorenz III
30
36
0
33
Carter Stephenson
34
33
0
34
Nathen LaPorte
33
35
0
35
Bryton Carroll
32
37
0
36
Ben LaMay
36
34
0
37
Richard Taylor
35
40
0
38
Benny Bloss
39
39
0
39
Tristan Lewis
25
0
40
Cory Carsten
26
0
41
Brandon Pederson
31
0
42
Jeffrey Walker
37
0
450MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
285
2
Adam Cianciarulo
256
3
Marvin Musquin
255
4
Eli Tomac
233
5
Blake Baggett
219
6
Justin Barcia
218
7
Chase Sexton
207
8
Christian Craig
163
9
Joseph Savatgy
147
10
Max Anstie
139
11
Broc Tickle
134
12
Fredrik Noren
107
13
Dean Wilson
97
14
Justin Bogle
72
15
Jake Masterpool
63
16
Henry Miller
59
17
Jason Anderson
58
18
Justin Rodbell
58
19
Benny Bloss
47
20
Coty Schock
31
21
Cooper Webb
29
22
Tyler Bowers
23
23
John Short
21
24
Ben LaMay
21
25
Isaac Teasdale
19
26
Grant Harlan
18
27
Jeremy Smith
18
28
Justin Hoeft
17
29
Kyle Chisholm
15
30
Luke Renzland
11
31
Matthew Hubert
10
32
Chase Felong
8
33
Alex Ray
7
34
Tristan Lane
5
35
Felix Lopez
5
36
Robbie Wageman
4
37
Jeffrey Walker
4
38
McClellan Hile
3
39
Cory Carsten
3
40
Jared Lesher
3
41
Bryce Backaus
2
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
250MX Moto 1
The first 250 Class moto saw Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Shane McElrath emerge with the Motosport.com Holeshot, just edging out his teammate Dylan Ferrandis and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ hampshire. The opening lap saw Hampshire quickly go to work to steal second from Ferrandis, while Ferrandis’ championship rival Jeremy Martin started in fourth on his GEICO Honda.
As McElrath led the 40-rider field around the sandy circuit, Ferrandis managed to regroup and close the gap on Hampshire, reclaiming the second position. Just moments later, Ferrandis would continue his push towards the front as he overtook his teammate McElrath to become the new race leader. The podium battle behind Ferrandis began to heat up as GEICO Honda’s rookie Jett Lawrence found his way by both Hampshire and McElrath to move into second.
With Ferrandis dropping the hammer and looking to breakaway from Lawrence out front, Hampshire put in another charge that allowed him to muscle his way by McElrath for third. With five minutes remaining, the final podium positions tightened up as Lawrence, Hampshire, and Jeremy Martin were separated by just seconds. A huge mistake by Hampshire saw him eject from his motorcycle off of one of the large infield jumps, moving Jeremy Martin into third.
Ferrandis would go on to take a dominating fifth moto win of the season by 9.6 seconds over Lawrence who earned a career-best second. Jeremy Martin crossed the finish line a distant third.
250MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+09.655
3
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+21.486
4
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
+30.898
5
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+37.359
6
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+41.083
7
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+44.221
8
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+1:00.325
9
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW KX 250
+1:12.527
10
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+1:14.966
11
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+1:19.400
12
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+1:27.097
13
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+1:36.295
14
Hardy Munoz
HQV FC250
+1:41.303
15
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
+1:55.578
16
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
+2:03.052
17
Jalek Swoll
HQV FC250
+2:07.172
18
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+2:07.903
19
Mason Gonzales
YAM YZ 250F
15 Laps
20
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
+52.972
21
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
+56.026
22
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW KX 250
+57.541
23
Austin Root
HQV FC250
+1:05.074
24
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:06.246
25
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:12.052
26
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+1:30.282
27
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:55.081
28
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+2:00.185
29
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+2:26.755
30
Jake Pinhancos
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:43.562
31
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
+2:43.562
32
Brett Greenley
YAM YZ 250F
14 Laps
33
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
+14.605
34
Matthew Klann
HON CRF250R
+1:05.405
35
RJ Hampshire
HQV FC250
13 Laps
36
Kyle Greeson
KTM 250 SX-F
11 Laps
37
Derek Drake
KTM 250 SX-F FE
10 Laps
38
Conner Burger
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:13.018
39
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
4 Laps
40
Gabe Gutierres
KTM 250 SX-F
3 Laps
250MX Moto 2
As the gate dropped for 250 Class Moto 2 it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing’s Alex Martin and Ferrandis. The red plate holder Ferrandis quickly went to the front to lead the opening lap over Cooper, and McElrath. Jeremy Martin started the moto in seventh.
Like we’ve seen many times this season, Ferrandis used the clear track to his advantage by putting in fast laps to open a comfortable lead over his fellow competitors. Behind Ferrandis, Star Racing Yamaha teammates Cooper and McElrath remained steady in second and third. With just under 10-minutes remaining in the moto, Jeremy Martin engaged in a battle with McElrath for the final podium spot.
Ferrandis remained unchallenged en route to his six moto win of the season by 15.3 seconds. Cooper held on to take a season-best second, while Jeremy Martin made a pass on McElrath in the final laps to finish third.
250MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
+15.304
3
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+23.706
4
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+29.004
5
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+37.013
6
RJ Hampshire
HQV FC250
+40.888
7
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+59.176
8
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW KX 250
+1:23.120
9
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+1:27.457
10
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+1:27.925
11
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+2:04.883
12
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+2:15.554
13
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
+2:19.882
14
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:24.692
15
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
15 Laps
16
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+04.765
17
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
+07.224
18
Hardy Munoz
HQV FC250
+13.923
19
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+41.068
20
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+42.498
21
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ RMZ 250
+50.288
22
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+1:00.193
23
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+2:06.176
24
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+2:33.265
25
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:45.694
26
Kyle Greeson
KTM 250 SX-F
14 Laps
27
Austin Root
HQV FC250
+11.352
28
Brett Greenley
YAM YZ 250F
+39.795
29
Jake Pinhancos
KTM 250 SX-F
+44.709
30
Matthew Klann
HON CRF250R
+59.439
31
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:07.071
32
Jordan Jarvis
KAW KX 250
+1:11.685
33
Michael Lacore
KTM 250 SX-F
13 Laps
34
Austin Cozadd
YAM YZ 250F
+26.226
35
Hayden Hefner
YAM YZ 250F
+1:35.861
36
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
9 Laps
37
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW KX 250
6 Laps
38
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
4 Laps
39
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
3 Laps
40
Chad Stonier
YAM YZ 250F
2 Laps
250MX Overall
For the third time this season, Ferrandis swept both motos (1-1) for the overall victory. Cooper landed on the overall podium for the first time this season in second (4-2), edging out Jeremy Martin in third (3-3).
“It’s a great feeling to get another win,” said Ferrandis. “Every race and moto is really important. To go 1-1 today is huge and it’s great to show how strong I am when the conditions are tough. My starts were much better overall, so it’s quite a nice feeling to have it pay off with a good overall result. There are two races left and it’s going to be important to keep this momentum rolling for the championship.”
The win helped Ferrandis extend his championship point lead to 13-points over Jeremy Martin. Jeremy’s brother, Alex Martin, finished sixth overall (5-7) on the day and moved to third in the standings.
World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik was elated to break his Prague jinx after storming top of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship with victory in round five on Friday. Zmarzlik arrived at Marketa Stadium having reached just one semi-final in four appearances at the Czech capital track.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
But after battling to a strong 11 points in the heats, he won a semi-final showdown with Tai Woffinden after Jason Doyle and Leon Madsen were both excluded for moving at the start. He then topped the podium after beating three-time Prague winner Woffinden, Slovak star Martin Vaculik and Russian racer Emil Sayfutdinov in the final.
Zmarzlik’s victory and 20 championship points saw him overhaul Fredrik Lindgren for top spot in the SGP standings on 79, with the Swedish ace in hot pursuit on 78 after scoring 12 points for finishing fifth in the meeting.
2020 FIM Speedway GP Round Five Podium 1. Bartosz Zmarzlik 20 2. Tai Woffinden 18 3. Martin Vaculik 16
Then on Saturday Zmarzlik raced to his second straight FIM Speedway Grand Prix win in Prague, and admitted the thrill of the chase made it even sweeter.
The Polish icon topped the Aztorin SGP round-six podium at Marketa Stadium on Saturday night – his second win at the venue in 24 hours and his third SGP victory of 2020.
He heads into the final SGP double-header of the season in Torun, Poland on October 2 and 3 with a seven-point lead over nearest rival Fredrik Lindgren at the top of the World Championship standings.
Zmarzlik chased down Great Britain star Tai Woffinden in an epic final, blazing under the triple world champion with a breathtaking burst down the back straight to complete a maximum haul of 40 championship points this weekend.
The Gorzow favourite also won Friday’s meeting ahead of Woffinden with a sublime start in the final. But he was even happier to top Saturday’s podium after being forced to fight for the win. Zmarzlik claimed his first victory of 2020 in round three at home track Gorzow on Friday, September 11, but fell short of the final on the Saturday night. So he was delighted to follow up a fast Friday with another first place in Prague.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“I am very happy because I won on both days. This is unbelievable for me and my team. This was a better win than yesterday because all the time I was fighting in the final, and that’s a much better feeling. I always had a good feeling in the race with Tai. I said to my bike ‘come on, come on!’ I was feeling fast and felt I could do it. I am really happy. I didn’t win the starts and win the heats. I was always fighting with the guys and it’s nice to do that rather than just make the start and win the heats. Before the meeting I was a little bit nervous because my second day in Gorzow was not so nice. Friday was the same story. I won the first meeting and was wondering what would happen the next day. What a night it was for me! This is my second win here and I am really happy. But this is history and I must look at what’s before me in the last two rounds. Please keep your fingers crossed for me and I’ll see you soon.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik
Czech Republic SGP Round Five Points
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Tai Woffinden
18
3
Martin Vaculik
16
4
Emil Sayfutdinov
14
5
Fredrik Lindgren
12
6
Jason Doyle
11
7
Artem Laguta
10
8
Leon Madsen
9
9
Max Fricke
8
10
Patryk Dudek
7
11
Mikkel Michelsen
6
12
Maciej Janowski
5
13
Niels-Kristian Iversen
4
14
Matej Zagar
3
15
Antonio Lindback
2
16
Eduard Krcmar
1
17
Vaclav Milik
0
18
Jan Kvech
0
Aztorin SGP Round Six Points
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Tai Woffinden
18
3
Jason Doyle
16
4
Fredrik Lindgren
14
5
Martin Vaculik
12
6
Leon Madsen
11
7
Emil Sayfutdinov
10
8
Maciej Janowski 9
9
9
Max Fricke
8
10
Matej Zagar
7
11
Patryk Dudek
6
12
Artem Laguta
5
13
Antonio Lindback
4
14
Mikkel Michelsen
3
15
Niels-Kristian Iversen
2
16
Vaclav Milik
1
17
Eduard Krcmar
0
18
Jan Kvech
DNR.
