The continuing restrictions surrounding travel within Australia continue to play havoc with Motorcycling Australia’s attempts to successfully formulate a plan of action in regards to the running of the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships.
While M.A. still retains the hope of running the Australian Motocross Championship, this afternoon they conceded defeat and officially cancelled the 2020 Australian Supercross Championship.
Organisers of the Australian Supercross Championship have now shifted their focus towards a bigger and better series for next year.
AUS SX Holdings Co-Founder and Director Adam Bailey expressed disappointment in the inability to run a series for 2020, however expects season 2021 to be one of the best championships that supercross in Australia has ever seen.
“It’s really disappointing for us and all involved with supercross in Australia to have to cancel this year’s series,” said Bailey. “We wanted to hold out for as long as we could, to try and get some semblance of supercross competition up and running for this year and actually things were looking great for a fantastic 2020 series only a few weeks ago. With the ever-changing situation we’re up against with COVID however evolving so rapidly recently, we have no choice but to cancel this year’s series. We just don’t have 100% certainty that we can safely and successfully deliver a calibre of a series that we expect of ourselves, and that fans and competitors deserve. Supercross has been on a massive upward trend and we’re working tirelessly to ensure that this growth pattern continues. We are striving to create a sustainable, globally recognised platform for our Australian talent to showcase their skills, and are committed to delivering this in 2021 and beyond,” concluded Bailey.
Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, mirrored Bailey’s disappointment, however is confident the right decision was made and is equally committed to ’21.
“It’s unfortunately a similar picture many sports face due the border closures, spectator restrictions and differing legislation in each state around COVID-19. The time, effort and large financial input required to run Supercross in this environment is a huge gamble and we thank and support AUS SX Holdings for their efforts and decision to cancel. Everyone can now focus on 2021 when hopefully this pandemic is behind us,” commented Doyle.
The 2019 Australian Supercross season proved to be the most successful to date, with over 75,000 fans in attendance across the five round series, along with live broadcasts available for both the Auckland and Melbourne rounds. For the first time ever, 35,000 race fans packed into Marvel Stadium for the season finale in the heart of downtown Melbourne, and witnessed Penrite Honda’s Chris Blose (SX2) and Justin Brayton (SX1) wrap up their respective championships in empathic fashion over a nail biting triple header format.
The Australian Supercross Championship has grown exponentially over the past five years, with fans, riders and brands alike from all over the world, interested in what the Southern Hemisphere has to offer. Series 2021 promises to be bigger and generate more interest than ever before following this year’s layoff.
Earlier today M.A. had also announced the cancellation of the 2020 Australian Speedway Senior and Junior Sidecar Championships which were scheduled to be held at Olympic Park, on November 6 and 7, this year, and that the 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship which was due to run on October 31, at Gillman Speedway, South Australia, will now be delayed until 2021.
Supercross reconvened at Salt Lake City overnight for the final of the seven quick-fire rounds, staged over three weeks and all held without spectators inside Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, that closed out the COVID-19 affected 17-round 2020 AMA Supercross season.
While things were tight at the top for both of the 250 crowns in this East-West showdown, in the premier 450 category Eli Tomac only required a couple of points to secure the Title ahead of defending champion Cooper Webb. Conditions were hot and the track very technical and at 1400 metres of elevation the lungs of both man and machine were struggling to breathe freely.
250 Heat One (East)
First up on the race card was the 250 East Heat and once again the Monster Energy Star Yamaha riders were quickest out of the blocks with Colt Nichols leading Shane McElrath. Championship leader Chase Sexton had been swamped at turn one and was running in ninth place at the end of the opening lap while up front his title rival Shane McElrath was leading the way.
Colt Nichols
McElrath eventually pulled away from team-mate Nichols and went on to take a clear victory but Sexton showed his class by working his way through the pack and setting the fastest lap of the race, more than a second quicker than anyone else in the 20-rider field, despite running the whole race amongst traffic.
By the final lap Sexton was all over second place Nichols and shaping up to challenge for that position. Only a few corners before the end Sexton jumped through a rhythm section quicker than Nichols and the two clashed. Nichols, team-mate of race leader and championship challenger McElrath, looked over his shoulder towards the end of the series of jumps and visibly shifted his line to block Sexton in order to protect his position, and that of his team-mate. Sexton though was already in the air and could not alter his line enough to avoid jumping right on to the back of Sexton which resulted in both men going down. It could have been really ugly but both riders were quickly back up and running, Nichols though had sustained some machine and wrist damage in the clash that left him to limp home in ninth.
Shane McElrath won the opening heat
250 Heat One (East) Results
Shane McElrath – Yamaha
Chase Sexton – Honda +14.429s
Jo Shimoda – Honda +15.986s
Jalek Swoll – Husqvarna +16.493s
Kyle Peters – Honda +19.716s
Enzo Lopes – Yamaha +21.505s
Chris Blose – Honda +24.795s
John Short – Honda +26.828s
Colt Nichols – Honda +24.795s
Jace Owen – Honda +32.825s
250 Heat Two (West)
After an exciting heat race for the 250 East competitors the 250 West racers shot out of the gates for their heat race. Mitch Oldenburg scored the hole-shot ahead of Justin Cooper and Christian Craig while championship rivals Austin Forkner and Dylan Ferrandis were fifth and seventh. Aussie siblings Jett and Hunter Lawrence were 11th and 16th respectively. After qualifying 13th quickest amongst the 250 West competitors countryman Luke Clout had failed to make the start of the Heat race after crashing in the final qualifying session.
250 Heat Two (West)
A pile-up at the end of the first rhythm section saw a number of riders clash after Brandon Hartranft went down. Coming out worst in the melee was championship leader Dylan Ferrandis, the Frenchman eventually rejoining the race in second from last position, 23-seconds behind race leader Justin Cooper.
At half-race distance Cooper was leading Craig by two-seconds, Mosiman was third and Forkner had just slipped past Oldenburg for fourth. Jett Lawrence was in ninth and Hunter was 11th but a couple of minutes later Hunter made a mistake which saw him shuffled right back to 18th.
By the last lap board Cooper had a commanding lead over Craig while Forkner had just taken third place from Mosiman. Jett Lawrence was now up to eighth and safely through to the Main. Hunter Lawrence though was heading for the LCQ after failing to finish the race.
On the final lap Forkner was starting to challenge Craig for second place but Mosiman then jumped a double to land right inbetween Craig and Forkner, but Forkner then sent Mosiman wide on the exit of the following turn and the Husqvarna man lost a number of positions to eventually cross the line in seventh.
Cooper the winner from Craig while Forkner finished third. The big news though was that championship leader Dylan Ferrandis was headed for the LCQ after finishing tenth due to that lap one incident that had put him at the back of the field. Ferrandis though had set the fastest lap of the race.
Justin Cooper won the second heat
250 Heat (West) Two Results
Justin Cooper – Yamaha
Christian Craig – Honda +3.485s
Austin Forkner – Kawasaki +5.040s
Cameron McAdoo – Kawasaki +7.523s
Derek Drake – KTM +11.791s
Mitch Oldenburg – Honda +15.714s
Michael Mosiman – Husqvarna +15.854s
Jett Lawrence – Honda +17.143s
Martin Castelo – Husqvarna +24.948s
Dylan Ferrandis – +26.626ss
250 East-West LCQ
250 West Championship leader Dylan Ferrandis was the man with the most pressure on his shoulders amongst the riders lining up on the gates for the LCQ but the 26-year-old Frenchman got a decent start and went on to win the LCQ.
No such luck for Hunter Lawrence, the Geico Honda rider was back in 17th at the start and left with a lot of work to do in order to try and make a transfer spot. Hunter did make it up to as high as sixth but was eighth at the chequered flag and would be left to cheer on his younger brother Jett from the sidelines come the Main.
250 East-West LCQ Results
Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha
Brandon Hartranft – KTM +2.865s
Alex Martin – Suzuki +5.908s
Jace Owen – Honda +10.022s
Chase Marquier – Honda +12.933s
Lorenzo Locurcio – Kawasaki +19.196s
Robbie Wageman – Yamaha +20.996s
Hunter Lawrence – Honda +22.815s
Josh Osby – Yamaha +25.802s
Justin Starling – Husqvarna +27.062s
Dylan Ferrandis had to contest the LCQ
250 East-West Main
Dylan Ferrandis headed in to the 250 East-West showdown Main event with a seven-point lead over Austin Forkner in the chase for the West title, while in the East competition six-points separated Sexton and McElrath. After getting caught up in a melee in his heat race though Ferrandis had contest edthe LCQ and thus had a terrible gate pick, putting further pressure on the Frenchman’s shoulders as they lined up for the race that would decide two championships.
Shane McElrath scored the holeshot
Shane McElrath scored the hole-shot ahead of Jalek Swoll while Austin Forkner was in third through the opening jump sections but it didn’t take the Kawasaki man long to move past Swoll and up to second place. That meant we had the two riders that were both second in their respective championships running 1-2, while the championship leaders ran seventh and ninth respectively and were back in the strongest pack of the season due to the combined nature of this final Main. If they finished in those places both Sexton and Ferrandis would be beaten to their respective titles at this final juncture by their challengers. That was some script right there…
Shane McElrath was the clear leader and if he won the race Chase Sexton would need to finish at least third in order to successfully defend his 250 East title. With 13-minutes left on the clock Sexton was up to sixth and chasing his Geico Honda team-mate Jett Lawrence for fifth. Ferrandis had passed Mosiman for eighth but had plenty of work to do in order to clinch his second successive 250 West title.
