During a routine practice day following Round 3 of the AMA Supercross World Championship series, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s, Jason Anderson, broke his arm in two places, as well as a fractured rib.
The injury requires surgery, which will take place today and has an expected recovery time of at least eight weeks. His return to racing is to be determined and further recovery updates will follow.
Jason Anderson
“I am really bummed to have to say that I am out for an injury. I was struggling to find my groove but had high hopes of pushing forward to the podium in all of the upcoming rounds. I will be back stronger. Thank you for the support.”
Jason Anderson after winning the 2018 AMA Supercross Championship
Jason Anderson currently sits in seventh place in the points standings for the AMA Supercross World Championship series.
Moto News Wrap for January 22, 2019 by Darren Smart
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Moto News Latest
Congrats to Toby – KTM 1-2-3 at Dakar
KTM sweeps Anaheim
French Riders win Belfast Arenacross
Toni Bou wins Budapest X-Trial Round
KTM’s Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS
Norton third at AMA Hare Scrambles
Australian Junior Solo Speedway Championships
Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track
Willowbank successfully hosts Junior Solo Titles
Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic
Yamaha backs AORC for 14th Year
Kirkness and Whale headline Newcastle Supertrack
Congrats to Toby – KTM 1-2-3 at Dakar
The Toby Price legendary status continues to grow after winning the 2019 Dakar Rally in the most trying of circumstances you would be hard pushed to find any off-road enthusiast who doesn’t admire the skill and tenacity of this genuinely humble Aussie.
Toby Price with team-mate and runner-up, Matthias Walkner
Price went into Dakar 2019 under a cloud after breaking the scaphoid in his right wrist on the 12th of December and after getting it operated on by Dr. Mir in Barcelona the long-time KTM rider flew back to Australia to recuperate before the start of Dakar on January the 6th.
Once recuperated enough to start riding (well before doctor’s orders) Price got together with Stephen Gall and they went out to Queensland Moto Park, West of Brisbane to try out some wrist support via the CTi Custom Wrist Brace.
Toby Price during the rest day midway through Dakar 2019
Toby initially rode without any support before he tried some taping which apparently helped but the breakthrough came when Gall fitted the Carbon ‘All Sport Dynamic’ OH2 Wrist Brace which really helped his confidence and this is the brace that helped Toby though to the end of the world’s most gruelling off-road motorcycle race.
Gall, himself a tough competitor who shares the distinction of multiple Finke Desert Race wins with Price, said, “I’m so happy to able to help him win this huge race.”
Toby Price – Dakar 2019 – Job Done
The 2019 Dakar win adds to Price’s resume which includes his 2016 Dakar win, five AORC wins, two A4DE wins, six Finke Desert Race wins, five Hattah Desert Race wins, ISDE class wins, A Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix win, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge win, Rallye OiLibya du Maroc wins and the 2018 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
Toby Price
Coming into the final Stage 10, race leader Price was faced with a 359-kilometre trek, including a 112-kilometre special and 247-kilometre liaison around the city of Pisco and it couldn’t have gone better for Price who finished the stage in first place, two minutes and 21 seconds ahead of second place holder Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Monster Energy Honda Team 2019).
Overall, Price has finished a staggering nine minute and 13 seconds ahead of reigning title holder Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Team) while Sam Sunderland (Red Bull KTM Factory Team), clocking in 13 minutes and 34 seconds behind Price, rounded out the podium.
Toby Price
With a podium filled to the brim with KTM bikes, the Austrian brand can now comfortably brag that the last time a KTM bike did not win the Dakar Rally was back in 2000!
Toby Price
“It feels amazing to stand here knowing I have won the Dakar, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I thought at the beginning of the event I would be lucky to even make the rest day. My Red Bull KTM bike has been amazing, I want to say a big thank you to my mechanic for that. The whole crew here do an amazing job – without them I would be no one.”
The pain was clearly visible throughout Dakar 2019
Fellow Australians Ben Young and James Ferguson finished Stage 10 in 55th and 67th place respectively while ending the 2019 Dakar Rally in 51st and 67th overall – great effort boys!
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KTM Sweeps Anaheim 2
Round three of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship at Anaheim featured the first of the ‘Triple Crown’ formats and it was KTM riders Cooper Webb and Shane McElrath who came out on top in the 450SX and 250SX classes respectively.
450 Report
If you were telling anyone before the series kicked off that the first three 450SX round winners were going to be Justin Barcia, Blake Baggett and Cooper Webb you would have been scoffed at but the fact is that you would have been dead right and as arsy as they come.