SGP World Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
99
2
Fredrik Lindgren
92
3
Tai Woffinden
89
4
Maciej Janowski
71
5
Leon Madsen
70
6
Jason Doyle
69
7
Martin Vaculik
63
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
60
9
Artem Laguta
60
10
Max Fricke
40
11
Matej Zagar
37
12
Niels-Kristian Iversen
30
13
Patryk Dudek
29
14
Mikkel Michelsen
27
15
Gleb Chugunov
16
16
Antonio Lindback
12
17
Anders Thomsen
10
18
Vaclav Milik
1
19
Eduard Krcmar
1
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
West Coast Speedway Solo Championship
By Graeme Sinden
A unique Speedway Solo Championship series is planned for the 2020/21 speedway season which will be run at Western Australia’s Perth Motorplex, 35 minutes south of Perth. Ten of the state’s top solo riders will be contracted to race over a series of five rounds to decide an eventual winner. With plenty of prize money on offer the series is expected to be hard fought and become an annual event on the Western Australian Motorcycle Speedway calendar.
The series will commence on 31st October and finish on 27th March 2021. The second round of the five round Championship series on the 5th December coincides with the running of the traditional ‘John Day Classic’ Speedcar division meeting, which attracts one of the largest crowds of any speedway meetings around the country.
Brad Muller from ‘West Coast Promotions’
“We wanted to select and contract some of the best riders in Western Australia to contest a Championship Series over five rounds at The Perth Motorplex complex to showcase motorcycle speedway racing in front of large crowds of bipartisan 4 wheel fans.” “Not only does our Invitational Series provide another Championship for the guys to chase, we hope it will encourage some 4-wheel fans to get up to WA’s dedicated Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway circuit in Perth’s northern suburbs. While we are still putting the finishing touches on some fine details, we are well underway with obtaining expressions of interest from potential sponsors for the event. We are also trying to arrange a solo ‘Stars of the Future’ support class to the Invitational ‘Championship Series’. While it is not finalised, we are looking to provide an opportunity for these guys to race in some handicap races with a chance of breaking into the Top Stars event should there be any opportunities. We are thrilled to have the support of the Speedway Motorcycle Club, the Perth Motorplex, and Motorcycling WA, the peak body for motorcycling in Western Australia. Despite Covid issues, West Coast Promotions are committed to ensuring speedway solo racing is alive and well in Western Australia. We will release more news on this exciting event as it comes to hand.”
The invitational five round Championship series at the Perth Motorplex is being planned to showcase solo racing in WA and provide another metropolitan circuit for top WA riders to compete at.
The Speedway Motorcycle Club of WA had previously arranged their racing calendar to allow solos to compete at the Perth Motorplex venue to avoid clashing with their own dedicated Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway meetings.
WA Speedway Motorcycle Club President, Steve Marson
“We are delighted to have senior solo riders competing in this fabulous event at the Perth Motorplex. We have had to reschedule our calendar for this year due to Covid restrictions. The Australian Sidecar Championship which was due to be held in Perth during Easter 2021, has been rescheduled and Pinjar Park will now hold this event in 2021/22. We have lots to rearrange and plan and we are encouraged that ‘West Coast Promotions’ have stepped in and taken some of the workload to develop and promote speedway motorcycle racing in WA. West Coast Promotions are providing great support to our club and from what I hear, they appear to be planning a very professional event for local speedway solo riders” which will be good for Motorcycle Speedway in general.”
Ironically, Steve Marson’s son, Matt, who rides for Mildenhall in the British league will be selected in the top ten riders for the Invitational Championship Series. New Club Vice President, former Kiwi rider, Bryan Miller, should also make the cut. The field will also include several former international stars.
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Round Six – Spring Creek National, Millville September 19, 2020
Images Jeff Kardas
The sixth round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured a thrilling afternoon of racing in both the 450 Class and 250 Class. The legendary Spring Creek MX Park provided perfect weather and close racing throughout the day.
450 Class rookie Adam Cianciarulo proved that his victory at the RedBud II National was no fluke as he took his Monster Energy Kawasaki to a second consecutive victory in the premier class. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Blake Baggett was a close second both motos, while Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Just Barcia occupied the final step of the podium. Championship point leader Zach Osborne ended the day tenth overall (4-16) and watched his championship lead shrink to just 15-points over Cianciarulo.
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis collected a pair of moto wins for his second overall victory of the season, retaking the red plate and championship point lead from GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin who finished the day runner-up. JGR/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing’s Alex Martin landed on the podium in front of his home crowd to finish third overall.
450MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
17 Laps
2
Blake Baggett
KTM
+01.758
3
Marvin Musquin
KTM
+20.489
4
Zachary Osborne
HQV
+30.672
5
Justin Barcia
YAM
+37.337
6
Eli Tomac
KAW
+41.879
7
Christian Craig
HON
+43.856
8
Chase Sexton
HON
+47.919
9
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ
+56.566
10
Max Anstie
SUZ
+1:09.827
11
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
+1:15.407
12
Broc Tickle
YAM
+1:30.878
13
Benny Bloss
HQV
+1:59.268
14
Justin Rodbell
KAW
+2m00.728
15
Jake Masterpool
HQV
+2m03.908
16
Justin Bogle
KTM
+2m09.699
17
Robbie Wageman
YAM
+2m12.895
18
Coty Schock
HON
16 Laps
19
Ben LaMay
KTM
+10.153
20
Justin Hoeft
HQV
+18.192
21
Alex Ray
KAW
+33.218
22
Felix Lopez
KTM
+39.334
23
Grant Harlan
HON
+43.371
24
Tyler Bowers
KAW
+1m06.051
25
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ
+1m25.799
26
Bryce Backaus
YAM
+1m26.654
27
Adam Enticknap
SUZ
+1m7.979
28
McClellan Hile
KTM
+1m37.559
29
Jeffrey Walker
KTM
+1m44.635
30
Bryton Carroll
YAM
+1m48.948
31
Tristan Lane
KTM
+1m51.033
32
Jared Lesher
KTM
15 Laps
33
Nicolas Rolando
KTM
+17.589
34
Joseph Perron
KAW
+1m05.025
35
Hunter Braun
HON
+1m10.061
36
Richard Taylor
SUZ
14 Laps
37
Blake Hansen
KAW
+3m33.170
38
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM
9 Laps
39
Matthew Hubert
KAW
4 Laps
40
Jeremy Smith
KAW
DNF
450MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
17 Laps
2
Blake Baggett
KTM
+02.760
3
Chase Sexton
HON
+20.439
4
Justin Barcia
YAM
+41.815
5
Eli Tomac
KAW
+44.044
6
Christian Craig
HON
+45.236
7
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ
+1m09.500
8
Max Anstie
SUZ
+1m10.166
9
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
+1m50.492
10
Marvin Musquin
KTM
+1m59.718
11
Benny Bloss
HQV
+2m01.893
12
Justin Bogle
KTM
+2m11.171
13
Grant Harlan
HON
+2m11.184
14
Justin Rodbell
KAW
+2m5.826
15
Jake Masterpool
HQV
16 Laps
16
Zachary Osborne
HQV
+06.936
17
Justin Hoeft
HQV
+28.329
18
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ
+34.873
19
Ben LaMay
KTM
+38.273
20
Tyler Bowers
KAW
+53.176
21
Robbie Wageman
YAM
+1m01.402
22
Bryce Backaus
YAM
+1m05.280
23
Richard Taylor
SUZ
+1m14.606
24
Felix Lopez
KTM
+1m22.623
25
McClellan Hile
KTM
+1m25.946
26
Alex Ray
KAW
+1m27.952
27
Jared Lesher
KTM
+1m38.974
28
Tristan Lane
KTM
+1m43.068
29
Adam Enticknap
SUZ
+2m10.500
30
Jeffrey Walker
KTM
+2m12.435
31
Carter Stephenson
YAM
+2m6.010
32
Nicolas Rolando
KTM
15 Laps
33
Joseph Perron
KAW
+28.254
34
Bryton Carroll
YAM
+1m56.198
35
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM
14 Laps
36
Blake Hansen
KAW
5 Laps
37
Broc Tickle
YAM
4 Laps
38
Hunter Braun
HON
+50.652
39
Jeremy Smith
KAW
2 Laps
40
Matthew Hubert
KAW
DNS
450MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
235
2
Adam Cianciarulo
220
3
Marvin Musquin
215
4
Eli Tomac
196
5
Justin Barcia
194
6
Blake Baggett
190
7
Chase Sexton
173
8
Christian Craig
141
9
Broc Tickle
134
10
Joseph Savatgy
122
11
Max Anstie
113
12
Dean Wilson
97
13
Fredrik Noren
82
14
Henry Miller
59
15
Jason Anderson
58
16
Justin Bogle
56
17
Jake Masterpool
53
18
Justin Rodbell
49
19
Benny Bloss
47
20
Coty Schock
31
21
Cooper Webb
29
22
John Short
21
23
Ben LaMay
21
24
Grant Harlan
18
25
Jeremy Smith
18
26
Justin Hoeft
17
27
Tyler Bowers
13
28
Luke Renzland
11
29
Matthew Hubert
9
30
Chase Felong
8
31
Felix Lopez
5
32
Robbie Wageman
4
33
Jeffrey Walker
4
34
Cory Carsten
3
35
Isaac Teasdale
3
36
Jared Lesher
3
250
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis swept both motos to capture the eighth overall victory of his career.
Jett Lawrence was on the podium in the opening 250 Moto then backed that up with a sixth in the second Moto, just missing out on the overall podium by a single point.
Older brother Hunter will be pumped after having carded some great results at Spring Creek, 7-5 placings earning him seventh overall for the round.
250MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
17 Laps
2
RJ Hampshire
HQV
+04.160
3
Jett Lawrence
HON
+05.989
4
Alex Martin
SUZ
+07.504
5
Jeremy Martin
HON
+09.807
6
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW
+23.993
7
Hunter Lawrence
HON
+25.267
8
Derek Drake
KTM
+33.786
9
Justin Cooper
YAM
+37.436
10
Brandon Hartranft
KTM
+40.276
11
Mitchell Harrison
KAW
+44.921
12
Jo Shimoda
HON
+46.339
13
Carson Mumford
HON
+58.717
14
Jarrett Frye
YAM
+1m06.182
15
Shane McElrath
YAM
+1:08.763
16
Jerry Robin
HQV
+1m42.347
17
Derek Kelley
HQV
+1m54.705
18
Jesse Flock
HQV
+2m00.406
19
Joshua Varize
KTM
+2m01.592
20
Joseph Crown
YAM
+2m07.733
21
Curren Thurman
KTM
+2m16.761
22
Mason Gonzales
YAM
16 Laps
23
Ryder Floyd
HON
+16.625
24
Austin Root
HQV
+17.495
25
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW
+24.696
26
Kevin Moranz
KTM
+27.210
27
Gared Steinke
KAW
+27.730
28
Cody Williams
HQV
+31.306
29
Ezra Hastings
HQV
+44.607
30
Josh Boaz
KTM
+44.921
31
Vincent Luhovey
KTM
+49.306
32
Chase Lorenz
HON
+1m01.469
33
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ
+1m48.201
34
Lane Shaw
KTM
+2m03.970
35
Josiah Hempen
KTM
14 Laps
36
Nick Gaines
YAM
11 Laps
37
TJ Uselman
YAM
7 Laps
38
Max Miller
KTM
6 Laps
39
Jalek Swoll
HQV
2 Laps
40
Gage Schehr
HQV
+33.006
250MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
17 Laps
2
Jeremy Martin
HON
+00.411
3
Justin Cooper
YAM
+31.518
4
Alex Martin
SUZ
+34.101
5
Hunter Lawrence
HON
+35.075
6
Jett Lawrence
HON
+40.712
7
Shane McElrath
YAM
+41.902
8
Jo Shimoda
HON
+57.037
9
Mitchell Harrison
KAW
+57.661
10
Carson Mumford
HON
+1m25.915
11
RJ Hampshire
HQV
+1m31.181
12
Derek Drake
KTM
+1m34.866
13
Brandon Hartranft
KTM
+1m36.685
14
Jarrett Frye
YAM
+1m57.639
15
Mason Gonzales
YAM
+2m08.734
16
Derek Kelley
HQV
+2m11.648
17
Jesse Flock
HQV
+2m22.850
18
Jalek Swoll
HQV
16 Laps
19
Jerry Robin
HQV
+05.571
20
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW
+08.512
21
Curren Thurman
KTM
+09.895
22
Gared Steinke
KAW
+43.046
23
Ezra Hastings
HQV
+46.325
24
Zack Williams
KTM
+48.901
25
Joshua Varize
KTM
+49.678
26
Vincent Luhovey
KTM
+1m09.927
27
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ
+1m13.846
28
Kevin Moranz
KTM
+1m15.543
29
Chase Lorenz
HON
+1m19.738
30
Ryder Floyd
HON
+1m36.349
31
Lane Shaw
KTM
15 Laps
32
Josiah Hempen
KTM
+1m37.441
33
Austin Root
HQV
11 Laps
34
Josh Boaz
KTM
9 Laps
35
Joseph Crown
YAM
7 Laps
36
Gage Schehr
HQV
3 Laps
37
Cody Williams
HQV
+1m25.918
38
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW
2 Laps
39
TJ Uselman
YAM
DNF
40
Nick Gaines
YAM
DNS
250MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dylan Ferrandis
257
2
Jeremy Martin
254
3
RJ Hampshire
202
4
Alex Martin
194
5
Shane McElrath
186
6
Justin Cooper
164
7
Jett Lawrence
162
8
Cameron Mcadoo
140
9
Mitchell Harrison
123
10
Brandon Hartranft
114
11
Derek Drake
106
12
Carson Mumford
95
13
Jo Shimoda
90
14
Hunter Lawrence
73
15
Mason Gonzales
73
16
Stilez Robertson
70
17
Ty Masterpool
54
18
Nick Gaines
44
19
Pierce Brown
36
20
Darian Sanayei
24
21
Hardy Munoz
23
22
Jerry Robin
23
23
Lance Kobusch
18
24
Jalek Swoll
15
25
Ezra Hastings
14
26
Jarrett Frye
14
27
Joseph Crown
13
28
Derek Kelley
12
29
Gared Steinke
11
30
Austin Root
9
31
Joshua Varize
7
32
Jesse Flock
7
33
Zack Williams
6
34
Jordan Bailey
6
35
Dilan Schwartz
5
36
Maxwell Sanford
4
37
Mathias Jorgensen
4
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 French EnduroGP – Réquista
The Acerbis French Grand Prix in Réquista has been much anticipated by all enduro fans after a long delay to the season start due to Covid-19 crisis, and well and truly delivered, keeping everyone in suspense on a dusty first day. The riders enjoyed themselves and put on a show over all three of the tests created by the Réquista Moto Sport club. The ranks of EnduroGP continue to lack many of the world’s best enduro racers due to the decision by KTM and Husqvarna to instead back the rival World Enduro Super Series.
Steve Holcombe
We were close to witnessing ‘the comeback of the year’ with reigning EnduroGP World Champion, Brad Freeman who had a somewhat sluggish start to the day, put together a crazy last lap to put the pressure on his teammate Steve Holcombe. But the number 12 rider missed out by the tiniest margin, with the first EnduroGP class victory going to Holcombe by an incredible two tenths of a second! Despite many mistakes on the last lap, Holcombe impressed throughout the day, even going as far as 18 seconds ahead of Freeman at one point!
Another great protagonist on this first day of the 2020 season was the 2019 Junior World Champion, Andrea Verona. The rookie in the Senior classes was seriously quick and leading proceedings at the end of the first lap. He admitted at the end of the day that he is still a little ”green”, and the Factory TM rider made a few too many mistakes under pressure.
EnduroGP Day 1 Podium – 1) Steve Holcombe, 2) Brad Freeman, 3) Loic Larrieu
Nevertheless, he secured a brilliant fourth place in the top class. In fact, Verona was just one and a half seconds from third place, which was occupied by a very solid Loïc Larrieu. The Frenchman woke up this morning with a painful shoulder but that did not prevent him from being strong and consistent throughout the day.
Last minute entry to the 2020 season, Davide Guarneri shone on his first day back in the FIM Borilli World Enduro Championship and he pulled off an excellent Top 5! Two Betas and three TMs in the ‘Top Five’ meant unchallenged Italian domination in terms of manufacturers. Also good performances were the returning Jérémy Tarroux and Jaume Betriu who joined the 10 fastest riders on the day.
EGP winner Steve Holcombe also pocketed the victory in Enduro 2 ahead of Loïc Larrieu and Italy’s Matteo Cavallo – also a newcomer in the category. Danny McCanney and Alex Salvini completed the top five.
Steve Holcombe
In Enduro 1, Andrea Verona made an emphatic start to his campaign with a brilliant victory. He outclassed much more experienced riders such as Thomas Oldrati, second, and Christophe Charlier third. The final two places in the Top 5 were occupied by Jérémy Tarroux and the promising Antoine Magain.
Over in E3, Brad Freeman claimed his first victory in the category ahead of Davide Guarneri and Jaume Betriu. Antoine Basset and Marc Sans Soria were next up.
The Junior classes are traditionally some of the hardest fought of the FIM Borilli World Enduro Championship, and the opening round hasn’t disappointed so far!
The crowd in Requista were treated to a magnificent battle between Ruy Barbosa, home rider Théo Espinasse, Roni Kytonen, Hamish Macdonald, Lorenzo Macoritto and Wil Ruprecht! In the lead from the get-go, Barbosa eventually cracked under the combined pressure of Espinasse, Macdonald and Kytonen.
Roni Kytonen
At the end of the 10 specials of the day it was the Frenchman, just recovering from a rupture of the cruciate ligaments, who won on Saturday in front of his Sherco team-mate, Macdonald, and Finland’s Kytonen. The Chilean had to be satisfied with fourth position while Marcoritto stepped up his game at the end of the day to get into the top five, demoting his Beta Boano team-mate to sixth.
At the same time, Espinasse won J2 ahead of Macdonald and Ruprecht while Kytonen won J1 ahead of Barbosa and Macoritto.
In Youth 125cc we believed that the day was going to be a 100% Fantic duel between Jed Etchells and Harry Edmondson! The impressive Brits dominated head and shoulders above the rest of the field at the start of the day, but their charge came to an end against Claudio Spanu and Sergio Navarro. While the Spaniard believed he could take the victory until the last stage, he was pipped to the post by the Italian! The son of legend Paul Edmondson, Harry, takes his very first world podium while Etchells and Hugo Svard finished fourth and fifth. Three Fantics in the first five riders, not a bad return to the World Championship for the Italian brand!
Jed Etchells
Finally, in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, Gonçalo Reis started 2020 as he finished 2019, on the top step of the 2-Stroke class podium, ahead of Trials rider Loris Gubian and the Czech Republic’s Robert Friedrich.
In Open 4-Stroke, there were two Belgians in the top two places in the form of Damiaens Dietger and Mathias Van Hoof. Benet Gomez completed the podium. In the Senior class, David Martinez Corbalan won this first day after a great battle with the Frenchman Arnaud Adam and the Italian Duccio Graziana.
Day 2
After a dusty first day, torrential rains over night on Saturday gave a whole different flavour to Sunday’s proceedings. Despite not being muddy, the three tests had nevertheless changed… although that didn’t change anything for the top riders, who continued their quest for the top.
Steve Holcombe
Once again, Steve Holcombe had to watch his back at the end of the day when both Andrea Verona and Brad Freeman closed to within 16 seconds of him. Holcombe almost lost all his hard work on the last test when his two pursuers were very hot on his heels. But the Factory Beta rider managed to take another slim victory, just 3 seconds ahead of Brad Freeman!
Just like Day 1, the 2019 EGP World Champion took a while to get into the groove and once again narrowly missed out on a win. This is something he will have to sort out before next weekend in Italy. However, despite being out of the Top 3 for the majority of the day Freeman was still able to grab second place, proof of his strength of character.
Brad Freeman
“Once again, I’m angry! When I see the last lap that I put together, it drives me crazy that I didn’t find the rhythm at the start of the day! But in the provisional Championship standings, Steve is not too far away and it’s only the start of the season. Anyway, I’m very happy with my double win in E3 but I have to look for more in EnduroGP!”
EnduroGP Day 2 Podium – Brad Freeman took second, Holcombe first, and Verona third
As yesterday, Andrea Verona took third place on the EGP podium. The Italian Senior class rookie could have taken advantage of Holcombe’s drop in power to get his first victory in the premier class but a fall in the very last Champion Enduro Test of the weekend deprived him a win and even second place!
Behind the leading trio, Jaume Betriu had a very good race. In the overall lead at the end of the first lap, the Catalan has been out of Enduro for a while to focus on the Dakar Rally, but he clearly hasn’t lost any of his speed during his time off, taking a great fourth place. Fourth on Day 1, France’s Loïc Larrieu took another top five to the detriment of Danny McCanney.
Andrea Verona
A special mention again goes to Jérémy Tarroux, who managed seventh place, and for Belgium’s Senior class rookie, Antoine Magain as well as Marc Sans Soria.
In Enduro 2 Holcombe took another victory over Loïc Larrieu and Danny McCanney. Matteo Cavallo and Alex Salvini completed the top five.
Steve Holcombe
“After what’s been the longest off-season, it’s been a dream weekend to be able to kick things off with a double victory in EnduroGP and take an early lead in the championship. Adding to that, being the first person to put a four-stroke Beta on the top step of a world championship enduro podium is special. I was the first rider to win for Beta on a two- stroke, so it’s great to be able to do the double as it were and deliver their first four-stroke win as well. The weekend itself went pretty good from the start. I wanted to push the pace and managed that by winning the super test on Friday. There were mistakes throughout Saturday, especially on the final extreme test, but I kept it together and got the win. After getting that first race day out of the way I felt Sunday was more controlled. Overnight rain made lap one tricky, but I came back strong and won again. Overall, we’ve certainly proved this weekend that we’re on the right track with the 350 – now it’s a matter of building on today in what’s set to be a short, sharp and intense championship.”
Steve Holcombe
In Enduro 1, we also find the same winner from the day before in the form of the 2019 Junior World Champion, Andrea Verona. Tarroux was next up with Thomas Oldrati third. The last two places in the Top 5 went to Antoine Magain and Christophe Charlier.
Andrea Verona
“I am much more satisfied with today than yesterday! I fought all day with HOLCOMBE for the victory, but unfortunately my fall in the very last special of the day cost me a potential victory and also second place. But after all, I was not really expecting to achieve the double in E1 and also get so close in EnduroGP, so I’m really pleased!”
Andrea Verona
On the E3 side, the same story goes with Freeman beating Jaume Betriu. After a great day of racing, Marc Sans Soria snatched the last step of the podium from Davide Guarneri while Cristobal Guerrero finished fifth…
Over in the closely contested Junior class, Théo Espinasse once again made life difficult for all his competitors with another win. He will head to Italy next weekend with the Junior leader’s plate! He finished more than 27 seconds ahead of his Sherco Factory team-mate, Hamish Macdonald and Matteo Pavoni.