But Forkner then went down hard! The Kawasaki rider had been running in second place, 2.2-seconds behind McElrath but a big mistake had the 21-year-old curled up on the track and in lots of pain. He made no attempt at getting back on his bike or even trying to get up. The Missouri native lay there as medical staff attended to him. The red flag eventually came out to halt the race and with it the championship hopes of Forkner also came to an end.
At the red flag McElrath was leading Craig by 2.2-seconds and the Honda man had the same buffer over third placed McAdoo. Jett Lawrence was fourth and Chase Sexton fifth.
As three laps had not been completed by the leader competitors were faced with a full re-start and at that re-start it was 16-year-old Aussie Jett Lawrence that took the hole-shot over Shane McElrath while Chase Sexton was in third, McAdoo fourth and Ferrandis fifth.
Jett Lawrence led for the opening three-minutes before McElrath put a pass on the youngster but Jett took that position right back at the next corner as he had the inside line, his pass on McElrath slowed the Yamaha rider and allowed his team-mate Chase Sexton to also slip past and push McElrath further back to third. At the end of the next section though both Sexton and McElrath got the better of Jett and the two men fighting for the championship were now also fighting for the race lead. Cameron McAdoo then pushed Jett further back to fourth and Ferrandis was looking to join that party.
Dylan Ferrandis took his time to work his way forward and stay out of trouble
The race then took another interesting turn. Sexton had not been able to pull away from McElrath, so he slowed to let the Yamaha man through to the lead. Sexton only needed to finish third even if McElrath won the race thus it was starting to become tactical between the two men. Half a lap later McElrath did the same thing and allowed Sexton back through to the lead in order to pressure him from behind and try and force an error that would give him the championship.
A little further back McAdoo and Lawrence were trading places just ahead of Dylan Ferrandis, the Frenchman happy to watch on and not get involved, as with Forkner out of the race the 250 West championship was already his. Jett Lawrence though made an attempt at an inside pass on McAdoo that did not come off and left the young Aussie on the deck, by the time he was up and running again he had been relegated to sixth position by Ferrandis and Mosiman.
Chase Sexton
Sexton had dropped the hammer out front and pulled away from McElrath. By half-race distance Sexton led McElrath by over two-seconds. Ferrandis had made a mistake while trying to take third place from McAdoo and dropped the bike, he was up and going again quickly but was passed by Mosiman while on the ground and relegated to fifth just ahead of Jett Lawrence.
Shane McElrath had no answers for Sexton. The Geico Honda man continued to pull away as the race progressed and with five-minutes left on the clock, held four-seconds over his challenger.
McAdoo and Mosiman tripped each other up while battling for third position which allowed Ferrandis and Lawrence to join their party and turn that into a four-way battle for the final spot on the podium.
Chase Sexton went on to take a clear and dominant victory, his fifth of the season and with it, successfully defended his 250 East Championship. Shane McElrath second on track and second in the series.
Dylan Ferrandis successfully defended his 250 West Title
Michael Mosiman rounded out the podium but in fourth place was an elated 250 West champion Dylan Ferrandis, the Frenchman overcome with emotion in the post race interviews at the joy of successfully defending his title.
Dylan Ferrandis successfully defended his 250 West Title
Jett Lawrence crossed the line in fifth well ahead of Brandon Hartranft, while Justin Cooper in seventh took enough points to move past Forkner and take second place in the 250 West Championship.
250 SX East-West Main Video Highlights
250 SX East-West Main Results
Chase Sexton – Honda
Shane McElrath – Yamaha +4.275s
Michael Mosiman – Husqvarna +7.487s
Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha +10.219s
Jett Lawrence – Honda +11.192s
Brandon Hartfranft – KTM +23.741s
Justin Cooper – Yamaha +34.678s
Jo Shimoda – Honda +36.271s
Derek Drake – KTM +43.420s
Mitch Oldenburg – Honda +50.506s
250 SX East Final Championship Points
Chase Sexton 218
Shane McElrath 209
Jo Shimoda 122
Garrett Marchbanks 119
Enzo Lopes 107
Jeremy Martin 105
Jalek Swoll 104
Kyle Peters 94
Pierce Brown 92
RJ Hampshire 80
Colt Nichols 74
Jace Owen 69
Chris Blose 65
John Short 64
Jordan Bailey 64
250 SX West Final Championship Points
Dylan Ferrandis 200
Justin Cooper 180
Austin Forkner 176
Brandon Hartranft 158
Michael Mosiman 139
Alex Martin 124
Derek Drake 120
Mitch Oldenburg 109
Luke Clout 106
Jett Lawrence 97
450 SX
Eli Tomac only required a couple of points to secure the Title ahead of defending champion Cooper Webb. Conditions were hot and the track very technical.
450 Heat One
The man with the coolest name in racing, Broc Tickle, took the hole-shot in the opening 450 Heat ahead of Vince Friese and Martin Davalos while championship challenger Cooper Webb was seventh at the end of the first jump section.
Jason Anderson won the opening 450 Heat race
Davalos quickly worked his way through to the race lead but by half-race distance chasing him hard was Jason Anderson and Cooper Webb.
Anderson eventually took the lead with two-minutes left on the clock and from there pulled away to a clear victory. Cooper Webb passed Martin Davalos to take second place while Justin Brayton scored a fourth place finish ahead of Broc Tickle and Dean Wilson.
450 Heat One Results
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna
Cooper Webb – KTM +3.096s
Martin Davalos – KTM +6.454s
Justin Brayton – Honda +10.457s
Broc Tickle – Suzuki +13.061s
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna +15.259s
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha +16.730s
Tyler Bowers – Kawasaki +19.662s
Vince Friese – Honda +20.632s
Kyle Chisholm – Yamaha +22.464s
450 Heat Two
There were plenty of big hitters in the second 450 Heat but it was Ken Roczen and Zach Osborne quickest out of the blocks to be running 1-2 over the opening laps. Championship leader Eli Tomac was up to fifth by lap two after passing Chad Reed and Malcolm Stewart.
Tomac then battled with Justin Barcia for fifth but the Yamaha man offered resistance and slowed the charge of the Kawasaki man somewhat, Tomac had to be careful not to get caught up in any incident as he has a championship on the line here today. The pair eventually closed in on Blake Baggett and both slipped past the KTM man after he made a mistake. Then with two laps to go Barcia made a mistake which allowed Tomac through to third place.
Ken Roczen won the second 450 Heat
Up front though Ken Roczen was leading Osborne by a couple of seconds but on the final lap the Honda man slowed down too much and was nearly gazumped by Osborne on the run to the line but just managed to hold on for the win.
Chad Reed secured the final transfer spot in ninth.
Chad Reed qualified for the Main
450 Heat Two Results
Ken Roczen – Honda
Zach Osborne – Husqvarna +0.453s
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +1.548s
Justin Barcia – Yamaha +3.154s
Blake Baggett – KTM +4.145s
Malcolm Stewart – Honda +5.014s
Benny Bloss – KTM +10.369s
Justin Hill – Honda +15.242s
Chad Reed – KTM +22.702s
Kyle Cunningham – Suzuki +35.523s
450 LCQ Results
Carlen Gardner – Honda
Fredrik Noren – Suzuki +2.665s
Kyle Chisholm – Yamaha +3.596s
Alex Ray – Kawasaki +8.161s
Theodore Pauli – Kawasaki +15.276s
450 Main
Only moments after an exciting climax to the 250 championships 450 competitors lined up on the start gates to decide the premier crown. With a 22-point lead over Cooper Webb heading into this finale though it was Tomac’s to lose, the Kawasaki man only requiring a 19th place to clinch his first ever 450 Supercross crown even if Webb takes the race win.
Today would also perhaps mark the final high profile contest for Aussie legend Chad Reed as a professional. Recent comments from the 38-year-old though have suggested this will certainly not be the last time we see him on the racetrack so who knows what 2021 might hold for Chad…
When the gates dropped it was a Husqvarna 1-2-3 headed by Zach Osborne, Ken Roczen was in fourth ahead of Benny Bloss, Broc Tickle, Vince Friese and Chad Reed while Tomac was in ninth. Justin Brayton, Martin Davalos and Justin Barcia had got hooked up together and all went down.
Ken Roczen lost the rear while trying to pass Dean Wilson for the lead and was shuffled all the way back to eighth by the time he was up and running again. Eli Tomac was now in tenth while the only man that could potentially stop him from winning the crown today was down in 14th place, so the Kawasaki man could just ride safe and bring it home from here.
After Roczen’s mistake Jason Anderson had moved up to second place and was chasing race leader Dean Wilson while Zach Osborne made it a Husky 1-2-3 once again. It took a few minutes for Anderson to take the lead and following him through on Wilson also was Zach Osborne who moved up to second.
Eli Tomac took his time and trod carefully
By half-race distance Eli Tomac had steadily and carefully worked his way up to fifth. Roczen was ninth, Webb tenth and Reed eleventh.
Jason Anderson looked set to take his first Main victory since 2018, his championship winning year, but a few minutes before the end the seat came off his 450 Husky. That misfortune allowed Osborne to take the advantage and go on to take his first ever 450 Main victory in what was an all Husqvarna podium rounded out by Dean Wilson. That second place though was enough to promote Anderson past Barcia to fourth place in the final championship standings while Osborne’s victory saw him improve his final standing to seventh overall.
Malcolm Stewart was fourth in the race, seventh in the title, but the major celebrations went to fifth placed Eli Tomac who with that result wrapped up his first Monster Energy Supercross 450 Championship.
Eli Tomac – 450 Champion
Eli Tomac – 450 Champion
“This is just unbelievable, especially under all of the circumstances. I just look back at my entire lifetime of riding, the wins, the losses, and overcoming it all with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team. There was a point in time we didn’t know if we would be able to get back to racing and here we are finishing business. I am so incredibly happy and proud we finally did it, it’s unbelievable.”