2019 AMA Supercross – 450 Start
Cooper Webb got 10th place the week before at Glendale but his performance at Anaheim 2, in particular race one against Roczen backed with his second race win and a solid third in the final race for the overall has put the former 250SX champion on the map as a title contender.
Cody Webb
“Last weekend I was tenth and that wasn’t what I wanted, so I had some redemption this week. But to win is insane – to win two races and be on the podium in the last one is incredible! I really have got to give it up to the group at KTM, they took me under and they changed everything for me. It’s been a struggle the last two years, so those guys just constantly pushing me to get back to where I was and reminding me that I still got it. I can’t believe it and I’ll never forget this day. I hope to keep it going, this is an incredible feeling. Man, I’m speechless.”
Cody Webb
Right now Marvin Musquin is managing a knee injury and he admits that the triple crown format is not his strong point but the Frenchman managed three sold races for second overall.
Marvin Musquin
“It’s not always been my strongest point on the start but I’ve been very consistent today. This week I only rode a little bit on Monday. I stayed in California and we got a lot of rain, but obviously it helped on the knee. I tried to work on it the whole week and I felt good getting on the bike compared to last weekend, so it was important and that’s what I need – to feel good and not have any pain. It was great racing tonight, I didn’t win any motos but I got second overall, I was consistent and I was able to battle for the lead and for the podium.”
Eli Tomac had never finished outside of the top five in any of the nine Triple Crown main events he has been part of and at A2 he kept that streak alive by going 4-4-1 for third place overall.
Eli Tomac
“In the first two main events I didn’t do myself any favours off the start but I was happy that we were able to charge forward both times into fourth place. The third race was awesome because I was able to get out in clean air and just ride. The track tonight was technical and even sketchy in some parts, but I am happy to be leaving here healthy and only two points back in the championship.”
Eli Tomac
Ken Roczen
“Overall, it was a good night of racing. We showed a lot of speed and are happy with this Triple Crown race. We got off to a great start in the first race, getting the holeshot and leading the whole race until I made a mistake in the one of the last rhythm sections, which unfortunately cost me the win. We still came in second, which was great. I didn’t get the best start in the second race but weaseled my way through and felt like I was going really fast. I found myself in third and was catching the guys up front but I made a mistake and went down in the whoops and had about five guys go by me. I didn’t let that distract me, rode strong and worked my way back up to fifth. We were just trying to get through the third race, where I finished fourth and unfortunately, just missed the podium. It was a bummer not to be on the overall podium, but we still have the points lead and red plate so that’s awesome.”
Ken Roczen
Cole Seely
“Once again, there are a lot of positives to take away from tonight. My starts were much better in two out of the three races, and I was able to run more toward the front of the pack. Being up there and feeling the pace of the front group was huge. The Triple Crown format is definitely a challenge because the turnaround time is really short and you’re basically doing three sprint races, so you have to be on it. I’m getting back into the flow and am excited to go racing each weekend, so seventh is another step in the right direction.”
Cole Seely
Class rookie Aaron Plessinger suffered poor starts all night but he improved his position each event with 12-9-6 moto finishes for seventh outright to hold down ninth overall in the championship points.
Aaron Plessinger
“Anaheim 2 was a pretty good race for me. I kind of was struggling with bike setup all day and then after the last practice we made a shock change, and it was great. I got a few bad starts in the first two main events, which hurt my results, but I felt good all night. I rode what I thought was the best that I have ridden. I went 12, 9, 6, for seventh overall. So, I think I did pretty good for it only being my third 450 race. I’m really amped for Oakland next weekend. I’m going to go back and work on my starts, practice them all week and get it down pat so hopefully we can get up front and get a podium.”
Aaron Plessinger
As for Plessinger’s Yamaha team mate, Justin Barcia went 7-3 for the first two races but the A1 winner spewed over the bars in one of the rutted rhythm section and was taken to hospital with a bruised tail bone – Barcia is expected to be at the gate this weekend.
Joey Savatgy, who is known as a good starter, looked to use the Triple Crown format to his benefit to achieve the results he has been looking for and in the three main event format, Savatgy was able to surge out front in nearly all three races, which helped him score 8-13-8 results to capture eighth overall.
Joey Savatgy
“It has been a shaky past two weeks for me, so to bounce back from last weekend and land inside the top 10 tonight is something we’ll take. We set out to be consistent today and we did that for the most part, so overall I am happy with where we are. We will clean up a few things this week and come out swinging in Oakland.”