Théo Espinasse
“Yesterday I won by 15 seconds, today by almost 30 … not bad at all for an injury comeback! I am very happy with myself and with all the work done by the CH Racing team, which has been exceptional all weekend.”
In difficulty at the start of the day, the Australian Wil Ruprecht made an explosive comeback on the last lap but he was far too far from the leading trio to see a podium! A third Beta Boano rider brought up the rear of the Top 5 in the form of Lorenzo Macoritto. Recognised as two of the best teams for bringing on young talent, Sherco Factory and Beta Boano took the lion’s share in the under 23 years classes…
Espinasse therefore also took the double in J2 ahead of Hamish Macdonald and Matteo Pavoni while Lorenzo Macoritto won Junior 1 against Roni Kytonen and the Brazilian Bruno Crivilin.
Roni Kytonen
This time around, Jed Etchells did not falter like the day before and therefore took his very first Youth 125cc victory at the end of a well-rounded day. The rookie Brit has already given a first victory to Fantic and the D’Arpa Sicilia Racing Team who make their World Championship debut this year! Etchells kept Sergio Navarro at bay by more than 26 seconds. Third place was occupied by Claudio Spanu. On the podium the day before, Harry Edmondson took a nice fourth position while Hugo Svard placed a third Fantic in the top five!
Etchells
Finally, in Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, Gonçalo Reis continues to dominate the Open 2-Stroke category ahead of Robert Friedrich. While Loris Gubian secures a second podium.
In Open 4-Stroke, things were unchanged with Damiaens Dietger as the winner, with Mathias Van Hoof second, and Benet Gomez third.
In the Seniors category, we saw a shake up as Italy’s Duccio Graziani took his first victory of the season ahead of the France’s Arnaud Adam (Honda) and Spain’s David Martinez Corbalan.
Another fantastic day of battles and brilliant riding means this Acerbis Grand Prix of France hosted by the Réquista Moto Sport club has been a successful season opener for the Borilli EnduroGP World Championship! We’ll be back next week for Round 2, in Spoleto in Italy.
EnduroGP standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
40
2
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
34
3
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
28
4
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
26
5
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
19
6
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
18
7
GUARNERI Davide
ITA
TM
16
8
TARROUX Jeremy
FRA
Sherco
16
9
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
15
10
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
13
11
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
11
12
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
10
13
SANS SORIA Marc
ESP
KTM
6
14
SALVINI Alex
ITA
Honda
4
15
GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal
ESP
Beta 2 2
16
BASSET Antoine
FRA
Beta
2
17
ABGRALL David
FRA
Beta
1
18
VIAL Max
FRA
Husqvarna
1
E1 Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
40
2
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
32
3
TARROUX Jeremy
FRA
Sherco
30
4
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
26
5
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
24
6
REMES Eero
FIN
Yamaha
20
7
SORECA Davide
ITA
Beta
18
8
SNOW Alexander
GBR
Honda
16
9
ALUN Richard
SWE
Sherco
13
10
BURUD Kevin
NOR
Yamaha
13
E2 Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
40
2
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
34
3
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
28
4
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
28
5
SALVINI Alex
ITA
Honda
22
6
GESLIN Anthony
FRA
Beta
18
7
BLANJOUE Hugo
FRA
Honda
18
8
VIAL Max
FRA
Husqvarna
16
9
MIROIR Jeremy
FRA
Husqvarna
12
10
BARNES Mika
FRA
KTM
11
11
HUEBNER Edward
DEU
KTM
11
12
WOOTTON Joe
GBR
Husqvarna
6
13
GAUTIE Vincent
FRA
Beta
5
14
PICHAUD Alex
FRA
Beta
5
15
MARKVART Patrik
CZE
Husqvarna
2
E3 Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
40
2
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
32
3
GUARNERI Davide
ITA
TM
30
4
SANS SORIA Marc
ESP
KTM
26
5
BASSET Antoine
FRA
Beta
22
6
GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal
ESP
Beta
21
7
ABGRALL David
FRA
Beta
18
8
FRANCISCO Enric
ESP
Sherco
16
9
PASSET Thibaut
FRA
Beta
14
10
MORONI Rudy
ITA
KTM
13
11
RECCHIA Nicola
ITA
Beta
10
12
RAQUIDEL Julien
FRA
Beta
8
13
WICKSELL Jimmy
SWE
Beta
5
14
HADEK Jiri
CZE
KTM
4
15
BRECHETEAU Jean-Baptiste
FRA
Beta
3
Junior Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
ESPINASSE Theophile
FRA
Sherco
40
2
MACDONALD Hamish
NZL
Sherco
34
3
KYTONEN Roni
FIN
Honda
24
4
PAVONI Matteo
ITA
Beta
23
5
RUPRECHT Wil
AUS
Beta
23
6
MACORITTO Lorenzo
ITA
Beta
22
7
VAN OEVELEN Matthew
BEL
Husqvarna
17
8
BARBOSA Ruy
CHL
Husqvarna
16
9
ALIX Antoine
FRA
Husqvarna
14
10
DE CLERCQ Till
FRA
Husqvarna
13
11
CRIVILIN Bruno
BRA
Honda
9
12
DEVOULX Isaac
FRA
Yamaha
9
13
CRIQ Antoine
FRA
Sherco
6
14
FARGIER Luc
FRA
Husqvarna
5
15
WILLEMS Erik
BEL
Husqvarna
4
16
AHLIN Max
SWE
Husqvarna
2
17
PAU Tomas
ESP
Beta
1
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Andorran TrialGP
Toni Bou finished second in the first of the twin TrialGP World Championship trials held this weekend in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra. The first day of competition at the TrialGP Andorra was a seriously tough affair. Rain made an appearance in the morning leaving the terrain extremely slippery and arduous for all the riders. In addition, the officials were fairly severe in their application of the non-stop rule, resulting in a very closely-fought trial.
Toni Bou
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou battled neck and neck for the win against eternal rival Adam Raga throughout the three-lap Andorran course. Bou led the day until halfway through the final lap where he picked up several points, eventually having to settle for second spot on the podium. Despite the result, Toni Bou continues to lead the championship, now with a seven-point lead in the overall standings.
Casales lap one was a mixture of performances. Scoring six maximum scores of five marks lost, he ended lap one with a total score of 33 yet focused on improving. Delivering notably better second and third laps, Casales ended the day in third to claim his first podium of the 2020 series.
Sunday however, saw Bou triumphant in the sixth round of the world championship, re-establishing a ten-point lead at the head of the competition standings.
Trial two of the Andorra TrialGP did not turn out to be such a wash-out as Saturday’s event, but the terrain was, nevertheless, slippery and muddy, especially over the course of the ten-section first lap around the Sant Julià de Lòria route.
A more aggressive and confident Toni Bou produced a high-level showing on the day, particularly in the sections likely to elicit most mistakes and went on to finish the trial with a twenty-point margin over his main rival, Adam Raga. The Repsol Honda Team rider takes the season victory tally to four and now holds a ten-point advantage over his pursuer with one GP – made up of two trials – still to run before the world championship season wraps up.
With drier conditions for day two, Casales again rode well and again finished third overall. Performing consistently on each of the three laps the Spaniard came out on top of a day-long battle with Takahisa Fujinami to join Toni Bou and Adam Raga on the podium and move up to fourth in the 2020 TrialGP championship standings.
Toni Bou topped the Day 2 podium over Adam Raga and Jorge Casales
After three consecutive events, there will now be a well-deserved fortnight’s rest before the end of this atypical TrialGP World Championship. The forthcoming final round of the world championship is scheduled for the weekend of October 9-11 in Lazzate, Italy.
Toni Bou
“Today was a similar day to yesterday: I was a little better on the first and second lap. The sections were difficult, so I was able to gain an advantage. On the final lap I took things more to the limit, perhaps, so I am very happy with this victory. I think the key was section five, where I was able to clean, while Adam Raga ‘fived’ it on each lap. I was much more aggressive today than yesterday and this showed in the result. Overall it has been a very positive weekend.”
Toni Bou
Jorge Casales
“This has been a very important result for me. Finally, I rode like I know I can in world championship competition. In the Spanish championship, which has a similar level, I have been finishing on the podium, but I wasn’t able to find my rhythm in the world championship. I can say I needed to bounce back, which I did. The first day was hard and the scores were really high, but we kept doing our best despite the wet conditions. The first lap was really hard, it was really important to keep fighting to the end of the day. To be able to finish on the podium again feels great. I really focused on the first lap and felt like I rode well. Holding second during lap two was really good, but I was maybe a little bit too confident in the drier conditions on lap three and made some mistakes. I’m pleased that I stayed ahead of Fujinami, because he was pushing me really hard. So, it’s been a good weekend. Now I need to rest a little and start to prepare for the final round of the series in two weeks.”
TrialGP Andorra Day 1
Pos.
Rider
Nation
L1
L2
L3
T3
Champ
Team
Points
1
RAGA Adam
SPA
19
17
13
1
20
TRRS Factory Team
50
2
BOU Toni
SPA
18
13
24
1
17
Repsol Honda Team
56
3
CASALES Jorge
SPA
33
21
19
6
15
Gas Gas Factory Team
73
4
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
28
25
25
1
13
RG Team
79
5
DABILL James
GBR
29
27
26
0
11
Beta Factory Racing
82
6
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
31
27
25
0
10
Vertigo Factory Team
83
7
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
45
20
28
0
9
Repsol Honda Team
93
8
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
34
35
28
1
8
Beta Factory Racing
98
9
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
37
29
32
0
7
Sherco Factory Team
98
10
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
39
30
31
1
6
Gas Gas
101
11
PEACE Dan
GBR
33
39
33
0
5
Sherco Factory Team
105
12
PRICE Jack
GBR
38
37
30
0
4
Vertigo Factory Team
105
TrialGP Andorra Day 2
Pos.
Rider
Nation
L1
L2
L3
T3
Champ
Team
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
12
9
7
0
20
Repsol Honda Team
28
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
20
18
10
0
17
TRRS Factory Team
48
3
CASALES Jorge
SPA
22
25
23
0
15
Gas Gas Factory Team
70
4
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
26
27
19
0
13
Repsol Honda Team
72
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
27
25
22
0
11
Gas Gas
74
6
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
28
23
26
0
10
Vertigo Factory Team
77
7
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
30
29
20
0
9
Sherco Factory Team
79
8
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
31
27
21
0
8
RG Team
80
9
DABILL James
GBR
36
33
25
0
7
Beta Factory Racing
94
10
PEACE Dan
GBR
38
31
27
0
6
Sherco Factory Team
96
11
PRICE Jack
GBR
40
30
29
0
5
Vertigo Factory Team
99
TrialGP Standings
Pos.
Rider
Team
Nation
Points
1
BOU Toni
Repsol Honda Team
SPA
112
2
RAGA Adam
TRRS Factory Team
SPA
102
3
BUSTO Jaime
Vertigo Factory Team
SPA
81
4
CASALES Jorge
Gas Gas Factory Team
SPA
66
5
MARCELLI Gabriel
RG Team
SPA
59
6
FUJINAMI Takahisa
Repsol Honda Team
JPN
57
7
GELABERT Miquel
Gas Gas
SPA
56
8
FAJARDO Jeroni
Sherco Factory Team
SPA
54
9
DABILL James
Beta Factory Racing
GBR
48
10
BINCAZ Benoit
Beta Factory Racing
FRA
42
11
PEACE Dan
Sherco Factory Team
GBR
33
12
PRICE Jack
Vertigo Factory Team
GBR
32
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Sebastian Bühler wins 2020 Baja TT do Pinhal
From the very first special, Sebastian Bühler (Hero) claimed an advantage over his opponents and never relinquished that lead to eventually take the laurels in 4hr 15min 04sec with a 3min 02sec advantage over Polish rider Adam Tomiczek (Husqvarna). Maciek Giemza (Husqvarna) was third, 5min 46sec adrift.