Eli Tomac – 450 Champion
Ken Roczen seventh on the track and third in the series while Cooper Webb took the chequered flag in eighth and with it second in the series.
Chad Reed rounded out his stellar and unprecedentedly long professional career with a top ten finish in the race and 16th place in the championship.
Supercross again reconvened at Salt Lake City overnight for the sixth round of the seven that will be held without spectators inside Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium to close out the COVID-19 affected 17-round 2020 AMA Supercross season.
This round marked the return of the 250 East Championship ahead of the East-West showdown finale this weekend. This was also a match point for Eli Tomac in the premier 450 category as the Kawasaki rider could potentially wrap up the Title here this morning with a round still remaining.
450 Heat One
Martin Davalos took the holeshot in the opening 450 Heat but the 33-year-old Ecuadorian was overhauled after a big mistake two-minutes into the race that relegated him to fifth place. Dean Wilson took the lead and after a slow start Eli Tomac worked his way past Aaron Plessinger and Zach Osborne before challenging Wilson for the win on the final two laps but the Husqvarna man hung on and took the victory.
Dean Wilson won the opening 450 Heat
450 Heat One Results
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +0.566s
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha +3.462s
Martin Davalos – KTM +7.783s
Malcolm Stewart – Honda +8.494s
Zach Osborne – Husqvarna +8.826s
Broc Tickle – Suzuki +15.945s
Tyler Bowers – Kawasaki +18.981s
Alex Ray – Kawasaki +19.762s
Fredrik Noren – Suzuki +21.807s
450 Heat Two
Cooper Webb arrived at turn one ahead of the field but it was Ken Roczen that came out the other side in front to take the hole-shot ahead of Jason Anderson. At the end of the first rhythm section though Anderson stuck it up the inside of the the German and pushed him wide, Roczen was almost dead last after watching the entire field stream past him before he could safely re-join the racing line.
Roczen managed to work his way back up to seventh and secure his spot in the Main but Chad Reed just missed the cut and would have to contest the LCQ. The Aussie veteran made it count though and won the LCQ to progress through to his 264th Main.
Jason Anderson victorious in 450 Heat #2
450 Heat Two Results
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna
Cooper Webb – KTM +4.392s
Blake Baggett – KTM +5.703s
Justin Barcia – Yamaha +7.411s
Justin Hill – Honda +10.290s
Benny Bloss – KTM +11.211s
Ken Roczen – Honda +11.802s
Justin Brayton – Honda +17.957s
Vince Friese – Honda +19.619s
Chad Reed – KTM +20.228s
Chad Reed went on to win the LCQ to qualify for his 264th Main.
450 Main
Zach Osborne scored the hole-shot ahead of Justin Brayton and Justin Hill. Championship leader Eli Tomac was right at the back of the field through the first turn but only a few hundred metres later he had already passed ten riders, however the next ten would prove much harder to eclipse.
Ken Roczen started around fifth before working his way past Hill for fourth. Cooper Webb had been running third but four-minutes into the race he slipped past Brayton to demote the Honda rider to third. Quickly thereafter Roczen also slipped past his team-mate and took that third place. Jason Anderson then pushed Brayton further back to fifth.
Eli Tomac
Five-minutes in and Tomac was now sixth and closing on Brayton for fifth. The reigning Australian Champion offered little resistance to Tomac and the Kawasaki rider pulled away with ease. Another five-minutes in and Tomac was up to fourth after passing Jason Anderson.
Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen
At this halfway juncture Osborne was still leading from Webb and Roczen but little separated that trio, in-turn they also did not have much of a buffer over the charging Tomac as with ten-minutes to run he was only 3.5-seconds off the race leader.
Tomac then closed on Roczen and took third place from the German before closing in on Cooper Webb. The KTM man responded though and soon both himself and Tomac had slipped past Osborne, Webb moving through to the lead with a little over three-minutes remaining but was being chased hard by Tomac.
Cooper Webb
Webb though had his measure and held on to take the victory and deny Tomac the chance to take the crown here today. The Kawasaki rider only requires a couple of points from Sunday’s (Monday for us in Australia) finale to clinch the crown, but until he does Cooper Webb is still in with a chance of successfully defending his #1 plate.
450 Main Video Highlights
Cooper Webb
“We were all really close in speed, not a lot separating. I fixed the whoops about halfway – I think that’s what was holding me back – and I started hitting them really well. It was a tight race between us four and the whole race it seemed like a lot of pressure between us all because we weren’t making many mistakes. I’m sure it was a fun race for the fans to watch and it was a fun race to win, for sure.”
Cooper Webb celebrates victory
450 SX Main Results
Cooper Webb – KTM
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +2.214s
Zach Osborne – Husqvarna +5.291s
Ken Roczen – Honda +5.888s
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna +7.744s
Justin Brayton – Honda +21.078s
Malcolm Stewart – Honda +22.491s
Martin Davalos – KTM +24.906s
Justin Barcia – Yamaha +26.242s
Blake Baggett – KTM +27.859s
Benny Bloss – KTM +30.567s
Justin Hill – Honda +46.968s
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna +1 lap
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha +1 lap
Chad Reed – KTM +1 lap
Broc Tickle – Suzuki +1 lap
Vince Friese – Honda +1 lap
Kyle Cunningham – Suzuki +1 lap
Kyle Chisholm – Yamaha +1 lap
Fredrik Noren – Suzuki +1 lap
450 SX Championship Points
Eli Tomac 366
Cooper Webb 344
Ken Roczen 338
Justin Barcia 269
Jason Anderson 264
Malcolm Stewart 233
Zach Osborne 226
Dean Wilson 218
Justin Brayton 216
Justin Hill 199
Aaron Plessinger 195
Blake Baggett 193
Martin Davalos 172
Vince Friese 147
Adam Cianciarulo 129
Chad Reed 100
250 SX East
The 250 East Championship returned to racing overnight ahead of the East-West showdown finale this weekend and the series is tight at the top with Chase Sexton and Shane McElrath separated by only three-points ahead of this penultimate round.
250 Heat One
Shane McElrath scored the holeshot in the opening Heat and despite the best efforts of Jo Shimoda to break away with him, the 25-year-old had his measure and raced away to a ten-second victory over the Japanese teenager.
McElrath won 250 Heat #1
250 Heat One Results
Shane McElrath – Yamaha
Jo Shimoda – Honda +9.651s
Jalek Swoll – Husqvarna +14.835s
Lorenzo Locurcio – Kawasaki +20.199s
Darian Sanayei – Kawasaki +28.127s
250 Heat Two
Colt Nichols scored the holeshot while championship leader Chase Sexton was down around fifth place through the opening turns. Ultimately though Sexton worked his way through the pack and chased down Nichols to take the victory.
Sexton won Heat #2
250 Heat Two Results
Chase Sexton – Honda
Colt Nichols – Yamaha +1.790s
Pierce Brown – KTM +7.987s
Kyle Peters – Honda +18.310s
John Short – Honda +19.676s
250 Main
With only three-points separating Sexton and McElrath this was going to be a very important even for both those men but it was Washington’s Darian Sanayei that scored the holeshot ahead of those championship contenders when the gates dropped for the final stand-alone 250 East round for 2020. Late on the opening lap though McElrath, and then Sexton, blew past Sanayei through a whoops section.
Shane McElrath
A lap later Sexton made a hard pass on McElrath and the Honda man then went on to stamp his authority, sprinting away from his championship rival to a convincing victory, extending his series lead over Sexton to six-points.
250 Main Video Highlights
Competitors will next face off in the 250 East-West showdown on Sunday, (Monday in Australia) with both championships set to go down to the wire.
Chase Sexton will take a six-point lead into the championship finale
Supercross reconvened at Salt Lake City overnight for the fifth round of the seven that will be held without spectators inside Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium to close out the 17-round 2020 AMA Supercross season.
Eli Tomac entered this round with a 27-point advantage over defending champion Cooper Webb. Ken Roczen has been experiencing some health problems of late that has seen him lose pace in the second half of the main events. Would this be the round that the German bounces back..?
450 Heat One
Veteran and dead-set supercross legend Chad Reed scored the hole-shot in the opening 450 Heat ahead of Martin Davalos and Benny Bloss but that pair pushed the Aussie back to third place later on that opening lap.
Chad Reed scored the holeshot in the opening 450 Heat race
Once through to the lead Davalos had clear air and used that to his advantage to pull away from Bloss. Dean Wilson worked his way up to third while things were very busy in a tussle over fourth that involved Adam Enticknap, Chad Reed, Justin Barcia, Zach Osborne and Jason Anderson.
With just over a lap remaining and while holding down a 2.5-second lead, Martin Davalos threw away an almost certain victory, losing the front in a left-hander. Davalos was relegated to eighth position by the time he was up and running again while Bloss had inherited the lead.
At the last lap board Dean Wilson jumped past Bloss and the two battled all the way to the finish line but it was Bloss that took the chequered flag and his first ever heat victory.
Justin Barcia took third ahead of Chad Reed while Zach Osborne rounded out the top five ahead of Justin Brayton and Justin Hill. Davalos salvaged eighth place after leading the first seven laps of what was a ten lap race.
450 Heat One Results
Benny Bloss – KTM
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna +1.151s
Justin Barcia – Yamaha +1.928s
Chad Reed – KTM +3.795s
Zach Osborne – Husqvarna +4.699s
Justin Brayton – Honda +7.013s
Justin Hill – Honda +8.915s
Martin Davalos – KTM +13.893s
Adam Enticknap – Suzuki +15.878s
Alex Ray – Kawasaki +17.771s
450 Heat Two
Lining up directly alongside each other on the starting gates for the second 450 Heat race were the top four in the championship, Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Cooper Webb and Jason Anderson all side-by-side as the gates dropped but it was Roczen that scored the hole-shot and the early race lead from Malcolm Stewart. The #27 Honda rider showing a ‘Back Lives Matter’ patch on the seat of his ‘Seven’ branded nylons to Tomac, Anderson and Webb, the defending champion rounding out the early top five.