Like many, Jason Anderson suffered from poor starts but managed a pair of sixth place finishes in the opening two races but in the third race he tangled with Chad Reed early and was forced off the track leaving the defending champ to finish back in 17th for ninth on the night to now be 17 points back from championship leader Roczen.
Jason Anderson
“I was able to get a top-10 overall, it wasn’t a horrible weekend, but I’m going to keep pushing and I’ll try to be better next weekend.”
Jason Anderson
Chad Reed came home in 10th in the opening race but his bike had an issue on the start lije of race two leaving the Aussie as a spectator but Chad bounced back for a solid fifth in the final race of the night for 13th outright.
450SX Results
Cooper Webb 1 – 1 – 3
Marvin Musquin 3 – 2 – 2
Eli Tomac 4 – 4 – 1
Ken Roczen 2 – 5 – 4
Dean Wilson 9 – 8 – 7
Cole Seely 5 – 7 – 13
Aaron Plessinger 12 – 9 – 6
Joey Savatgy 8 – 13 – 8
Jason Anderson 6 – 6 – 17
Justin Barcia 7 – 3 – 22
Justin Hill 13 – 11 – 9
Vince Friese 11 – 12 – 10
Chad Reed 10 – 22 – 5
2019 Anaheim 2 – AMA SX Round 3 – Round Points Cooper Webb 26 Marvin Musquin 23 Eli Tomac 21
450SX Points Standings
Ken Roczen – 63
Eli Tomac – 61
Cooper Webb – 57
Marvin Musquin – 56
Justin Barcia – 56
Dean Wilson – 52
Jason Anderson – 46
Aaron Plessinger – 45
Blake Baggett – 45
Cole Seely – 44
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250SX Report
Despite Adam Cianciarulo being the fastest man on the track and championship leader Colt Nicolls getting blazing starts, McElrath maintained a solid pace throughout the evening, placing on the podium in the first two mains before winning the final race of the night for the overall.
250 blasts off the line at Anaheim II
Shane McElrath
“We’ve been learning a lot throughout the season so far. I mean, we had a really good off-season but you can’t really do bike setup without going to the races and that’s my comfort – that’s really what we’ve been searching for. The last two weekends have been upsetting because of the way I’ve been riding but we’ve just kept pushing – perseverance produces hope, so this is good for us.”
Shane McElrath
The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing pairing of Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols weren’t too far apart all weekend and at the end of the three main events they were separated by just two points with Ferrandis coming home in second overall while Nicoll rounded out the podium and more importantly maintain his championship points lead, albeit only two points over McElrath.
Dylan Ferrandis
“The short amount of time between each main event made it physically demanding, but I felt good and strong all night. All the rain from the week, made for a really technical rhythm section, but the bike was awesome. My teammate and I were able to put the bike up front at every start. I’m a bit disappointed to finished second again, but me and my team are going to analyze our race and work on what we need for the win.”
Dylan Ferrandis
Colt Nichols
“The track was very difficult. It got really rutty and soft during the third main event, so made it very hard to continue to jump the rhythm sections and keep everything consistent. The bike was incredible, got off to three really great starts. I’m a little bummed with the way I rode in the last main event after getting the holeshot, but overall it was a good night. Still came out with a podium, can’t be mad at that. It was also pretty tough to bounce back in between each race, with there being a short time in between each one of the main events. Made it physically demanding, but happy with the way I rode. Just have to get a little bit better.”
Colt Nichols
Cianciarulo once again showed flashes of speed and brilliance as he was able to be a front runner in all three main event races but the Kawasaki rider crashed in the opening two races before being run down by McElrath in the final race to finish with 4-14-2 for fifth overall and he now sits fourth in the point’s standings.
Adam Cianciarulo
“Nights like tonight are frustrating as a racer because we did everything right, but ultimately some small mistakes cost us. We qualified fastest again and in the first race we got out to an early lead but unfortunately, I tucked the front end. In Main Event 2, I had a big get off which really hurt my overall score, but I was happy I was able to bounce back in the third race and come away with a second place. Overall, we are healthy and only eight points back in the championship. We’ve got work to do, but this Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is coming for you Oakland.”
Adam Cianciarulo
Poor old Thomas Ravenhorst was leading the LCQ before dropping back to the final qualifying spot and was just two corners away from making it to the main event before sliding out in the right hand berm.