Sebastian Bühler
“Everything went very well for me, in the afternoon,the terrain was completely different from the morning and had dried up. I was even making dust, while in the morning, we drove in the rain. It’s good to train on all kinds of terrain in one race.”
Sebastian Bühler
Of the 13 riders entered in the FIM motorcycle and quad categories, three women fought for the Trophy and it was the Portuguese Janaina Souza (Honda) who crossed the finish line 5min 14sec ahead of of Spain’s Sara Garcia (Yamaha).
Official Bike Results after SS3
S. Buhler (Hero) in 4h15’05
A. Tomiczek (Huqvarna) +3’02
M. Giemza (Huqvarna) +5’46
M. Simao (KTM) +14’01
T. De Gavardo (KTM) +30’05
Thomas Kjer Olsen signs two-year contract with Husqvarna
Husqvarna Motorcycles has confirmed the signing of Thomas Kjer Olsen to a two-year contract that will see the 2019 MX2 World Championship runner-up move into the MXGP division in 2021 onboard FC 450 machinery. Thomas will compete for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in the IceOne Racing team managed by Finn Antti Pyrhönen.
A well-established MX2 World Championship competitor, 23-year-old Kjer Olsen will continue what is now a four-year association with Husqvarna Motorcycles as he takes his first step into MXGP class competition. Producing numerous stand out performances over recent years including three MX2 GP wins, the Dane has unquestionably proven himself as one of the World Championship’s leading MX2 class riders. Finishing as runner-up in the 2019 MX2 World Championship, Thomas previously finished third in both 2017 and 2018.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I’m really happy to continue with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, to be staying with the Husqvarna family and moving to the MXGP class with IceOne Racing. I really admire the team, I know they do a great job and I believe that it’s the best team in the MXGP class. I’ve been with Husqvarna for my whole MX2 career and we’ve shared a lot of success and I have a lot to be thankful for. But I’m excited about this new chapter of my career and to be moving to MXGP. I’ve tried the IceOne FC 450 bike and it’s unbelievable. So light and powerful and as I’m a bigger guy I think it’ll really suit to my riding style. The MXGP class is so competitive and an exciting prospect. It’s full of established racers, many that have moved up from MX2 in recent years. I hope to quickly find my feet and settle into the class. I’m really looking forward to it all. For now, I am fully focussed on the MX2 World Championship. We still have a lot of races to go and then I can look forward to moving over to the new team and begin testing with the FC 450 over the winter months. I’m really excited for 2021 and racing in the MXGP class.”
Antti Pyrhönen and Thomas Kjer Olsen
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge cancelled – Dubai Baja rescheduled
Despite the best efforts of all parties involved and due to ongoing health concerns and associated restrictions in light of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the FIM, the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) and the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) have announced the cancellation of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge rescheduled to take place from 20-26 November.
The FIM has announced it is working to have an event in the 2020 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and will communicate further information as soon as possible.
On a positive note the FIM, the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) and the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) confirm that the Dubai Intl. Baja will take place from 26-28 November after being rescheduled.
Updated Schedule:
19-20 September FMP Baja do Pinhal Serta Portugal
5-7 November FMP Baja Portalegre Portalegre Portugal
26-28 November EMSO Dubai Intl. Baja Dubai United Arab Emirates
Briar Bauman showed just what an American Flat Track Grand National Championship at the peak of his powers is capable of in Friday evening’s Williams Grove Half-Mile I. Bauman flat-out crushed the opposition in a AFT SuperTwins Main Event, which the race’s runner-up accurately described as “demoralizing” while accepting his second-place trophy. The result did not come as much of a shock – it was the third year running Bauman proved his superiority at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Williams Grove Half-Mile I – AFT SuperTwins
Championship rival Jared Mees stole the holeshot and led for about two corners before giving way to Bauman at the front. The race for the win was effectively over at that point; Bauman was more than a second out in front with 11 minutes remaining on the clock and worked that advantage up to more than six seconds before cruising to an easy 4.347-second margin of victory.
The aforementioned runner-up was not Mees, however. It was Brandon Robinson, who picked up his second-consecutive second place. Robinson swapped positions early with Mees, Jake Johnson, and Bronson Bauman before breaking free from that fight with a good nine minutes to go. Bronson put in a late charge, first dispatching of Johnson and then overhauling Mees to earn his first podium result of 2020.
Williams Grove Half-Mile I – AFT SuperTwins
The slowing Mees managed to outlast a charging Dan Bromley, who registered an inspired ride to sixth in front of his home fans. After running in podium contention early, the out-from-retirement Johnson ultimately lost out to Sammy Halbert late but still managed to pick up a strong seventh place in his first ride of the year.
Williams Grove Half-Mile I – AFT SuperTwins podium – 1. Briar Bauman, 2. Brandon Robinson, 3. Bronson Bauman
Bauman’s dominant win combined with Mees’ first non-podium of the year tightened up their title fight. Mees continues to lead, but only by three points (147-144) with another race at Williams Grove coming tomorrow. Halbert and Robinson are even in points at 108.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
30 Laps
2
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
4.347
3
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
7.311
4
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
8.904
5
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
9.836
6
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
10.085
7
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
11.276
8
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
15.932
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
16.056
10
Bryan Smith
Harley-Davidson XG750R
16.348
AFT Singles
2019 AFT Singles championship runner-up Mikey Rush finally broke through to claim his first Main Event victory of 2020. It didn’t come easily, as he had to defeat his second-ranked teammate, Dallas Daniels and 2016 GNC2 champ Ryan Wells to make it happen.
Williams Grove Half-Mile I – AFT Singles
Rising star Daniels was ahead of the field early, running away at the front as a huge pack ran as many as four-wide while battling over second position. Once some order emerged from the chaos, Wells, Rush, and Morgen Mischler worked together to claw their way back up to Daniels.
By half-distance, Wells was the man on the move and Daniels looked in danger of fading back to the second group. Wells moved into first and promptly ripped open a half-second of padding before Rush stepped up to the challenge and made it a two-way race for the win with one minute to go.
Rush dove under Wells at that point, only to have his opponent square him back up. Undeterred, Rush executed a second overtake and made the position change stick for good as the race went into its final two laps.
Behind, Daniels not only regrouped, he sprinted back up to Wells and powered past him while exiting Turn 2 on the final lap. The Estenson Racing 1-2 marked its second double podium finish of the season. Wells took his first podium of the ‘20 in third, with Mischler taking a close fourth. Volusia Half-Mile winner Max Whale – who was just out of touch of the lead group throughout — completed the top five.
Meanwhile, title leader Henry Wiles suffered through a difficult day. He failed to advance through his Semi and was forced to burn his provisional just to line up for the Main. He then finished 14th, allowing Daniels, Whale, and Rush to gobble up the majority of his hard-earned championship advantage.
Williams Grove Half-Mile I – AFT Singles Podium – 1. Michael Rush, 2. Dallas Daniels, 3. Ryan Wells
Wiles still leads, albeit by just five points over Daniels (113-108). Whale (102) and Rush (99) are in position to strike in third and fourth, respectively.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
20 Laps
2
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
0.818
3
Ryan Wells
KTM 450 SX-F
1.166
4
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
1.294
5
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
1.704
6
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
3.023
7
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
3.193
8
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
5.726
9
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
7.218
10
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
9.129
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli continued his recent tear, scoring his third AFT Production Twins victory in the class’ most recent four Main Events. “The Rocket” tracked down reigning champion Cory Texter early and the two spent the next several minutes determining who had the superior line around Williams Grove Speedway.
Williams Grove Half-Mile I – AFT Production Twins
Texter appeared to have the early advantage running down low, but Rispoli’s high line got progressively stronger as the race developed. With around three minutes remaining on the clock, there was no longer a debate concerning who found the fast way around; Rispoli blasted away at the front and furthered his standing as the championship favorite.
Ryan Varnes not only made up for a less-than-ideal start, he managed to overcome a mid-race encounter with the wall to take the final spot on the box.
Varnes reeled in Indy Mile winner Ben Lowe and the two then engaged in a scrap for third position. With around four minutes remaining, Lowe ran up the inside of Varnes and the ‘19 class runner-up actually impacted the fence in the melee. Varnes somehow managed to remain upright, maintained his composure, ran Lowe back down, and beat him to the flag in the end.
Williams Grove Half-Mile I – AFT Production Twins Podium – 1. James Rispoli, 2. Core Texter, 3. Ryan Varnes
Rispoli’s fellow multinational championship-winning roadracer, Danny Eslick, rounded out the top five. Also of note was Johnny Lewis, who gave Royal Enfield a flat track debut to be proud of, finishing an impressive sixth in the Twins FT’s maiden AFT Main Event.
Royal Enfield American Flat Track Production Twin
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
20 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
2.794
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
7.443
4
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
7.577
5
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
10.253
6
Johnny Lewis
Royal Enfield 650
10.806
7
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
15.096
8
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
18.474
9
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
21.492
10
Mitch Harvat
Kawasaki Ninja 650
27.324
Williams Grove Half-Mile II
Images by Scott Hunter
If possible, Briar Bauman was even more dominant on Saturday night as he completed his second double victory of the 2020 American Flat Track season at the Williams Grove Half-Mile II and did so with authority. It took Bauman all of two corners to seize control of Friday’s AFT SuperTwins Main Event; he didn’t even need that many second time around. Bauman translated the holeshot into a one-sided, 5.544-second beatdown.
Sammy Halbert was the only rider who could even hope to cling to Bauman wake in the race’s opening stages. Doing so successfully pulled Halbert clear of the rest of the field but that early advantage only delayed the inevitable. Jeffrey Carver Jr. overhauled Halbert with four minutes remaining before shaking free to take the runner-up position by more than two seconds.
Halbert later found himself under assault by Jared Mees, who chased him down in time for a two-lap podium showdown as the clock showed 0:00. Mees slid into third with a tight pass with just over a lap-and-a-half remaining, but Halbert set him up for a last corner counterattack. Those plans, however, were foiled by the unfortunate positioning of some slower riders, allowing Mees to capture third at the checkered flag by 0.078 seconds.
Home-state hero Dan Bromley rounded out his best weekend yet since rejoining the premier class, backing up Friday’s fifth with an identical result on Saturday night.
Bauman’s win pushes him back ahead of Mees in his quest to repeat as Grand National Champion as the season officially reaches its midpoint. Bauman will carry a slim five-point advantage (169-164) into what promises to be an epic four-weekend, eight-race stretch run to the throne.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
30 Laps
2
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
5.544
3
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
7.895
4
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
7.973
5
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
9.618
6
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
12.713
7
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
14.42
8
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
15.796
9
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
16.581
10
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
17.13
AFT SuperTwins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
169
2
Jared Mees
164
3
Sammy Halbert
123
4
Brandon Robinson
116
5
Bronson Bauman
101
6
Davis Fisher
92
7
Brandon Price
89
8
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
87
9
Bryan Smith
73
10
Dan Bromley
69
AFT Singles
The AFT Singles Main Event served as a showcase for the sport’s future stars as Dallas Daniels earned a close victory over fellow second-year pro Trent Lowe. Daniels blasted off to the lead at the start and never saw as much as a wheel from a rival throughout the eight-minute (plus two lap) Main.