The quintuple largely remained in that order for the first six laps until Tomac put a move past Stewart with a minute remaining on the shot clock to take second place and then laid down the fastest lap of the race to try and claw back ground on race leader Ken Roczen. Tomac took almost a full-second out of Roczen on the penultimate lap but the German had enough in reserve to take the chequered flag 1.3-seconds in front of Tomac.
Roczen leading Tomac
Malcolm Stewart was five-seconds further back in third place ahead of Jason Anderson and Cooper Webb while Aaron Plessinger took sixth.
450 Heat Two Results
Ken Roczen – Honda
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +1.345s
Malcolm Stewart – Honda +6.300s
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna +7.234s
Cooper Webb – KTM +7.601s
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha +16.549s
Vince Friese – Honda +19.762s
Tyler Bowers – Kawasaki +22.154s
Kyle Chisholm – Yamaha +24.103s
Broc Tickle – Suzuki +28.023s
450 LCQ
Blake Baggett had to race the LCQ after having problems in his heat race but the KTM rider sailed through the LCQ with a nine-second victory over Broc Tickle. Ryan Breece scored the final transfer position.
450 LCQ Results
Blake Baggett – KTM
Broc Tickle – Suzuki +9.046s
Ryan Breece – Suzuki +15.573s
450 Main
Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac went into turn one side-by-side but as Webb spun the bike through the exit of the corner he then ran a little wide and his rear clipped the front wheel of Tomac which saw the Kawasaki man have to get out of the throttle, by the time he recovered he had been shuffled back to around tenth place.
Supercross 450 Main
Ken Roczen and Jason Anderson were the men left to chase Webb on that opening lap but Anderson then made a mistake and went off the track. The #21 rejoined the race at the back of the field, 20-seconds behind the leaders.
It only took two-minutes for Eli Tomac to work his way up to fifth place while at the front of the pack Ken Roczen had done the Kawasaki rider a big favour by slipping past Cooper Webb for the race lead.
Ken Roczen passes Cooper Webb
Five-minutes in and the battle for third place was hotting up as Tomac caught Malcolm Stewart and Zach Osborne. It didn’t take long for Tomac to take that third place and with 13-minutes remaining he was now five-seconds behind Webb and seven-seconds behind Roczen.
Ken Roczen leading Cooper Webb
A mid-pack melee then unfolded that involved Anderson, Friese, Hill and Bloss, all four of those riders left on the ground after getting caught up while battling for tenth place. Friese and Anderson faring the worst as their bikes were hooked up on each other and it took help from officials for the two machines to finally be separated. Anderson could only watch on as he saw his fourth place in the championship chase evaporating in front of his eyes. The initial accident that caused the melee was initiated when Bloss and Friese went down together, an accident that Chad Reed narrowly managed to avoid and take that tenth position.
Cooper Webb
Up front Ken Roczen was looking smooth and in control. The German had extended his lead over Webb to three-seconds but now Eli Tomac was the fastest man on track and starting to close in on Webb.
This time around Roczen showed no signs of fading. After finally being diagnosed with shingles a few days ago, an extremely painful ailment related to chicken pox but much more painful, Roczen now at least knows one of the things that has been holding him back of late and can hopefully find a way forward though his medical dramas.
Ken Roczen
After looking as though he would easily close in on and pass Webb, Tomac’s charge started to falter. After getting to within two-seconds of Webb the Kawasaki man then started losing ground to the tune of almost a second a lap. With two-minutes left on the clock Tomac was now seven-seconds behind Webb, but had a clear 12-seconds over fourth placed Zach Osborne. Perhaps the championship leader was just playing the safe game and did not want to give Webb the chance to take him out and make a huge leap towards him in the points…
With two laps to run Roczen had backed things off a little and Cooper Webb now had the #94 Honda in his sights and had the hammer down to try and get on terms with Roczen. The German though had his measure and took a clear victory in what was a huge boost to the pysche of the 26-year-old. That victory also saw him move back past Cooper Webb in the championship standings with only two rounds remaining.
Ken Roczen moved back up to second place in the championship standings.
Tomac’s third place good enough for him to only lose two-points on Webb and the Kawasaki man has a very handy 24-point lead with 52-points left up for grabs across the final two rounds in this COVID-19 induced quick-fire end to the season. Racers will be back on track this Wednesday June 17 ahead of the finale on June 21.
450 SX Main Results
Ken Roczen – Honda
Cooper Webb – KTM +3.140s
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +17.844s
Zach Osborne – Husqvarna +29.584s
Malcolm Stewart – Honda +32.389s
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna +40.472s
Blake Baggett – KTM +40.865s
Justin Brayton – Honda +42.677s
Justin Barcia – Yamaha +44.729s
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha +1 lap
Chad Reed – KTM +1 lap
Broc Tickle – Suzuki +1 lap
Benny Bloss – KTM +1 lap
Justin Hill – Honda +1 lap
Tyler Bowers – Kawasaki +1 lap
Kyle Chisholm – Yamaha +2 laps
Vince Friese – Honda +2 laps
Adam Enticknap – Suzuki +2 laps
Martin Davalos – KTM +3 laps
Ryan Breece – Suzuki +4 laps
450 Main Video Highlights
450 SX Championship Points
Eli Tomac 342
Ken Roczen 319
Cooper Webb 318
Justin Barcia 255
Jason Anderson 246
Malcolm Stewart 217
Dean Wilson 208
Zach Osborne 205
Justin Brayton 199
Justin Hill 188
Aaron Plessinger 186
Blake Baggett 180
Martin Davalos 157
Vince Friese 141
Adam Cianciarulo 129
Chad Reed 92
Benny Bloss 87
Tyler Bowers 85
Kyle Chisholm 76
Kyle Cunningham 48
250 SX West
The final 250 SX West round until the East-West showdown finale played out once again in front of no spectators this morning in Salt Lake City.
250 Heat One
Jett Lawrence got an absolutely amazing run out of the gates and it looked as though he would score the hole-shot by a country mile but the 16-year-old carried so much speed into turn one that he ran a little wide, quickly filling that hole up the inside was Austin Forkner, who perhaps held Jett out a little wider than he had to, as the Kawasaki rider finally turned his bike on the gas to exit that opening turn his rear tyre clipped the front wheel of Jett’s Geico Honda and pitched the youngster on to the deck. From a perfect start off the gates to the back of the field in one split second. It looked as though Forkner would have a clean run from there but only metres later he himself got hooked up a little with Hunter Lawrence, this time around it was Forkner that came off second best.
Far away from all that melee out front was Justin Cooper and after the opening few laps the Monster Energy Star Yamaha rider was more than four-seconds ahead of Alex Martin while Aussies Hunter Lawrence and Luke Clout were running third and fourth. Jett Lawrence had worked his way up from dead last to seventh while Forkner was ninth.
Moments later Forkner was all over the back of Jett Lawrence and then forced his way up the inside to take sixth. Jett looked to have been taking it a little easy, knowing he was in a safe transport spot, but being passed by Forkner seemed to light a fire underneath his Shift ensconced arse.
Jett followed Forkner for a while before choosing his moment to run up the inside into a very tight left-hander that Forkner had entered a little wide, Jett executed a great turn which sent Forkner further wide and the 16-year-old was back up to fifth. A lap later thoughtForkner capitalised on a mistake by the youngster to re-take that fifth position once again.
Meanwhile up front Justin Cooper had no idea of all the excitement that was being played out behind him and cruised home to an easy victory over Alex Martin. Hunter Lawrence held on to his third position all the way to the flag.
On the final lap Austin Forkner relegated Penrite Honda’s Luke Clout to fifth while Jett Lawrence claimed sixth.
250 Heat One Results
Justin Cooper – Yamaha
Alex Martin – Suzuki +31.05s
Hunter Lawrence – Honda +5.049s
Austin Forkner – Kawasaki +9.733s
Luke Clout – Honda +10.707s
Jett Lawrence – Honda +11.045s
Robbie Wageman – Yamaha +20.942s
250 Heat Two
Shortly after witnessing one of the most action packed heat races in recent memory the other half of the 250 West field lined up for their heat race. Dylan Ferrandis scored the holeshot but at the end of the first rhythm section Cameron McAdoo put an aggressive pass on the Yamaha rider after he had made a small mistake, leaving the series leader in the dirt and at the back of the field. It only took Ferrandis a couple of laps to get back inside the top ten and into a secure transfer spot.
At the front of the field Christian Craig had worked his way to the front but was being chased hard by McAdoo but the Honda man held on for the win. Derek Drake rounded out the podium ahead of Brandon Hartranft.
250 Heat Two Results
Christian Craig – Honda
Cameron McAdoo – Kawasaki +1.026s
Derek Drake – KTM +4.873s
Brandon Hartranft – KTM +9.315s
Mitch Oldenburg – Honda +10.525s
Michael Mosiman – Husqvarna +11.201s
Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha +16.574s
250 LCQ
Aussie privateer Geran Stapleton scored the hole-shot in the LCQ and the Victorian had a few bobbles on the opening lap before settling to take a clear victory over Lorenzo Camporese while Chris Howell scored the final transfer spot.