250SX West Results
Shane McElrath 3 – 2 – 1
Dylan Ferrandis 2 – 1 – 3
Colt Nichols 1 – 3 – 4
J. Hampshire 5 – 4 – 5
Adam Cianciarulo 4 – 14 – 2
Cameron McAdoo 9 – 5 – 6
Jacob Hayes 6 – 7 – 9
Michael Mosiman 10 – 6 – 7
Chris Blose 8 – 8 – 8
Mitchell Harrison 12 – 9 – 11
AMA SX Round 3 – 250 Western Round Points Shane McElrath 26 Dylan Ferrandis 23 Colt Nichols 21
250SX West Points Standings
Colt Nichols – 70
Shane McElrath – 68
Dylan Ferrandis – 63
Adam Cianciarulo – 62
J. Hampshire – 57
Jimmy Decotis – 44
Chris Blose – 44
Cameron McAdoo – 41
Michael Mosiman – 39
Jacob Hayes – 37
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French Riders Win Belfast Arenacross
The opening round of the UK Arenacross Series was held in Belfast last weekend and it was the French rides Greg Aranda and Cedric Soubeyres who drew first blood in the 450 and 250 Main events respectively.
The Pro 450s was all about Aranda with the Team Green Kawasaki rider remained unbeaten all day, from free practice right through to the Main Event Super Final but he had to work for the win as Soubeyras tore off the start line, grabbing the holeshot and leading the race right up until two-thirds race distance.
Belfast Arenacross 2019 Podium
Back in fourth Aranda first picked off Adrien Escoffier and then Valentin Teillet before he closed on Soubeyras and then charged through to the front.
Behind him Soubeyras kept his cool to take second and with Teillet in third, placed two 250s on the podium while Brit Jack Brunell had a storming ride to finish fourth.
Northern Ireland’s Martin Barr crashed earlier in the evening and sadly, a broken hand ruled him out of continuing through to the final, he promised to be back at Birmingham and added; “Despite the injury, I really enjoyed the whole evening. The crowd were unbelievable and I’m now concentrating on getting fit in time for Birmingham.”
Pro Main Event Super Final
#20 Greg Aranda, Team Green Kawasaki
#1 Cedric Soubeyras, FRO Systems, Husqvarna
#373 Valentin Teillet, SR75 Suzuki
#10 Jack Brunell, Team Green Kawasaki
#6 Adrien Escoffier, Buildbase Honda
#4 Fabien Izoird, Shocktech Kawasaki
#64 Nique Thury, FRO Systems
#3 Charles Le Francois, SR75 Suzuki
#744 Diogo Graca, Castrol Power1 Suzuki
#17 Matt Bayliss, Wooldridge Demolition
Pro 450 Championship
#20 Greg Aranda, 90 points
#3 Charles Lefrancois, 58 points
#4 Fabien Izoird, 56 points
#64 Nique Thury, 49 points
#10 Jack Brunell, 45 points
#8 Hugo Basaula, 42 points
Pro Lites Overall
#1 Cedric Soubeyras
#737 Valentin Teillet
#6 Adrien Escoffier
#744 Diogo Graca
#259 Julien Lebeau
#1x Joe Clayton
Pro Lites Championship
#1 Cedric Soubeyras, 82 points
#6 Adrien Escoffier, 56 points
#259 Julien Lebeau, 54 points
#737 Valentin Teillet, 48 points
#1x Joe Clayton, 35 points
#744 Diogo Graca, 31 points
Arenacross now heads back to the mainland for the third and fourth round of the Tour at The Resorts World Arena, Birmingham on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of February 2019. Doors open at 6pm and the evening’s entertainment gets underway at 7.00pm. Tickets are available directly from the Arena Box Office on 028 9073 9074 or on the door.
Remaining Arenacross Tour dates
1st February – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
2nd February – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
15th February – The Fly DSA Arena, Sheffield
16th February – The Fly DSA Arena, Sheffield
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Toni Bou Wins Budapest X-Trial Round
The FIM X-Trial World Championship kicked off in Budapest last weekend and as one would expect Repsol Honda Team’s Toni Bou took the win from arch rival Adam Raga and Jeroni Fajardo.
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
Bou opened the season in the style with a marked difference by the end of the first round, collecting a single penalty compared to the six of Raga then in the semi-final, where only the top finisher from each group would make it through to the grand finale, Bou again proved unmatchable notching up two solitary marks.
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
The final showdown saw the champ face Raga, with the riders forced to take the same sections but in the reverse direction. Bou started the final losing ground to his opponent before some deft handling eventually moved the Spaniard up into first place and despite picking up a five in the penultimate hazard the defending champ secured the first victory of the 2019 FIM X-Trial championship.