Williams Grove Half-Mile II – AFT Singles
However, Lowe was right there throughout, primed to capitalize on any mistake. Unfortunately for Lowe, that mistake never came. Still, it was a breakout performance for Lowe, who boasted a pair of fifth-place finishes as his personal bests prior to Saturday’s runner-up ride. Daniels’ third win of the season not only elevates him into the championship lead, it also hands him a relatively healthy 14-point advantage.
Tanner Dean engaged in an extended scrap for third with Morgen Mischler before breaking loose to claim the final spot on the box all by his lonesome. Mischler dropped a couple more positions before it was all over with Kevin Stollings finishing fourth and highly touted rookie Trevor Brunner rounding out the top five.
Williams Grove Half-Mile II – AFT Singles Podium – 1. Dallas Daniels, 2. Trent Lowe, 3. Tanner Dean
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
21 Laps
2
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
0.52
3
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
3.2
4
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
3.845
5
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
5.174
6
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
5.232
7
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
6.375
8
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
7.097
9
Wyatt Anderson
KTM 450 SX-F
7.387
10
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
8.71
AFT Singles Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dallas Daniels
133
2
Henry Wiles
119
3
Max Whale
114
4
Michael Rush
110
5
Brandon Kitchen
90
6
Trent Lowe
87
7
Trevor Brunner
76
8
Tanner Dean
74
9
Shayna Texter
73
10
Chad Cose
71
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli continued his steamroller act on Saturday night, claiming his fourth win in the last five AFT Production Twins Main Events, and he did so in almost drama-free fashion, going nearly unchallenged in his green light to checkered flag victory.
Williams Grove Half-Mile II – AFT Production Twins
Rispoli and reigning AFT Production Twins champion Cory Texter briefly reenacted last night’s high-line/low-line comparo, but within a matter of laps, “the Rocket” was working his way out of reach and to a lopsided victory. Rispoli’s 2.642-second victory increases his championship lead to an imposing 30 points at the season’s halfway point.
Other than a mid-race pass for third by Ryan Varnes over Ben Lowe, the race inside the top five was rather processional… until the very final two corners that is. Varnes slowly closed down on Texter over the Main’s final three minutes and worked his way into position to dive underneath his potential prey just as the two entered Turn 3 for the last time. However, they arrived there alongside a pair of lappers who were embroiled in their battle for position, adding another layer of complexity to the attempted maneuver.
Texter got the better of the fray, reclaiming the position as they exited 4 and holding on to grab second in the sprint to the checkered flag by 0.058 seconds. Lowe cruised to fourth a couple seconds back. Chad Cose rode a lonely race in fifth for the bulk of the Main, only to get some unwelcome company late from Jeremiah Duffy. Duffy got the better of Cose in the end, stealing fifth position by 0.111 seconds.
Williams Grove Half-Mile II – AFT Production Twins
Johnny Lewis continued to demonstrate the potential of the Royal Enfield’s developing new racebike; he raced his way forward to seventh after starting from last position due to being black flagged in his semi.
Royal Enfield American Flat Track Production Twin
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
21 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
2.642
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
2.701
4
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
4.909
5
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
9.575
6
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
9.686
7
Johnny Lewis
Royal Enfield 650
13.94
8
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
14.131
9
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
15.879
10
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
22.358
AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
174
2
Cory Texter
144
3
Ben Lowe
135
4
Ryan Varnes
134
5
Danny Eslick
107
6
Chad Cose
87
7
Jeremiah Duffy
86
8
Nick Armstrong
75
9
Cody Johncox
61
10
Hayden Gillim
45
MXGP
The FIM Motocross World Championship completed its triple header and Round 8 in Faenza with the MXGP of Emilia Romagna, with Antonio Cairoli riding two consistent races to take his 91st Grand Prix victory in front of a cheering crowd of Italian fans, while claiming the MXGP Red Plate.
Mitchell Evans was the lone Australian rider competing in the MXGP class, fighting his way to fourth in Race 1, but having to settle for eighth in Race 2 after expending so much energy in the first moto. The result sees Evans 11th in the standings, although there’s a 41-point gap to reach the top 10 to overcome at this stage.
Mitch Evans
“I had another good day again and we’re still improving with sixth overall today. It’s been better each time so I’m happy with that. The first moto I didn’t get that great of a start and pushed really hard to come back to fourth so it was a good moto but I pretty much used all of my energy in that one. In the second moto I had a really good start, almost grabbing the holeshot but I had nothing left in the tank so it was just survival mode after that, with me holding on as best I could. I’m happy that I was still able to keep improving and stay healthy and be moving onto the next GP in a couple of weeks at a track I really like.”
Mitch Evans
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
22
22
44
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
16
25
41
3
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
25
15
40
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
20
18
38
5
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
11
20
31
6
Evans, Mitchell
AUS
HON
18
13
31
7
Coldenhoff, Glenn
NED
GAS
13
16
29
8
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
12
14
26
9
Lupino, Alessandro
ITA
YAM
14
11
25
10
Jasikonis, Arminas
LTU
HUS
15
8
23
11
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
10
12
22
12
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
9
10
19
13
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
7
9
16
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
8
7
15
15
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
5
4
9
MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
285
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
278
3
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
255
5
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
237
6
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
233
7
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
233
8
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
203
9
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
201
10
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
194
11
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
153
12
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
141
13
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
91
14
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
80
15
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
73
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX2
In MX2 Tom Vialle secured his second consecutive GP win, while the leading Aussie riders was Jed Beaton, taking fourth in Race 1, just 0.7s off the final podium position, while Race 2 saw Beaton improve to third, for third overall for the MXGP of Emilia Romagna. He now sits fourth overall in the MX2 standings, 12-points off third placed Maxime Renaux.
Jed Beaton
“It feels great. It’s been a long time coming and it’s great to finally get the monkey off my back and have a great first moto. My starts weren’t the best today but I made it work, especially in the second moto. I’m really happy to finally get onto the podium this season for myself and the team. It’s extra special because it’s my first podium result for Husqvarna. I’ve had a few second-place finishes, but the first moto has let me down so it’s great to turn it around and get on the podium with two good results. My riding was good today. My bike was great so thanks to the team and we’ll build on this ahead of Mantova.”
Jed Beaton
Fellow Aussie Nathan Crawford had a strong weekend, claiming 11th in Race 1, with a challenging Race 2 seeing him settle for 14th, for 11th overall for the round. He now sits 14th in the MX2 standings as a result of the 17-points collected at Round 8.
Bailey Malkiewicz was just off Crawford in Race 1, coming home in 12th, while in Race 2 he claimed 21st, bringing home nine championship points and sitting 17th overall for the GP. Malkiewicz now sits 24th in the MX2 standings.
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
22
25
47
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
25
22
47
3
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
18
20
38
4
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
20
15
35
5
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
15
18
33
6
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
14
16
30
7
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
12
14
26
8
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
13
13
26
9
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
11
12
23
10
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
16
5
21
11
Crawford, Nathan
AUS
HON
10
7
17
12
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
KTM
6
9
15
13
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
4
10
14
14
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
8
6
14
15
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
5
8
13
16
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
0
11
11
17
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
9
0
9
MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
354
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
333
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
259
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
247
5
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
210
6
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
191
7
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
188
8
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
182
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
162
10
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
156
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
118
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
112
13
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
105
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
86
15
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
16
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
68
17
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
66
18
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
19
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
62
20
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
21
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
52
22
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
46
23
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
43
24
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
43
2020 TrialGP Rounds 3 & 4 – Spain
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou claimed the top honours with a fine ride in Pobladura de las Regueras, León, the third round of the TrialGP World Championship. The third round of the elite trial competition proved to be a tough course, not least due to the official observers who were often overly-strict in scoring the ten sections which riders had to complete over the three laps.
Toni Bou
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou, rode a rags-to-riches trial, starting poorly, later dominating and finally finishing to be crowned winner atop the podium. Toni did not get off to the best of starts, picking up seventeen marks on the first lap, but was able to bounce back with eight points on lap two and just three on the third.
Wanting to make a strong start to the opening day, Jorge Casales completed the first lap with the sixth best score and 34 marks lost. Improving to 31 marks lost on lap two, an issue with his bike during lap three resulted in the Spaniard collecting maximum scores of five in each of the 10 sections, ending the day in 10th overall.
Jorge Casales
Toni Bou once again claimed the top honours on day two of the trial in Pobladura de las Regueras, León, taking his season victory tally to three and increasing his lead in the overall standings to a ten-point advantage.
Differing from yesterday’s trial, the route for the second day of the Spanish TrialGP proved to be much tougher with certain sections virtually impossible to overcome. As a consequence, the trial produced a fairly even result in the final table.
The demanding sections, coupled with the physical issues in the rider’s arms, saw Toni move up and down positions over the first lap, but by the second and third he was able to take command of the trial to eventually claim a third victory of the season. The result allows the current champion to stretch the gap at the top of the championship general standings where the trial star now holds a ten-point advantage over the nearest second place rival.
Toni Bou
Despite some impressive riding during the early part of day two, a significant crash held Casales back on the second day of competition. Collecting 27 marks at the end of his first lap to ensure he was well in contention for a strong end-of-day result, on lap two he dropped just 17 marks, only two more than eventual day winner Toni Bou. Frustratingly, it wasn’t to be for Casales who was unable to ride at his best throughout lap three following his lap-two crash. Bravely riding on, he completed the lap for 31 marks lost, ending his day in eighth yet having performed much better than his final result suggests.
The next Trial World Championship event will be held next week in the town of Sant Julià de Lória, in Andorra.
Toni Bou
“Today has been a very positive day as it was very hard and we all made quite a few mistakes. It has been a difficult day, not only because of the discomfort in my arm, but also because I didn’t feel quite right on the bike. The trial was very close, but we struggled to get a very important victory in the championship. We will try to arrive in the best possible shape for the trial in Andorra.”
Toni Bou topped the podium from Adam Raga and Gabriel Marcelli
Jorge Casales
“It’s clear that this wasn’t my best weekend, and certainly not the results we were hoping for. Things started ok on day one – I felt good and things were going ok, but around midday I had some issues with my bike. I tried to fix it, but we couldn’t make the changes we needed to, so the day didn’t end well. Everyone in the team put that behind us for day two and I honestly felt great during the first and second laps. Frustratingly, I had a big crash in section five, which was one of the toughest sections of the event. I hurt my leg when I crashed, which made the next one-and-a-half laps really tough. I had some other misfortune towards the end of the day as well, which added another five marks to my score, so all-in-all not the event I had hoped for. I’ll be working hard to come back strong next weekend in Andorra.”
Round 3 Results
Pos.
Rider
Nation
Team
Constr.
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
28
2
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
49
3
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
TRRS
57
4
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
Montesa
68
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Gas Gas
Gas Gas
69
6
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
69
7
DABILL James
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
70
8
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
86
9
PEACE Dan
GBR
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
93
10
CASALES Jorge
SPA
Gas Gas Factory Team
Gas Gas
115
11
PRICE Jack
GBR
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
136
12
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
147
Round 4 Results
Pos.
Rider
Nation
Team
Constructor
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
48
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
TRRS
56
3
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
Montesa
62
4
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
66
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Gas Gas
Gas Gas
68
6
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
69
7
DABILL James
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
69
8
CASALES Jorge
SPA
Gas Gas Factory Team
Gas Gas
75
9
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
77
10
PEACE Dan
GBR
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
78
11
PRICE Jack
GBR
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
150
2020 TrialGP Standings
Pos.