250 LCQ Results
Geran Stapleton – Honda
Lorenzo Camporese – Kawasaki +1.536s
Chris Howell – Husqvarna +2.245s
250 Main
Dylan Ferrandis got the best run down the start straight and came out the other side of turn one leading Christian Craig and Hunter Lawrence. Right behind Hunter Lawrence was the Kawasaki pairing of Austin Forkner and Cameron McAdoo. After winning the LCQ 27-year-old Aussie privateer Geran Stapleton had lined up for his first 250 Main of the season and was tenth on the opening lap just ahead of countrymen Jett Lawrence in 11th and Luke Clout in 13th.
Two-minutes in and it was still Ferrandis from Craig while both Forkner and McAdoo had worked their way past Hunter Lawrence before Michael Mosiman then pushed Hunter further back to sixth while Jett was now up to eighth.
Forkner then relegated Craig back to third place and set about chasing down the championship leader. Forkner had gone into this round ten-points behind Ferrandis and needed victory here to strengthen his championship challenge. It only took the Kawasaki rider a couple of laps to pull back more than two-seconds on the defending champ and he then settled into a position only a few bike lengths behind the Frenchman.
Christian Craig fell as the race neared its halfway-point and was shuffled back to ninth place. At this stage of the race the Lawrence brothers were running on track together and after Craig’s mishap were in fifth and sixth positions. The younger Jett squeezing past Hunter with a little over seven-minutes remaining, 20-year-old Hunter in only his second Supercross event while 16-year-old Jett has a few more under his belt. The brothers had Justin Cooper chasing them hard.
Dylan Ferrandis
Ferrandis had responded to the challenge of Forkner and was maintaining a lead of just over a second. Forkner was gaining a lot of time on the flat stop-go turns while Ferrandis seemed to have the upper hand through the jump sections. Lapped traffic started to really become a factor and with five-minutes remaining that had allowed Forkner to get on direct terms with Ferrandis. Forkner then put a very aggressive pass on Ferrandis for the race lead, effectively running into the Frenchman and forcing him off the circuit. By the time Ferrandis was back on track and up to speed he was 4.5-seconds behind Forkner.
Jett Lawrence pulled away from his brother later in the race and closed in on Cameron McAdoo before then taking fourth place with two-minutes remaining. Jett then caught and passed Mosiman for third but the Husqvarna rider then came back at him and held Jett wide in a corner to re-take that third position. The young Aussie though was much faster through the whoops section and moved back up to third with 45-seconds left on the clock. Mosiman then made a small mistake which saw him passed by McAdoo and that allowed Jett to get away and race to a well-earned podium result. The 16-year-old absolutely pumped with that result and deservedly so.
Despite missing three rounds after that crushing shoulder injury after leading the Main at A2 Jett is now within striking distance of a top ten finish in the championship chase.
Hunter Lawrence scored 16-points in his second ever Supercross event
Hunter Lawrence was caught and passed by Cooper a few minutes before the chequered flag but still took a great 16-point haul from that seventh place finish in what is only his second AMA Supercross event and now has 26-points to his name.
Penrite Honda’s Luke Clout continued his run of scoring points in every single event this season with 11th position here today. That consistency sees Clout a hugely impressive seventh place in the 250 West Championship with only the East-West showdown remaining.
Luke Clout is now seventh in the 250 West Championship standings
In his first ever Main event Victorian privateer Geran Stapleton finished in 20th position and scored his first points of the series. A great achievement in itself for the self-funded 27-year-old.
Austin Forkner though the winner here though, his fourth victory of the season thus far, and in the process the 21-year-old pulled back three-points on second placed Ferrandis to head to the East-West showdown only seven-points behind the defending champion.
Austin Forkner pumped with victory
That round is the last conventional round for the 250 West competitors as the next 250 round will see 250 East competitors race on June 17, ahead of the combined 250 East-West showdown on Sunday, June 21.
“This is like a dream come true,” said 17 year-old Ricky Carmichael into my tape recorder a mere 20 minutes after clinching his first-ever AMA National Championship. “This was my first year, and there was a lot of pressure on me for being a rookie. All of the hard training was worth it. The whole years has been a team effort, and it has been unbelievable.”
Ricky Carmichael pictured here in 2006
That was 23 years and 16 AMA titles and 162 combined wins in AMA SX/MX ago for Carmichael who is now simply referred to as the GOAT – THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Having called time on his unbelievable racing career after leading Team USA to victory at the 2007 Motocross of Nations at Budds Creek, Maryland, Carmichael took a big swing at the NASCAR Truck Series, faring well at it before finding his way into his current lot in life: Supercross TV analyst for NBC Sports. And that’s the hot seat (if you will) RC will be in come Sunday afternoon inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The very first of what will be seven races to decide the interrupted 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series Championship. Already in Utah and working on his homework for Sunday’s broadcast, RC took a quick breather to check in with all of us racing fans. Take it away RC!
How long have you been in the racing-friendly metropolis of Salt Lake City?
“Oh, I just got here yesterday and got all situated. My girlfriend’s best friend has a place in Park City, so I’m staying there, so that’s nice. I went and got all my COVID testing done, so I’m waiting to get the results back from that. If that comes back negative, we’re ready to rip, man! I’m just hanging out and waiting for results, so that’s why I had to get here early. With the flights and all that stuff yesterday, we didn’t know if they would be delayed or whatever, so I didn’t want to chance it.”
What in the world do you make of all this? Seven races and the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series title to be decided in an NCAA college football stadium in Utah?
“Well, it’s not charted waters. First and foremost of what I can say is that whoever wins this championship, in my mind, will be and should be crowned as the winner of the hardest Monster Energy Supercross Series Championship in history because of what we’ve been faced with as far as the pandemic. Being in championship form and then having to be forced into a 12-week shutoff and then to now be forced to get right back into it, both mentally and physically, I feel, is going to be a really tough challenge. The guy that is able to do that the best and continue the consistency and the good race craft and being up front when he needs to be up front, is going to be the guy who is going to be victorious. And I’ve been in some great championship battles throughout my career. 2006 comes to mind where it was basically winner take all at Vegas for the title and I still think this is going to supersede that season as the greatest championship in supercross history. I’m excited, but at the same time, it’s uncharted waters for everybody.”
You won a few of these things. If you were standing in, say, Tomac or Roczen’s boots, what in the world would you be thinking? Such a profoundly odd set of circumstances, eh?
“Yeah, I mean those guys are back-and-forth each weekend. There are three points separating them and you can pose situations on both riders of why they have a better chance than the other. Eli, you know, you think he has an advantage as he lives at elevation and the Sat Lake City race is going to be at elevation. Then you go to Ken Roczen, and he’s led more laps than anybody this year. He doesn’t have as many wins, but he’s upfront a lot more often. His chance of winning are just as good as Eli’s, so they both have their strengths. There is no doubt that these two have very few weaknesses. And there is one guy still looming and that’s defending champion Cooper Webb. I feel he has a chance, but he’s going to need a lot of help. I mean it’s far-fetched, but mathematically, it’s still possible. He’s capable of it, but he’s in a must-win situation and that’s a bad spot to be in.”
Eli Tomac winning round ten at Daytona
Yeah, and there are more a few other guys that can throw a spanner in the works, as well, huh? I mean, Barcia, AC, Anderson…
“Yeah, well, certainly so. We just switched gears from talking about championships to winning races. Like AC, I feel like this is a second season for him. He got his rookie season out of the way ` going to be up in the mix. That can really work, whether it’s to Eli Tomac’ or Ken Roczen’s benefit, that can really get in-between one another, so it’s going to be exciting to see just what guys are going to take advantage of everything that has went down and the opportunity to come out and excel. For instance, AC can win his first premiere win in supercross? Can Barcia come out and get another win and his second win of the season?”
Exactly! I can also see a Malcolm Stewart or a Justin Brayton coming out of the woodwork and winning one of these things.
“Yeah, certainly this is a time of… I don’t know… It’s a different time, for sure. Crazy things have happened. Yeah, at the end of the day I think it’s going to be tough because I feel like what we’re going to see and find is that the championship contenders are going to somehow find their way up front. It’s crunch time. We only have seven rounds left and these things are going to fly by in three weeks – seven races in three weeks! We’re going to finish one race and before we know it, we’re going to be back at the stadium and these guys are going to be getting it on. As it’s an opportunity for guys like the Braytons of the world and the Malcolm Stewarts and the Adam Cianciarulos of the world to excel. Having said all that, just feel like the championship contenders are going to find their way up front.
“I think that we need to do the best that we can from a television standpoint with us guys up in the booth explaining it to the viewers. I think all of this is going to be an opportunity to catch some new eyeballs because we’re going to be one of the only live sports being televised and I look forward to the opportunity. I relish that moment and I’m going to try and be on my A Game to really portray the sport in the best way that I can and show the general public that these guys are some of the best athletes in the world. We want to represent our sport well right now because our athletes deserve it for the risks that they take.
“And the cool thing is that the championships – the 450 class AND the 250 classes – have just been so close. Anything can happen. We’re going to be crowning three champions at the end of this seven race stretch and it’s a great time for people to be watching and tuning-in.”
As you just pointed out, seven races inside the same stadium. To your way of seeing things, what’s that going to be like?
“You know, people have asked me what I think it’s going to be like racing the same venue for seven rounds and I can tell you that if you like racing in Salt Lake City at Rice-Eccles Stadium, well, you’ve got a hell of an advantage. It’s different. I think everything is going to be different. There are only going to be a certain number of people allowed in the stadium – that’s riders, mechanics, officials, safety crew and guys like myself with the television people. It’s a skeleton crew for social distancing purposes and it’s uncharted waters. It’s going to be different for everybody, but I think once the rag drops, everyone is going to be focused and focused on the battles on the track because there is so much on the line. Like I said, if you like Rice-Eccles Stadium, you’re happy as hell that you get to race here seven times in-a-row.”