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
Toni Bou
“I’m super happy to start off winning. It was amazing to get this victory after the rib injury, which I’m still not recovered from totally. We must continue working to improve because I believe that I am not yet where I could be. I trained a little this year and I think I’m not at my usual level. There is still quite a way to go and I want to get there as soon as possible. Yes, in 2018 we won, but I suffered a lot because of the injuries. That is why I want to thank Joaquim Terricabras and all his medical team for the help they have given me, especially for the recent treatment for the rib injury.”
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
Results X-Trial Budapest 2019
BOU Toni – 20
RAGA Adam – 15
FAJARDO Jeroni – 12
BUSTO Jaime – 9
BINCAZ Benoit – 6
CASALES Jorge – 4
DABILL James – 3
FUJINAMI Takahisa – 2
PEACE Dan – 1
Toni Bou on the podium – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
KTM’s Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS
The opening round of the 2019 Rocky Mountain ATV-MC WORCS Series got underway in Primm, Nevada last weekend and it was Taylor Robert (FMF/KTM) who came away with the victory over the Kawasaki pairing of Zach Bell and Blayne Thompson.
Robert, who was still sore from a big crash the day before while practicing, was dogged most of the way by Bell while Thompson made it two Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green bikes on the podium.
Dante Oliveira (RPM/KTM) and defending champ Giacomo Redondi (KTM) rounded out the top five overall.
Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS – Image by Harlen Foley
Former WORCS champ Gary Sutherlin and a tough day, and that included running out of gas. The KTM rider still managed to place sixth overall, one spot better than Husqvarna rider Andrew Short, who made it to the track just in time after having just completed the Dakar Rally in Peru.
Clayton Hengeveld (Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green) won the Pro2 class, and Mateo Oliveira (GasGas) won the Pro2 Lites division.
Pro
Taylor Robert (KTM)
Zach Bell (Kaw)
Blayne Thompson (Kaw)
Dante Oliveira (KTM)
Giacomo Redondi (KTM)
Pro 2
Clayton Hengeveld (Kaw)
Tallon Lafountaine (Hon)
Austin Serpa (KTM)
Austin Walton (Hus)
Chance Fullerton (Bet)
Pro 2 Lites
Mateo Oliveira (GG)
Brandy Richards (KTM)
Tyler Nicholson (KTM)
Dallas Serpa (KTM)
Parker Wood (KTM)
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Norton Third at AMA Hare Scrambles
Aussie Callum Norton is over in America preparing for the 2019 Australian season and last weekend he contested the opening round of the AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship and despite the wet conditions and tough competition the KTM rider came home in third place.
Norton was actually leading the race in the early stages but Joe Wasson managed to get by and take the win over Max Gerston and Norton.
Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track
It was an action packed night of racing as the Australian Dirt Track season kicked off at Old Bar, Taree last weekend and in the end it was Jarryd Oram who came home with the win in the main event over Jamie Chapman and Thomas Donnely while pre-race favourite Michael Kirkness was forced to settle with the 450 class win after getting a flat tyre while winning the Open final.
Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track – Michael Kirkness
Chapman bounced back from being pipped by Oram in the Open Final to win the 250cc class while Thomas Donnelly (Dash for Cash), Darren Saxon (Clubman), Michael Booth (Over 35s), Dale Austin (Women), Viv Muddle (65cc 7 – U/9s), Thoren Openshaw (65cc 9 – U/13s), Cody Wilby (85cc 4str Mod.7 – U/12s) and Mitchell Bisley (250cc 4str 13-U/16s) all tasted success over the weekend.