Rider
Nation
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
55
2
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
51
3
RAGA Adam
SPA
48
4
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
38
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
28
6
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
28
7
CASALES Jorge
SPA
28
8
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
23
9
DABILL James
GBR
21
10
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
21
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Enea Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 3
World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik admitted “I feel at my best” in Gorzow after celebrating victory in Enea Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 3 on Friday. The 26-year-old saw off an incredible last-lap challenge from Aussie icon Jason Doyle to win his home event for the second time in his career.
Zmarzlik famously topped the 2014 Gorzow SGP podium as a wild card – becoming the youngest-ever SGP winner at 19 years and 140 days old.
Now he’s very much the King of the Edward Jancarz Stadium and won six of his seven races on his way to a maximum 20 World Championship points, which puts him on 48 overall – just one behind series leader Maciej Janowski.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“This is an unbelievable night. Everything is working so well and a big thank you to my team and all the fans. You are the best! I live in Gorzow and I feel at my best here. I am very happy because it’s the second time I have won a GP in Gorzow. Winning a GP in Gorzow is a little bit different to other rounds because this is my home track and these are my home people. I live my whole life here. It has been really nice and I am really happy with everything today. Everything worked really nicely. It was a very big feeling for four laps in the final with Jason Doyle. He kept going after me all the time – right to the last corner. I am happy I won. But I must go home and get a good sleep. Tomorrow is a new day and everyone starts again.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik
Former world champion Jason Doyle piled the pressure on Zmarzlik in a breathtaking last lap in the final, dive-bombing the local hero on the last corner. Zmarzlik held his nerve and maintained his momentum to top the podium, but 18 championship points sees Doyle rocket from 15th place in the standings prior to the meeting up to seventh on 26.
After scoring eight points combined in the opening two rounds and enduring an up-and-down season in Poland’s PGE Ekstraliga, Czestochowa star Doyle paid tribute to those who helped him bounced back.
Jason Doyle
“It has been a tough year, but I have worked really hard – and not just myself. My mechanics and family have done a lot behind the scenes when times have been tough; these are things you don’t always see. There are a lot of good people in my corner and I want to say thanks to them now. This is a step in the right direction and it’s always nice to be on the podium at any GP.”
Third-placed Fredrik Lindgren reached his third SGP final in as many rounds and is determined to keep that run going in a season when the biggest rewards go to riders who make it into the rostrum race.
Enea Gorzow SGP Round 3 Points
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Jason Doyle
18
3
Fredrik Lindgren
16
4
Leon Madsen
14
5
Martin Vaculik
12
6
Tai Woffinden
11
7
Maciej Janowski
10
8
Matej Zagar
9
9
Artem Laguta
8
10
Emil Sayfutdinov
7
11
Niels-Kristian Iversen
6
12
Mikkel Michelsen
5
13
Max Fricke
4
14
Anders Thomsen
3
15
Patryk Dudek
2
16
Antonio Lindback
1
17
Wiktor Jasinski
0
18
Rafal Karczmarz
0
Enea Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 4
New FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship leader Fredrik Lindgren admitted his Enea Gorzow SGP round-four win was, “a burden lifted from my shoulders.”
The Swedish icon topped the podium after overhauling Jason Doyle to win the final with a jaw-dropping opening lap and a half at the Edward Jancarz Stadium. The Aussie was later pipped to second place by Danish star Leon Madsen on the run to the line.
1. Fredrik Lindgren 2. Leon Madsen 3. Jason Doyle
This completed a Czestochowa one-two-three, but the night belonged to Lindgren, who reached his fourth straight final of 2020 to charge into a seven-point lead at the top of the standings. Despite impressing with two third places and a fourth going into tonight’s event, Lindgren admits he was determined to end his wait for a win.
Fredrik Lindgren
“This was a bit of a burden lifted from my shoulders tonight – to be able to finally get a win when I have been in three finals and not been able to execute it. It feels really good. I am super happy – so, so happy! You don’t want to be the guy who makes it to the final and never wins. It’s a relief to be able to do it. I have that burden off my back now and I can keep the focus for next weekend.”
Lindgren was taken wider and wider by Doyle as they battled over the lead going into lap two, before producing a majestic cutback to dive under the Aussie for the lead. Madsen’s second place fires him up to fifth in the World Championship on 50 points – 16 short of leader Lindgren.
Third-placed Doyle produced his second SGP podium finish in 24 hours after also racing to second spot on Friday. Having started the weekend with just eight championship points to his name, Doyle now has 42 and is delighted with a turnaround that has seen him climb from 15th to seventh in just two rounds.
Jason Doyle
“It was an unbelievable weekend for me in Gorzow. Two podiums get me back up into a good position for the next two rounds in Prague and also Torun. We are working hard. It’s a tough year, but we are getting there in the end and we also have some speed, so I’m happy.”
Next up is the third SGP 2020 double-header in Czech capital Prague this weekend. Visit Czech Republic SGP round five takes place on Friday, before Marketa Stadium hosts Aztorin SGP round six on Saturday night.
Enea Gorzow SGP Round 4 Points
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Fredrik Lindgren
20
2
Leon Madsen
18
3
Jason Doyle
16
4
Emil Sayfutdinov
14
5
Bartosz Zmarzlik
12
6
Martin Vaculik
11
7
Tai Woffinden
10
8
Maciej Janowski
9
9
Max Fricke
8
10
Anders Thomsen
7
11
Matej Zagar
6
12
Artem Laguta
5
13
Niels-Kristian Iversen
4
14
Antonio Lindback
3
15
Mikkel Michelsen
2
16
Patryk Dudek
1
17
Rafal Karczmarz
0
18
Wiktor Jasinski
0
Speedway GP Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Fredrik Lindgren
66
2
Bartosz Zmarzlik
59
3
Maciej Janowski
57
4
Tai Woffinden
53
5
Leon Madsen
50
6
Artem Laguta
45
7
Jason Doyle
42
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
36
9
Martin Vaculik
35
10
Matej Zagar
27
11
Niels-Kristian Iversen
24
12
Max Fricke
24
13
Mikkel Michelsen
18
14
Patryk Dudek
16
15
Gleb Chugunov
16
16
Anders Thomsen
10
17
Antonio Lindback
6
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Women’s World Motocross Champ Duncan returns to Europe to continue title defence
The long wait is over and New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan has packed her bags and returned to Europe this week to continue her Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) title defence.
Courtney Duncan
She has been home in Dunedin since March, flying back after the second WMX round in The Netherlands, with a five-point lead over her closest rival. Since then the MXGP calendar has been affected by Covid-19 and 24-year old Duncan has been waiting on a green light for the women’s racing to resume.
Her final three rounds are all scheduled to take place in Italy. The first two meetings on September 27 (MXGP Lombardia) and September 30 (MXGP of Città di Mantova), which are both held on the hard sand Mantova track, are following the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship’s new racing format of mid-week races.
Duncan will remain in Europe and train towards the final Italian round – the MXGP of Trentino on November 1 – where she is targeting her name being re-engraved on the winner’s trophy for 2020.
Courtney Duncan – Image courtesy of MXGP
She flew to England to re-join her Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team at their Portsmouth base. Her self-isolation time will be happily spent getting straight onto her new 2021 Kawasaki KX250F and turning out some test laps at the team’s track.
Duncan was even able to enter a national race meeting for the first time in three years, competing at the King of Central in Cromwell in July. Easily winning her four races against both the MX2 men and in the women’s class, the race-pace outings gave her the edge she needed to head back into battle mode.
Courtney Duncan
“I’d be lying if I said I was happy with just one world championship. I want another one and that’s what I’m aiming towards. I want to go over there and ride to the best of my ability. I’ll be putting myself in good positions to score some strong finishes and the rest will come. Kawasaki have bought out a whole new bike. It will be cool to go over there a few weeks early and get comfortable on it. Everything happens for a reason. I’m excited for the new schedule. To be honest, I’ve just enjoyed being home training back in New Zealand and I made the most of the local tracks. There’s nothing like racing itself and getting behind the gate a few times. You learn different things in racing that you don’t pick up in practise. Even though this was a local event, it still got my adrenaline pumping and gave me an appetite for what I’ve got coming up in Italy. Thanks to my supporters and sponsors for everything you do for me. I’ll do my best to bring the world number one title back home to New Zealand for you all again come November.”
Courtney Duncan – Image courtesy of MXGP
2020 Women’s Motocross World Championship points
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Duncan, Courtney.
NZL
KAW
90
2
Papenmeier, Larissa.
GER
YAM
85
3
Fontanesi, Kiara.
ITA
KTM
80
4
Van De Ven, Nancy.
NED
YAM
78
5
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
66
Revised Women’s Motocross World Championship calendar
September 27 – MXGP Lombardia, Mantova circuit, Italy
September 30 – MXGP of Città di Mantova, Mantova circuit, Italy
November 1 – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata, Italy
2021 Pilot Air Compressors A4DE Update
The organising committee of the 2021 Pilot Air Australian Four Day Enduro in Harvey, Western Australia are busy with the preparations for the event which is planned to run from May 19 – 22.
The A4DE back in 2018 – Image by Jeff Mawston
Despite the impact of the Corona Virus pandemic and its consequences on the motorcycle events calendar, the committee has made great progress towards running a memorable four-day event with planning proceeding with optimism and a positive attitude.
Collin Jennings of the Trail and Enduro Motorcycle Club of WA Inc said excellent cooperation from the Shire of Harvey and the Parks and Wildlife Services, who are the guardians of the land that will be used, has ensured the club can plan interesting and enjoyable trails.
Despite COVID-19 and a number of current State border closures, the 2021 Pilot Air A4DE committee will continue planning for a successful event. The 2021 Pilot Air A4DE committee plan to make a decision in mid-February.
In the meantime, the Committee wishes to advise prospective competitors and supporters to ensure accommodation bookings can be refundable and flights are booked after entries open.
Collin Jennings – Trail and Enduro Motorcycle Club of WA
“Each of the first three days will be held in a different area and the fourth day will have a short one-hour trail section culminating in the spectacular final natural terrain motocross heats. At this time, it is impossible for us to make an informed decision about the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on the viability of the Australian Championship event. We hope to have confirmation of border restrictions being lifted before February when entries will open. We’d like to thank competitors and families for their understanding at this unprecedented time and will ensure that if State Government regulations change, we will keep competitors and fans up to date.”
Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia’s Event Manager
“We are very pleased to see the work that is going on behind the scenes by the committee for the 2021 A4DE as we know the enormous effort it takes to make the event so great. We are very excited that we can build on the successes of previous A4DE events and look forward to 2021.”
The 2021 Pilot Air Compressors committee this week launched the new event website www.pilotaircompressorsa4de.com is now live with all updates. If you require further information please email [email protected]
2021 Pilot Air Compressors A4DEMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Clout returns to racing at the East Coast Motocross Championship
Luke Clout returned to Australia following his first full season in America to prepare for the Australian Supercross Championship, unfortunately due to the coronavirus schedules have changed and now Clout has turned his attention to the Australian Motocross Championship which is set to run later in the year.
Luke Clout
“It’s disappointing that Australia Supercross has been postponed but I am looking forward to racing again this weekend in preparation for the motocross championship. “The experience was priceless, and I learnt a lot. Leading some laps was something I will never forget. Everything I learnt will help and I can’t wait to get back behind the gate this weekend.”