Okay, I’m going to put you on the spot here. What’s it going to take Eli Tomac to win the championship and what’s it going to take for Ken Roczen to win the championship?
“Well, Eli certainly has the speed to do it. There’s no doubt about it. I think he’s a tick better than everyone else in the field as far as speed goes. He has to continue what he’s been able to do all season long and not have that throwaway race. He’s been running up front and I feel like he has overcome his demons from years past that have plagued him for having that throwaway race. If he can continue to do what he has done all season, I think he comes out victorious. What does Ken Roczen have to do? He is going to have to really be there and continue to be consistent on the starts and to be up front early and to have himself in a good position like he’s done. He just can’t let Eli Tomac get the best of him. He can’t count on Eli to have that throwaway race because it doesn’t look like Eli is going to do that, ken has got to be able to match Eli on speed.”
Extraordinary races for extraordinary times, eh?
“Yeah, yeah, it is. It’s different for everybody and I hope we never have to experience it again, but everybody that I know is doing the best that they can and if everyone keeps doing their part, we will al get through this and we’ll get through it together and we just have to buckle down and ride it out together. Hey, check this out. When I got the call saying, ‘Hey, we’re going back racing!” I felt like I has a purpose. I’m going to do it and I’m going to make the best of it.”
Ricky Carmichael on the ground with Chad Reed and Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld Source: MCNews.com.au
A lack of government clarity on border openings and crowd restrictions has WEM now unsure of viability of a 2020 MX Nationals Championship
MX Nationals might not even get out of the gates this year unless governments make some decisions
In light of the recent pandering for headlines by individual state premiers we thought it might be worth checking in with MX Nationals promoter Kevin Williams as to the problems being faced by MX Nationals.
Trev – It was only a few weeks ago when it looked as though the MX Nationals had a fairly clear projected series schedule for the running of the 2020 MX Nationals calendar. The Queensland Premier recently stated that there are no guarantees that Queensland will open its borders in September, let alone by the August 9 date that you have scheduled in the most recent draft calendar for round one at Conondale, that must be causing you some consternation?
Kev – “Look basically where I am sitting at the moment…We knew there was a little speculation in our last proposed dates, but we were recently encouraged by the Victorian government staring to open things up. I guess we are in 14-21 day period to see what happens. My gut is that voter sentiment will decide when various governments move to ease restrictions in other states, and I can’t see them being closed through September.
“But then of course we also need clarity on the numbers of people that are going to be allowed. If we are only allowed 500 people then the numbers just don’t stack up. The clubs need to make money and realistically that requires a minimum of 1500 paying spectators to come through the gates.
“Rugby League Commisioner Peter V’landys recently announced a plans to allow crows in July yet that plan today has been slammed by the Australian Medical Association as ‘absurd and dangerous’.
“We have put to some deadlines on what we can. We will review again in a couple of weeks, essentialy by the middle of June we are going to need some clarity in regards to borders and crowd numbers. If we are 80 per cent confident that the restrictions will be eased to allow the numbers we require then we roll the dice..
“At the end of the day these are commercial decisions, we can’t sit here doing nothing for the next few months waiting. We need to have some firm direction by the end of next month to make an educated call on whether we go ahead or not.”
Trev – Might it be just too risky to potentially schedule any rounds in Queensland this year, when the Premier wants an indefinitely dated exclusion zone around the Sunshine State? And the voters seem to be backing her, let’s face it half of QLD would secede given half the chance…
“Currently we are seeing very small numbers of new infections, if people generally do the right thing, then we should be okay. Will we get a second wave? I think that is likely, going on history, how that will look in Australia who knows..
“Even within Victoria, if we are limited to a few hundred people through the gates we simply can’t run. The only thing that can work for us is time, meanwhile we just stare into the crystal ball…”
So potentially you are saying MX Nationals might not run at all this season?
“By the end of June, if they are not giving us guidelines that by August-September we can run with viable crowds then we would not be able to get going. To stage one of these events, preparing the track and venue, there is no change out of 30k for a club to stage a round, let alone our costs. .. We need to be able to get 1500 or 2000 through gate to make that even start to look viable.
“In our previous forecast we went longer than most did, with our August prediction for round one, but if by the middle of June they are not starting to indicate that crowd numbers will be opened up around that time then we might have to make a call… If they said that from the middle of August they were looking to allow crowds, then we would reshuffle the dates again and look towards getting on the starting gates, but if much longer than that, then we would potentially have no MX Nationals this year.
“I won’t be in a position to go more than nine months without an income. We should have to start a new path, what that could be I have no idea. While I am stepping away from life as a promoter in 2021, I am still in discussions with AME about being involved in their Supercross plans. And am also talking to clients about various consultancy work. Not the best time to find yourself unemployed I guess, but we are all in this together and will get through to the other side eventually…”
Kevin Williams might not even get to have his chance for his last lap as MX Nationals promoter this year…
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Supercross is back this weekend
Supercross gets back underway this weekend after its COVID-19 enforced hiatus.
The series will resume on May 31 and will run through a June 21 conclusion.
The last race was held at Daytona in early March so when the gates drop in Salt Lake City on May 31 it would have been almost three months since riders felt the heat of competition.
This fast conclusion to the season will see seven quick-fire rounds ran over the space of only three weeks running two events per week, one on a Wednesday and another on the Sunday.
The events will all run without spectators making the events a distinctly made for TV affair and every round will take place inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Sat Lake City, Utah.
Each round will have only one main event race.
450SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Eli Tomac
226
2
Ken Roczen
223
3
Cooper Webb
197
4
Justin Barcia
195
5
Jason Anderson
170
6
Malcolm Stewart
152
7
Justin Hill
141
8
Justin Brayton
129
9
Dean Wilson
129
10
Adam Cianciarulo
128
2020 SX Calendar
Rnd 11 May 31
Rnd 12 June 3
Rnd 13 June 7
Rnd 14 June 10
Rnd 15 June 13
Rnd 16 June 17
Rnd 17 June 21
Supercross is back this weekend
FIM Hard Enduro World Cup
It finally seems as though the stalemate between the FIM World Enduro GP and WESS might finally be heading towards some sort of resolution towards an FIM Hard Enduro World Cup. FIM representatives recently stated; ‘Ongoing and positive negotiations and communication took place with KTM/WESS with regards to the FIM Hard Enduro World Cup, it was expected that a final agreement be reached within a short period.’
Billy Bolt – 2020 SuperEnduro World Championship
American Flat Track
American Flat Track this week announced a relaunch of its 2020 race schedule featuring doubleheader race weekends and kicking off on July 17 and 18 with the Volusia Half-Mile at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. The revised schedule features 18 races over nine doubleheader weekends and culminates in a two-day finale during Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach.
In addition to NBC Sports coverage on NBCSN and live streaming of all 18 events via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, AFT has worked diligently toward the goal of having fan attendance at all of its venues. This would include the implementation of new health & safety protocols that will help provide a safe environment for fans, competitors and staff, including reduced capacity, staggered seating, mobile ticketing, cashless transactions and enhanced sanitation.
AFT officials continue to collaborate with public health experts to develop this comprehensive plan in accordance with all federal, state and local requirements. All race-day procedures have been thoroughly reviewed and will continue to be examined and updated to follow specific guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local authorities.
At all American Flat Track events new guidelines and protocols will include:
Reduction in ticket availability to conform with state and local guidelines for sporting events
Reserved seating areas to include buffer zones to provide ample space between fans
Fans entering the venue will be provided with complimentary facial coverings
Enhanced sanitation and disinfection protocols with frequent cleaning throughout the facility
Enhancements to mobile ticketing and elimination of printed tickets
Cashless, contactless transactions for concessions and merchandise
Regular medical screening of staff and competitors
As an additional precaution, there will be no public access to the paddock area and AFT officials have suspended Fan Walk, rider autograph sessions and paddock upgrades for the remainder of the season. Event-specific health & safety procedures will be updated to meet or exceed state and local requirements as they are updated over the coming months. Through an updated communication protocol, AFT and its promoter partners will provide regular updates to fans via press releases, website updates, social media posts, email distribution and text messaging.
Careful consideration has been given to secure a full 18-round race schedule that is logistically possible for riders, teams and staff, while also providing the opportunity for fan attendance. Following a thorough review of state guidelines and consultation with local officials by AFT’s promoter partners, certain events that were originally scheduled for 2020 have been cancelled.
AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter
Updated 2020 American Flat Track Schedule*
July 17 (Fri): Volusia Half-Mile I – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
July 18 (Sat): Volusia Half-Mile II – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
July 31 (Fri): Lima Half-Mile I – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
August 1 (Sat): Lima Half-Mile II – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
August 28 (Fri): TBA, Northeast U.S.
August 29 (Sat): TBA, Northeast U.S.
September 5 (Sat): Springfield Mile I** – Illinois State Fairgrounds – Springfield, IL
September 6 (Sun): Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds – Springfield, IL
September 11 (Fri):Williams Grove Half-Mile I – Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, PA
September 12 (Sat): Williams Grove Half-Mile II – Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, PA
September 25 (Fri): TBA, TX
September 26 (Sat): TBA, TX
October 2 (Fri): Atlanta Short Track I – Dixie Speedway – Woodstock, GA
October 3 (Sat): Atlanta Short Track II – Dixie Speedway – Woodstock, GA
October 9 (Fri): TBA, NC
October 10 (Sat): TBA, NC
October 15 (Thu): AFT Season Finale I – Daytona Beach, FL
October 16 (Fri): AFT Season Finale II – Daytona Beach, FL *As the situation, regulations and protocols regarding COVID-19 progress, dates and venues listed above are subject to change. **AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys will participate in the Springfield TT on Friday, September 4.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop Source: MCNews.com.au
GNCC was back in action in Georgia on the weekend and KTM’s Kailub Russell came out on top with a narrow four-second win over Josh Strang in round four of the series to extend his championship lead to 28-points ahead of the Kawasaki mounted Aussie.