Open Final
Jarryd ORAM
James CHAPMAN
Thomas DONNELLY
Boyd Hollis
Sam DAVIES
Michael BOOTH
Alec HURST
Kye ANDREWS
Jared MYER Michael KIRKNESS
450cc
Michael Kirkness (Macleay)
Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah)
James Chapman (Macleay)
250cc
James Chapman (Macleay
Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah
Blake Wilby (Taree)
Clubman
Darren Saxon (Hunter)
Ryan Wilson (Hunter)
Nicholas Ptolemy (Macleay)
Peter Fahey Memorial Over 35s
Michael Booth (Macleay)
Michael Rix (Macleay)
Jason Griffin (Hunter)
Women’s
Dale Austin (Taree)
Abbey Baker (Taree)
One Lap Dash for Cash
Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah)
65cc 7 – U/9s
Viv Muddle (Gold Coast)
Nate Jaeger (Gunnedah)
Chayse Trappel (Macleay)
65cc 9 – U/13s
Thoren Openshaw (Taree)
Beau Bailey (Cowra)
Will Bisley (Taree)
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85cc 4str Mod.7 – U/12s
Cody Wilby (Taree)
Will Bisley (Taree)
Alexander Adamson (Kurri Kurri)
85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 9 – U/12s
Hayden Nelson (Taree)
Carter Thompson (Kurri Kurri)
Will Bisley (Taree)
85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 11s
Hayden Nelson (Taree)
Carter Thompson (Kurri Kurri)
Thoren Openshaw (Taree)
85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 12- U/16s
Mitchell Bisley (Taree)
Cody Lewis (Kurri Kurri)
Thomas Bullen (Kurri Kurri)
250cc 4str 13-U/16s
Mitchell Bisley (Taree)
Jack Joel (Central Coast)
Jarred Loveday (Macleay)
Willowbank Successfully Hosts Junior Solo Titles
Willowbank Raceway’s Ipswich Switches Junior Speedway Club hosted the Australian Junior Speedway Championships last weekend and from all accounts it was an exciting three nights of racing as the resurgence of speedway in Australia continues to flourish.
In the premier Under 21 500cc class it was defending champion Jaimon Lidsey who scored a convincing win from Jordan Stewart, Matt Gilmore and Zach Cook while the under 16 250cc class was a red hot affair but in the end it was Keynan Rew who got the win over Patrick Hamilton, Harrison Ryan and Flynn Nichol.
The 2019 Australian 125cc Under 16’s Pairs Championship was won by the NSW team of Cameron Dunker and Lachlan Hayes while in the 125cc Individual Championship it was Maurice Brown who got the win over Patrick Bowes, Luke Kileen and James Person.
Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic
The Rob Woffinden Classic is a premium event celebrating the legacy that Rob left when he helped build Pinjar Park Speedway in WA from the ground up and last weekend it was his son Tai who won the event for the second time to cap off an off-season that saw the 2018 World Champion enjoy a relaxing time back in Australia while keeping his speedway skills sharp.
Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic – Image by Warwick Hemy
The three-time World Champion defeated Cameron Heeps, Daniel Winchester and Blake Russell in the final before inviting all of the children on to the track to celebrate his win with a group photo on the presentation tailer.
Woffinden heads back to the UK in the coming weeks to start preparation for the defence of his World Speedway title.
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Yamaha Backs AORC for 14th Year
Running into its 14th consecutive year, Motorcycling Australia (MA) have announced the continued relationship between Yamaha Motor Australia and the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) with Yamaha Motor Australia once again the naming rights sponsor for the 2019 season!
With a relationship that has spanned over a decade, MA and Yamaha Motor Australia will continue developing and expanding upon their professional relationship to build a successful 2019 season.
Yamaha becomes AORC naming rights sponsor in 2019 for 14th consecutive year
Ray Howard – Yamaha’s Motorsport Manager
“Yamaha Motor Australia are pleased to continue our substantial and positive relationships with the Australian Off-Road Championship. 2018 was a season full of impressive developments and clear progress, and we are seeing more initiatives in place for the 2019 season. We look forward to continue working closely with MA and the promoting clubs to further develop an already prestigious Championship that has proven to be a fertile ground for producing international standard riders that are successful on a world stage.”
With the likes of six-time consecutive Women’s World Trophy Champion at the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) Jessica Gardiner included in the line-up of the Women’s class, the 2019 season couldn’t get any bigger! Alongside Gardiner are Team Australia’s World Trophy ISDE Champions Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders and Lyndon Snodgrass, who each will contend for AORC Championship titles in their respective classes!
AORC has a long and prestigious history of paving the way for international legends, with the likes of 2019 Dakar Rally title holder Toby Price a former two time winner of the AORC.
The 2019 season kicks off in Gympie, Queensland for Rounds 1 and 2, from 9-10 March and entries are now open.
2019 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar
Kirkness and Whale Headline Newcastle Supertrack
Motorcycle racing action returns to the Newcastle Showground this Friday night (January 25) where the ‘Newcastle Supertrack’ meeting will be staged at the iconic venue and it will bring Michael Kirkness and Max Whale together as they battle for glory.
There will be several classes in a race programmed where fans will see two or three rows of riders at the starting grid which is on par with the Flat Track Racing in America but not normally seen in dirt track racing in Australia.
Michael Kirkness to head to Newcastle Supertrack
The appearance of Kirkness is significant as over the past decade he has done more flat track racing in the US than any other Australian rider which may give the former Troy Bayliss Classic winner an edge as the 450cc class features 19inch wheels with no front brakes – just like the American AMA flat track racing uses.