Luke Clout had an amazing first season in America with Penrite Honda, he finished as high as fifth and led some of the world’s best supercross racers on his way to eighth overall.
Penrite Honda have now committed to the East Coast Motocross Championship starting with Round 3, which ran this past weekend in Maitland. Team director Yarrive Konksy believes racing locally will help Luke prepare for the Australian Motocross Championships.
Luke Clout’s first outing with the East Coast Motocross Championship saw the Penrite Honda rider claim three race wins over the September 12-13 round, as well as the overall win, marking Clout’s first race on Honda’s CRF450R, after racing a 250 in his overseas competition.
Luke Clout
“It was great, I love racing. I also go to connect with my roots, my parents were there and there were riders of all ages and classes competing. I enjoyed being amongst it. It was also good to use the weekend for testing. Nothing beats racing. The 450 is different and you need to ride it differently. I am glad I am getting some racing in ahead of the nationals. We are really close with bike setup; I learnt a little over the weekend as the track got rougher and we will make some minor changes ahead of the next round.”
Luke Clout – Penrite Honda
GNCC Round Nine
The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued Sunday, September 13, as the motorcycles took to the woods of West Virginia. Round 9, the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer, took place at Summit Bechtel Reserve in Beckley, WV. Cloudy conditions made for a great weekend of racing, even with some showers taking place on Sunday afternoon’s Pro race.
In the XC1 Open Pro class it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell racing off the line first to grab the All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot award. However, as the pack of riders headed into the woods, Russell would make a mistake and be forced to fight through the pack of riders early in the race. Russell’s teammate, FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley would capitalize and move into the lead for the opening lap.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell grabbed the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot award. Photo: Ken Hill
Making his return to racing aboard a new team for the event was AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr. As the lead pack of racers came through timing and scoring on lap one, Baylor found himself sitting 5.5 seconds behind Kelley. Throughout the course of lap two, Kelley and Baylor would engage in a battle with Baylor taking over the top spot as they came through just 1.9 seconds apart. Russell had made his way into the number three spot, but found himself 53 second behind the lead duo.
As the race wore on Baylor Jr. would put his head down and push to put a sizeable gap between himself and Kelley. With the fans cheering him on throughout all six laps, Baylor Jr. would come through to take his first overall win of the season with over a minute lead. Kelley, who tangled with some lappers, would manage to hold onto second overall with Russell rounding out the top three overall at this year’s Mountaineer GNCC.
AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr. clinched his first overall win of the season aboard his new team in West Virginia. Photo: Ken Hill
FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor steadily moved up through the pack after a seventh place start to the day. Baylor found himself running in the third place position at the halfway point in the race, but would be unable to hold off a charging Russell. As the checkered flag flew Baylor would check-in with a fourth overall on the day.
Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn found himself sitting just outside the top five as the race began. Ashburn would put his head down and push making the pass for fifth on lap two, however, he would soon find himself back in sixth. As the white flag flew Ashburn knew he only had one more lap to make the pass stick, and he would do just that crossing the finish line fifth overall.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley claimed the second overall spot at round nine. Photo: Ken Hill
After missing the last two rounds before GNCC’s summer break, AmPro Yamaha’s Layne Michael made his return to racing in his home state of West Virginia. Michael had a mid-pack start to the day, but would work his way up to fourth for the second and third laps. Michael put up quite a fight for a top five finishing position, only missing out by 20 seconds behind Ashburn.
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew Delong had a great start, and as he came through timing and scoring he would find himself fourth overall. However, as Delong made his way through the second lap and then third laps he would have to take make a long pit stop. Delong’s team worked feverishly to fix the mechanical issue with his bike, and he would head back out into the race still running in that eighth place position. By the time the checkered flag flew Delong had worked his way to seventh in the XC1 Open Pro class.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth was running a good race as he registered in third on the opening lap. However, a small mistake in the woods happened to reaggravate his knee from a practice incident a couple of weeks ago. With rain showers presenting themselves and the tough conditions, Toth made the difficult decision to pull out of the race after three laps of racing.
In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir taking his fourth class win of the season. Girroir was off to a great start and would come through on the opening lap in the first place position. Girroir would find himself up into the third overall position based off of his adjusted time. However, as the race worse on Girroir found a good flow and did not want to make a mistake to jeopardize his XC2 class win. Girroir would come through to take the win with a 13 second gap back to second place.
Tely Energy Racing/KTM’s Liam Draper made his way onto the XC2 class podium with a second place finish in West Virginia. Draper had started off his day running in the fourth place position, but would steadily work his way through the pack. When the white flag came out, Draper would make a last lap charge to ensure his second place finish.
Rounding out the XC2 top three finishers was AmPro Yamaha/St. Lawrence Radiology’s Mike Witkowski. Witkowski would have his work cut out for himself throughout the race, as he would find himself back in the fifth place position at one point in the race. Witkowski found himself third as the white flag was flying, and he would hold onto that position until the checkered flag flew.
Australian Lyndon Snodgrass finished eighth in the XC2 category.
Raines Riding University/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Jason Raines would battle throughout the duration of the race with Moose Racing/Carolina KTM/XC Gear’s Zack Hayes for the FMF XC3 125cc Pro-Am class win. Raines and Hayes would swap the lead position multiple times throughout the three-hour race; however it would be Raines making a last lap pass to take the win. Hayes would finish out the day with a second in the class, with FXR/KTM’s Jason Lipscomb making his way up to third in the class.
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer earned her second WXC class win of the season. Photo: Ken Hill
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer battled throughout the 10 a.m. race to take her second WXC class win of the season. Archer made her way into the lead position early in the race, but would face a battle with Beta USA’s Rachel Gutish on the second lap of racing. Gutish, who grabbed the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot award, was eager to battle at the front of the pack. Archer would make the pass back around Gutish to retake the lead as the white flag came out. When the checkered flag flew after four laps of racing, Archer would cross the finish line a minute ahead of her competition. Gutish would come through to hold onto second place at round nine. BABS Racing Yamaha/Maxxis’ Becca Sheets maintained her third place position throughout the duration of the two-hour race. Sheets remains in the WXC points lead after nine rounds of racing are complete.
Mountaineer Results and Points Standings – Beckley, West Virginia GNCC Round 9 of 13 – Sunday, September 13, 2020
XC1 Pro Event Results
Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Kailub Russell (KTM)
Grant Baylor (SHR)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Layne Michael (YAM)
Andrew Delong (HON)
Joshua Toth (KTM)
Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (256)
Josh Strang (193)
Jordan Ashburn (143)
Craig DeLong (133)
Michael Witkowski (123)
Jonathan Girroir (121)
Grant Baylor (103)
Cody Barnes (91)
Liam Draper (83)
Benjamin Kelley (82)
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer GNCC Overall Winner: Steward Baylor. Photo: Ken Hill
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Michael Witkowski (YAM)
Craig Delong (HQV)
Ryder Lafferty (HQV)
Cody Barnes (BET)
Thorn Devlin (BET)
Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
Jonathan Johnson (HON)
Samuel Evans (KTM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Craig DeLong (224)
Jonathan Girroir (224)
Michael Witkowski (209)
Cody Barnes (154)
Liam Draper (143)
Thorn Devlin (121)
Ryder Lafferty (105)
Jonathan Johnson (101)
Benjamin Nelko (82)
Simon Johnson (79)
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Kirk Gibbs readying for King of Capricorn Cup
It’s been a long break between races for CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team rider Kirk Gibbs, but he is set and ready to compete at The King of Capricorn Cup in Rockhampton at the start of October.
Way back in February, Gibbs won the New Zealand Motocross Championships for the second time and was in good form leading up to the start of the Australian racing season. But with the delays in the season due to the Covid pandemic and then a wrist injury sustained in July, Gibbs hasn’t been behind the gate for over six months.
Racing returned to Queensland in July and as Gibbs prepared for a string of events, he fell and broke his wrist just days prior to the MX Farm round of the Sunshine State Series. After six weeks on the sidelines, he was given the all-clear to resume riding and the Rockhampton event is to be his first race back and first race on Australian soil in 2020.
Kirk Gibbs
“2020 has been a strange year for everyone and to think this will be my first race of the year when its usually the end of our season is odd. It was disappointing that the national season was delayed and then my injury prior to the state races starting just compounded my frustration. I have missed racing and so keen to get back on track and get some racing in. It’s been hard work watching all the Queensland based riders racing up here and not being a part of it as we have been fortunate to keep racing when other states couldn’t. It’s great that Rockhampton have been able to organise this event and it’s given me something to work towards as I regain full speed and fitness. The $20K in prizemoney also means there is a bit on the line and things will be intense on the track, so I can’t wait.”
Kirk Gibbs
The King of Capricorn will be held the weekend of October 3- 4 and include a wide range of races catering for everyone from juniors through to professionals. The Six Mile circuit is a popular one with the riders and the local community has relied behind the event and with $20,000 prize money on offer, it will also be one of the biggest events of the season.
Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha
“We are happy to support Kirk at this event and will put things in place around him to ensure he is in good hands. With the team based in Victoria, we are unable to attend due to the border restrictions, but we are desperate to do what we can to get our riders on track and races events like this where the state regulations allow. Kirk has been back on the bike for just over a week and with a couple of weeks before the event, he will be able to increase his fitness base and riding volume in the coming weeks. It will also his first hit out on the 2020 YZ450F race bike, so we are hoping for a positive few weeks and a good result in Rockhampton.”
AORC Events Calendar Update
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) presented by MXstore is closely monitoring the health crisis developments and the effects COVID-19 are having on state borders restrictions and the potential impacts this may have on the current 2020 championship remaining date.
The up coming Round 11 & 12 of AORC, scheduled to be held on 14-15 November are currently under review. The final decision regarding this event will be announced no later than 9th of October 2020. Should further information be available at an earlier date, this will be communicated.
Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia’s Event Manager
“We are working together with all our key stakeholders to get the final rounds up and running to have one last shot to go racing. From the outset we have remained committed to racing and this is still our aim. We understand the effects the current situation is having on all parties involved in the championship and we thank them all from our host clubs, riders, officials, in addition to our loyal sponsors for their patience and understanding in this difficult time.”
AORC can confirm that if it becomes clear that the event is not able to go ahead there will no further adjustments made to the remaining date.
AMA Supermoto National Championship scheduled for Nov. 7-8 Two-day competition to determine winners of AMA National No. 1 plates
The 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship features two days of competition in November in Tucson, Ariz., to determine who receives the coveted AMA National No. 1 plate in five classes.
Originally scheduled as a six-event series, this national championship, sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association, will consist of four points-earning races. The format includes two races per day Nov. 7-8. Each race offers points toward the overall championship. The six scheduled events were cancelled due to restrictions put in place by government officials during the coronavirus pandemic.
The series is run by the AMA promoter, DRT Racing. Classes include Open, Lites, National Amateur, Sportsman MX and Kids.
Baja TT do Pinhal postponed
The Baja TT do Pinhal, scheduled for September 12-13 has had to be cancelled due to the extension of the fire risk alert situation put in place by the local authorities in Portugal. This opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup was to mark the return to off-road motorcycle competition after the interruption caused by the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
After consultation with the teams, riders and all stakeholders involved and with the agreement of the local authorities, the FIM, the motorcycling federation of Portugal, and the local organiser Escuderia Castelo Branco have decided to postpone the event to September 19-20, 2020.
Bringing you the Best Motorcycle News from Around the Web!
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