Becca Sheets got the better of Aussie Tayla Jones for the win in the Women’s Division.
Bulldog GNCC – Overall Results
Kailub Russell – KTM (XC1 Open Pro)
Josh Strang – Kawasaki (XC1 Open Pro)
Craig Delong – Husqvarna (XC2 Open Pro 250)
Layne Michael – Yamaha (XC1 Open Pro)
Ryder Lafferty – Husqvarna (XC2 Open Pro 250)
Jordan Ashburn – Kawasaki (XC1 Open Pro)
Josh Toth – KTM (XC1 Open Pro)
Grant Baylor – Sherco (XC1 Open Pro)
Michael Witkowski – Yamaha (XC2 Open Pro 250)
Andrew Delong – Honda (XC1 Open Pro)
GNCC Championship Standings
Kailub Russell 120
Josh Strang 92
Craig Delong 64
Jordan Ashburn 60
Ricky Russell 59
2020 Australian Trial Championships South Australia- September 26-27
The 2020 Australian Trial Championships will be run September 26 and 27, at Mungeree Homestead, Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
Rescheduled from earlier in the year due to COVID-19, the 2020 championships will now be hosted by Team Hogan (land owners), and the Keyneton MCC who are six-time runners of the championships, along with Trials SA.
The 2020 Australian Trial Championships will offer competition in all classes and provide on-site camping for the weekend.
Also returning in 2020 is the Mini Trial, a support class on a shortened course of 10 sections, with 3 laps each day – for all riders aged 4 to 9-years-old on mini wheeled bikes.
Entries are expected to open on July 1 and remain open until August 31, to give everyone around the country as much time as possible to plan their trip, dependent on travel restrictions.
2019 Australian Trial Championships – Image by Johnno’s Trials Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MA Calls For EOI To Promote The 2021 Australian Motocross Championship
Motorcycling Australia (MA) is calling for expressions of interest from suitably qualified promoters and clubs who are interested in organising and running the 2021 Australian Motocross Championship.
The Australian Motocross Championship is the nation’s blue-ribbon MX series and has continued to produce some of the world’s best MX riders over many years.
The closing date for these applications is Friday, June 26, 2020.
Upon receipt of your Expression of Interest, MA will engage with you further on the specific championship requirements.
MX Nationals – Image by iKap
Chad Reed switches to KTM
Chad Reed recently participated in an Instagram chat with Pro Circuit where he detailed how the KTM switch unfolded.
Chad Reed
“I was told that we were done until September-October. So basically, I was just getting a motorcycle that I wanted to ride for the summer. Mountain Motorsports is a dealer for everyone and kind of like for me at this point in my career it gives me a fun opportunity to ride some bikes. I loved my Husky when I rode it, and you know so I was just kind of doing it for a little bit of fun. One thing led to another, I really enjoyed the bike, I liked it, then I got the word we were going back racing and I had already sold all my bikes.
“But really, to answer the question, I enjoyed it. I loved the brakes, transmission, how light it is, all the things you want from a race bike at the highest level, this bike comes like that production, so it’s just a great starting point. The one thing I struggled with most when I rode my Husky, a lot of people want to know that question, I didn’t have the resources back then with the time that we had, to have access to the good WP suspension. This time around I have been lucky enough to have access to that and that has played such a huge role, working with a company that the bike is built around. So far so good, I really like it. It brings back some fun memories, a lot of the things you do to improve certain feelings, you are going back 15/16 years to my steel chassis days, so it’s funny to have all that stuff in the back of your memory bank and a lot of that still works.”
Reed also went into some of his favoured accomplishments and the whole two-stroke v four-stroke thing, you can listen to the whole interview below.
SX is back late this month
Supercross is gets back underway late this month after its COVID-19 enforced hiatus.
The series will resume on May 31 and will run through a June 21 conclusion.
The last race was held at Daytona in early March so when the gates drop in Salt Lake City on May 31 it would have been almost three months since riders felt the heat of competition.
This fast conclusion to the season will see seven quick-fire rounds ran over the space of only three weeks running two events per week, one on a Wednesday and another on the Sunday.
The events will all run without spectators making the events a distinctly made for TV affair and every round will take place inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Sat Lake City, Utah.
Each round will have only one main event race.
2020 SX Calendar
Rnd 11 May 31
Rnd 12 June 3
Rnd 13 June 7
Rnd 14 June 10
Rnd 15 June 13
Rnd 16 June 17
Rnd 17 June 21
Roger De Coster, Director of Motorsports, KTM
“We are so happy to finally have this plan in place. We started feeling pretty bored after being off for this long without racing and now there is a sensation of life and energy again. And, it is cool for Supercross to be one of the first professional sports back!”
Saturday night, January 18, 2020 inside the 45,517-seat Angel Stadium of Anaheim a few minutes removed from the running of the 250SX West main event.
“Tonight, was a night I just want to forget and move on from,” lamented Austin Forkner of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team who placed a crash initiated 17th. “That costly mistake in the whoops in the main event ruined my evening. My team and I are going to regroup and probably spend a good amount of time hammering out whoops this next week. I had a lot of fun racing the Triple Crown races last year, so I am just ready to get to Glendale and redeem myself.”
Austin Forkner & Justin Cooper battle at AMA SX Round One – Image by Hoppenworld
Saturday night, January 25, 2020 inside the 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium of Glendale a few minutes removed from running of the 250SX West main event.
“It’s always good to go from 22 points down to 10 points down,” said a stoked Austin Forkner on what a difference a week can make in motor racing. “I just had really good intensity and just kind of broke away quickly and nobody could really catch me. I knew all that mattered was the overall, so I went 1-1-3 to get the overall. The first two mains, I rode really well. The last moto, not so much, but I really went into manage mode once I got into third. I wanted to win them all, but it just didn’t end up like that. I was happy. My riding was good. The bike was good. It was just a solid night.
Austin Forkner was triumphant in Missouri at round two – Image by Hoppenworld
“I feel pretty locked in now. I feel good going into these next two races here out west. We’ll fly to Oakland. It’s a short flight. And San Diego, well, we’ll just drive to that race. We’ll be right in our own backyard for these next two races before the break. I’m hoping to make up as many points as I can going into the break.”
Jett Lawrence chasing Austin Forkner at round two – Image by Hoppenworld
As advertised, the next two weeks of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series ran in California football stadiums in Oakland and San Diego, respectively, and Austin Forkner was fast and consistent to place second in both main events.
Austin Forkner placed second at Oakland – Image by Hoppenworld
And it was after the Petco Park race in San Diego where the Oklahoma-based racer returned back to the Midwest where now, due to the global pandemic, he still remains with no race to races to run. And that’s where we tracked down the Kawasaki pilot on Friday afternoon.
Austin Forkner took the overall win at Glendale – Image by Hoppenworld
“I’m in Oklahoma. Riding. Training. Same old same old,” said the mildly agitated racer in waiting. “We’re just waiting to hear wherever we’re going to go racing, really. I mean, nothing has really changed much for me. As far as the coronavirus thing, I got out of California in time. Oklahoma, I guess, is not nearly as bad. Things are starting to open back up here. I really don’t do anything that is closed anyway. I go to a private gym, a private track, everything we do is pretty much private anyway, so I mean as far as work stuff and riding, nothing has really changed for me. It’s just like things for fun, things like going to the mall, going to the movies and things like that, obviously it’s all changed and we’re not doing any of that.
Ferrandis putting a move on Forkner in San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
“But you know what? Asked Forkner. “I think it’s [virus] on its way out. From all the reports and from all the stuff that I’ve heard, the virus cases are starting to go down, if not almost stop. I think everybody is starting to get over this too. In my opinion, I think this was blown way out of proportion. I think it was overdone. I don’t think it should have been this big of a deal. In my opinion, I think this was basically the flu and I don’t think that they needed to shut down America for the flu. Yeah, it’s a new virus and, yeah, people have died, but I don’t think that they literally need to shut down the country for this. It is what it is and that’s what they decided to do. But I do think people are getting over it. I’m fortunate enough in that I was in a fine position with all this financially, but people are going to start running out of money and then what? I think everybody is just ready to get back to normal and get back to work and to get back to doing things how we were.”
Austin Forkner took the overall win at Glendale – Image by Hoppenworld
Oklahoma, while a great place which has put forth many a world class motocross racer, is a 1,515-mile, 23-hour drive on the I-10 and I-8 and a hell of a long way from the spiritual homeland and race land of the Southern California-based motocross industry. Nonetheless, Oklahoma is where Forkner is riding out the coronavirus and he’s perfectly fine with that.
“Yeah, I’m in Oklahoma with everybody and we all went riding today,” he said. “We’ve all been doing the same thing. Still riding. We were doing motocross stuff, but I just switched back to supercross because we heard we were going to be racing at the end of the month. That’s changing day by, so we will see. I talk with Mitch Payton (team owner) probably once a week. Really, I mean whenever he hears something, we hear it because the team owners are usually the first guys to hear after FELD kind of makes a decision or thinks of an idea or anything like that. Mitch will call me and say, ‘HEY, this is what we’re kind of hearing.’ He’ll ask me what I think about it and ask for my opinion, so yeah, I keep in contact with him for that. As of right now, though, and as far as supercross goes, the bike is fine, I think. We don’t really need to do anything testing-wise as of right now. Everything right now is just a cluster, so you don’t really know. I’ve just been talking with Mitch about when we’re get back to racing, really.”