The toughest opponent for Kirkness will be Queensland teenager Max Whale who was a runaway winner of the 2018 Rookie of the Year award in the AMA Flat Track Single class despite missing several rounds due to a shoulder injury. Whale heads back to the US next month where he has signed with a well-established team for the 2019 season.
Max Whale at Taree
Harry Maxwell has also lodged an entry and his enthusiasm for the meeting can be judged by the fact that he will be travelling down from Proserpine in north Queensland to take part while multiple Central Coast Cup winner David Smith is also among the entries.
There will also be racing for Twin Cylinder and Supermoto classes, a Pro 250 class and Speedway and Long Track sliders.
Action will get under way with practice and one round of racing on Friday afternoon from 4pm before a tea break, then introductions at 6.30pm and then the big night session.
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The third round of the 17-round 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship was staged under a full moon in Angel Stadium and A2 was run in the big stakes triple crown format that fans have come to love. Three x 450 Mains provided plenty of action and each ran for a duration of 12-minutes plus 1 lap.
Angel Stadium – A2
All the most fancied runners automatically made their way through to the mains with qualifying conducted on lap times rather than the normal Heat race format. The round points in the triple-crown format are decided on the results from across the three Mains.
Ken Roczen led the points chase by a single point over Justin Barcia as they readied for A1. When they left Angel Stadium Roczen would still be leading the series, despite a somewhat lack-lustre night for the German, while Barcia would be leaving in a medical transport vehicle…
Anaheim 2 450 – Main Event 1
Ken Roczen scored the holeshot ahead of Cooper Webb, Marvin Musquin and Eli Tomac when the first Main got underway. Musquin made a small mistake in the first rhythm section which allowed Tomac through to third place. Cole Seely was in fifth ahead of Joey Savatgy and Justin Hill while Chad Reed was in eighth.
Defending Champion Jason Anderson and A1 winner Justin Barcia were taking their time to get up to speed, the pair running 9-10 in the opening laps of the first Main. The track made passing opportunities hard to come by, and instead moves had to be somewhat forced.
With a few minutes remaining it was Roczen leading by 1.2-secs over Webb, who had another 2-secs on Tomac. Cole Seely was still in fifth but Anderson had made his way forward to sixth, Savatgy seventh, Barcia was up to eighth, Reed was in ninth and Dean Wilson was rounding out the top ten.
Cooper Webb
Glendale winner Blake Baggett was just outside the top ten but then caught up in the bunting on a tough-block and lost a number of places.
Marvin Musquin got the better of Eli Tomac with two-mins left in the allotted time.
As they got the last lap board Cooper Webb closed right on to the tail of Roczen and started to challenge for the victory. Webb got Roczen over a jump and managed to hold on to take the chequered flag and victory in the opening race of the night.
Anaheim 2 450 – Main Event 1 Results
Cooper Webb
Ken Roczen +00.549
Marvin Musquin +07.825
Eli Tomac +11.180
Cole Seely +13.805
Jason Anderson +15.239
Justin Barcia +16.161
Joey Savatgy +25.974
Dean Wilson +29.990
Chad Reed +31.487
Cooper Webb
Anaheim 2 450 – Main Event 2
Cooper Webb shot out of the gates to claim the holeshot in the second bout over a fast starting Cole Seely. Jason Anderson and Justin Barcia both had much better starts this time around and were ahead of a sixth placed Ken Roczen in the early stages of the second Main.
Chad Reed watched on from the sidelines as he had failed to start the second Main after a problem with the Yoshimura Suzuki.
Roczen got the better of Barcia a few laps into the race and then started challenging Anderson for fourth place, the German got past Anderson with eight-minutes remaining.
Ken Roczen
Musquin then slipped past Seely for third place to make it a Red Bull KTM 1-2 at the front of the race, but Webb maintained a 2.6-second lead over his teammate.
Seely then made a mistake which allowed his Honda team-mate Ken Roczen to close in and take third place from him.
Ken Roczen then fell from third place in the whoops with five-minutes remaining, the #94 was relegated all the way back to ninth place before getting back on the bike. He quickly got back past Baggett, then Dean Wilson to move back up to seventh place behind Eli Tomac.
Cooper Webb
Tomac and Roczen then squeezed past Cole Seely before the pair chased down Jason Anderson, pushing the Husqvarna man back to sixth place.
Justin Barcia had a relatively lonely race in third place, while Cooper Webb maintained his advantage over Marvin Musquin to the flag to take his second win of the night.