A young Austin Forkenr at Unadilla in 2016 – Image by Hoppenworld
Yes, while busy with riding, testing and training, and just like the rest of us currently up on blocks in our homes and garages, Forkner has found some spare time on his hands. That being the reality of his surroundings, what’s he been up to as far as keeping the clock from going backwards?
“Me and my friend have been shooting guns a lot at Robbie Reynard’s place (Note: Reynard, also from Oklahoma, was a world class racer during the 1990s), as he’s got a big canyon section and me and my friend Riley and my friend Carter and his girlfriend have a bunch of steel targets and stuff put down in there and we’ve been shooting a lot. We’ve been shooting quite a bit out there. That’s kind of what we’ve been doing during downtime. Other than that, I’ve just been riding, training and doing the standard stuff like Netflix, Xbox, kind of the standard stuff. That’s pretty much all we’ve been doing as of lately. We’ve also been going to a few skateparks to ride scooters and bikes and stuff. Yeah, skateparks, shooting guns, hanging out, taking my dog on walks and all that good stuff.”
Austin Forkner – San Diego 2020 – Image by Hoppenworld
In the first six 250SX West events of the 2020 season, Forkner ran quite well, racing to fifth at Anaheim 1, first at St. Louis, an aforementioned 17th at Anaheim 2, first at Glendale, and second at both Oakland and San Diego before the lockdown sent him back to Oklahoma. Third in points at the moment in the 250SX West, Forkner is pretty much stoked on how it has all gone – thus far.
“Yeah, yeah and I feel if anything, I’ve only gotten stronger. We’ve been doing long motos here in both supercross and outdoors lately. I wouldn’t say Robbie is burning us out, but I would definitely say he’s kind of cracked down on us a decent amount over this break. I don’t think I was 100-percent in the off-season coming off an injury in ’19, but he’s worked on getting me back to where he wants me as far as fitness goes and speed and dealing with my knee, so I think this break has been good in that way to kind of get back to 100-percent as close as we can get. I think we’re definitely getting there and getting better. I feel like I’ll be good and mixing it up in the outdoors and sometimes you can come back even better in supercross just because you’re actually kind of excited to ride it again because sometimes you get burnt out riding the same thing. I just jumped back on to supercross and I’m feeling really good. I feel reenergised riding again, so it’s been good. I guess we’ll keeping looking to the races in Glendale because the last I heard, they really want that to happen. I would say that’s our best bet right now. I don’t know. It’s whatever they decide and I hope that the Phoenix thing happens and we just get to finish off the supercross season. Really, though, and some guys have strong opinions about it, I don’t really care where and what we race. I’m ready for both supercross and motocross and have been riding both disciplines enough in the past couple months, I feel like I’m pretty prepared for either way it goes.”
A young Austin Forkner at Ironman in 2016 – Image by Hoppenworld
After a run of Senior Australian Championship crowns in both Motocross and Supercross the career of Matt Moss came to a screeching halt when he crashed into a Bobcat that had strayed on to the track during a MX Nationals event in Shepparton five years ago.
Matt Moss in hospital after crashing into a bobcat that had strayed on track in Shepparton,. This images was taken on Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Things then went from bad to worse for Matt and his twin brother Jake when blood tests taken at the Murray Bridge MX Nationals event the following year tested positive for Ostarine, a prohibited substance due to its steroid effects.
Matt Moss in hospital after the accident in Shepparton
Matt has always protested that his exposure to Ostarine was accidental due to consuming a tainted water bottle that he had shared with his brother.
MX Nationals 2016 – Round Six – Nowra – Matt Moss
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority then confirmed a decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to sanction Moss with a four year ban, backdated to 15 July 2016 to account for time served under a provisional suspension.
Matt Moss – MX Nationals 2015
That suspension expires on 15 July 2020 and Matt Moss is planning to be back on track this year.
Matt Moss pictured in 2016 – Image by iKapture
Matt is still only 31-years-old and could potentially have a good few years left of high-level competition in him.
Matt Moss won the MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championships in both 2013 and 2014. Matt also scored an AMA Supercross podium in 250 Supercross.
He is currently training hard and has his focus set on a return for Supercross this year but is not ruling out an earlier return to MX Nationals competition should KSF Racing and 102 Motorsport be able to raise the necessary support and secure enough budget to also underwrite a MX Nationals campaign.
Matt and Jake Moss seen here in 2009 – While Matt will definitely return, there are also rumours that Jake is also considering a return to competition
2020 MX Nationals starts in August
MX Nationals promoter Kevin Williams is expected to release an updated 2020 MX Nationals calendar in the next 48 hours.
The calendar will maintain the original nine rounds over six weekend format, and will also retain the originally appointed tracks, but the order of those rounds will be rejigged to form a new schedule of events.
MX Nationals expects to be on track for round one in August
Williams intends to run a format of two weeks on followed by two weeks off program, commencing with two events in August, followed by two in September and culminating across the remaining two events in October.
With current travel restrictions expected to be lifted by July this would allow competitors to ramp up their preparation with track time ahead of the season opener in August.
The series will stage the Victorian events in Horsham and Newry and a single NSW event at Maitland, while the remaining three events will be held in Queensland at Gympie, Conondale and Coolum.
We expect the order of those rounds and the new dates to be promulgated by Motorcycling Australia within the next 48 hours.
Penrite Oils Honda Racing Team 2020 MX Nationals livery
2020 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship Postponed
In response to ongoing developments in relation to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Government imposed restrictions on travel, mass gatherings and social distancing, Motorcycling Australia (MA) and Rockhampton and District Motocross Club have made the tough decision to postpone the 2020 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX).
Initially scheduled to run July 6-11, 2020, MA and Rockhampton and District Motocross Club are now exploring the possibility of holding the event during the term three school holidays. Dates will be confirmed later this year.
“With strict travel restrictions and border closures across Australia both MA and Rockhampton and District Motocross Club felt it would be impossible for teams and riders to properly prepare and attend the event,” said Motorcycling Australia CEO Peter Doyle.
“Together with the club we have made this tough decision, and they should be congratulated for being proactive in looking to hold the 2020 KTM AJMX later this year.”
The judgment to postpone any MA National event is not taken lightly by MA and we take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
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25 years in Trials
This month marks 25 years since the debut of Japanese Repsol Honda Team rider Takahisa Fujinami in Trial World Championship, the Trial rider with most participations, 338. Fujinami is among many under mandatory lockdown due to the CoViD-19 virus, although not being able to go out hasn’t stopped him from keeping in shape at home and remembering how start the ‘Fujigas’ legend.
Takahisa Fujinami
First international Trial race of Takahisa Fujinami took place in Spain, in Navacerrada, in the Madrid region on April 14, 1996. In a freezing trial, that had seen snow at dawn, 16-year-old Fujinami lined up amid 37 other participants. The newcomer went on to finish after two days competition, in nineteenth position. This Trial Marc Colomer would claim victory, going on to win his only world title for Montesa later same year.
What memories do you have of your debut in the Trial World Championship?
“The truth is that I don’t remember many things, but I do remember that it was there, in my first trial, that people nicknamed me Fujigas.”
How did that come about?
“I came to a very difficult section that no rider had been able to overcome on the first lap. It was very steep, so I gave it a lot of gas. A lot! But it was little use as I also ended up with a fiasco, but the spectators started asking, ‘Who is that guy?’ ‘Fujinami’, I answered and they said: “What you are is Fuji-gas!” That’s where it comes from…”
Takahisa Fujinami with team-mate Toni Bou
It was your first trial among the elite riders…
“Yes, Jordi Tarrés, Tommi Ahvala, Bosis, Colley, Lampkin, Colomer… I had only seen them on video and there I was lining up among them. It was quite exciting for me and I even felt a bit of stage fright in front of so many professional riders.”
This year will be your 25th season in the Trial World Championship. It’s not often that you see such a long sporting career!
“Until now I believe I’m the only one to have done it, but I think many others will attempt to break the same record. Last year’s third place was a surprise for many, but not so much for me. I think I am even better this year both mentally and physically. Twenty-five in the end is just a number. I feel great and I’ve been feeling the same year after year.”
Takahisa Fujinami
As you pointed out, last year you finished third in an extraordinary season finale. Do you consider it to be your best year – apart from the one in 2004?
“Three years ago I also achieved third place in the world championship where I think I had a very good season too, with a win and several podiums. Last year I was in the top five throughout and that was very important towards the final result.”
The TrialGP World Championship this year will have a modified start and Japan will no longer be the most important race in June.
Takahisa Fujinami
“Yes, it is difficult for them to put the calendar together. For me, as I didn’t compete in the indoor championship, it will be a very long wait! The first three trials have been postponed and it will be a bit tough mentally. To think that in two months time the world championship will not have even started. It’s going to be hard.”
In spite of everything, we have seen a very active Fujigas as of late, training at home. Is this your way of preparing and battling against the Coronavirus Pandemic?
“It is what it is. Everyone has to be locked down at home. In the house I try to do as much exercise as I can: the exercise bike, some fitness, etc. I have a trainer who sends me exercises to do at home.”
Takahisa Fujinami
What exercises do you do to stay fit?
“Mainly cardio work on the bike but also some TRX and weights for the chest and legs.”
Do you have a gym at home?
“It is not exactly a gym, but I’m fortunate to have some equipment at home. But it is very difficult to stay focused working alone. Mentally you have to be very strong to train so hard by yourself.”
Takahisa Fujinami
Do you have time to prepare the bike?
“I have the training motorbike at home so I have amused myself fiddling around with it and making some technical adjustments and try to change the engine… but I haven’t really been able to do much.”
Takahisa Fujinami
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