Anaheim 2 450 – Main Event 2 Results
Cooper Webb
Marvin Musquin +03.818
Justin Barcia +08.334
Eli Tomac +13.289
Ken Roczen +14.984
Jason Anderson +18.504
Cole Seely +19.556
Dean Wilson +19.896
Aaron Plessinger +23.916
Blake Baggett +25.292
…DNS. Chad Reed
Anaheim 2 450 – Main Event 3
Chad Reed might have missed the second moto with a mechanical problem but that obviously had fired him up for this one as the Aussie legend very nearly claimed the holeshot. Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb swept past him at turn one but Reed was right in the mix. Jason Anderson then lost more positions after making a mistake on a tabletop.
Chad Reed in front of Jason Anderson
Marvin Musquin then moved past Reed for third place but Reed then managed to hold out Ken Roczen for a number of laps. Reed really made the young German battle for that fourth position before finally allowing the Honda past with six-minutes remaining.
Justin Barcia got cross-rutted and went down heavily and was being treated by the side of the circuit, the #51 would take no more part in the proceedings. The Yamaha rider was sent off for scans on his tailbone area but should be back in action when AMA Supercross heads to Oakland for round four next weekend.
Up front Tomac had pulled the pin and was looking untouchable, by half race distance the Kawasaki man already had a five-second lead over the KTM duo of Cooper Webb and Marvin Musquin. The two men KTM swapped positions late in the race with Musquin moving up to second place but Tomac was unchallenged on his way to the chequered flag.
While Tomac took the final race win it was Cooper Webb on 26-points for the night that takes the round win ahead of team-mate Musquin.
Eli Tomac takes the win in the third main for the night
Anaheim 2 450 – Main Event 3 Results
Eli Tomac
Marvin Musquin +04.787
Cooper Webb +09.202
Ken Roczen +12.312
Chad Reed +15.281
Aaron Plessinger +16.025
Dean Wilson +16.309
Joey Savatgy +21.417
Justin Hill +23.009
Vince Friese +25.711
2019 Anaheim 2 – AMA SX Round 3 – Round Points
Cooper Webb 26
Marvin Musquin 23
Eli Tomac 21
Ken Roczen 19
Dean Wilson 18
Cole Seely 17
Aaron Plessinger 16
Joey Savatgy 15
Jason Anderson 14
Justin Barcia 13
…13. Chad Reed 10
2019 Anaheim 2 – AMA SX Round 3 – Round Points
Cooper Webb 26
Marvin Musquin 23
Eli Tomac 21
Cooper Webb
“Last weekend I was tenth and that wasn’t what I wanted, so I had some redemption this week. But to win is insane – to win two races and be on the podium in the last one is incredible! I really have got to give it up to the group at KTM, they took me under and they changed everything for me. It’s been a struggle the last two years, so those guys just constantly pushing me to get back to where I was and reminding me that I still got it. I can’t believe it and I’ll never forget this day. I hope to keep it going, this is an incredible feeling. Man, I’m speechless.”
Cooper Webb
Marvin Musquin
“It’s not always been my strongest point on the start but I’ve been very consistent today. This week I only rode a little bit on Monday. I stayed in California and we got a lot of rain, but obviously it helped on the knee. I tried to work on it the whole week and I felt good getting on the bike compared to last weekend, so it was important and that’s what I need – to feel good and not have any pain. It was great racing tonight, I didn’t win any motos but I got second overall, I was consistent and I was able to battle for the lead and for the podium.”
Aaron Plessinger
“Anaheim 2 was a pretty good race for me. I kind of was struggling with bike setup all day and then after the last practice we made a shock change, and it was great. I got a few bad starts in the first two main events, which hurt my results, but I felt good all night. I rode what I thought was the best that I have ridden. I went 12, 9, 6, for seventh overall. So, I think I did pretty good for it only being my third 450 race. I’m really amped for Oakland next weekend. I’m going to go back and work on my starts, practice them all week and get it down pat so hopefully we can get up front and get a podium.”
Aaron Plessinger
AMA Supercross 2019 Championship Points
Ken Roczen 63
Eil Tomac 61
Cooper Webb 57
Justin Barcia 56
Marvin Musquin 56
Dean Wilson 52
Jason Anderson 46
Blake Baggett 45
Aaron Plessinger 45
Cole Seely 44
Justin Brayton 37
Chad Reed 33
Vince Friese 32
Justin Hill 30
Joey Savatgy 22
AMA Supercross 2019
250 Western Round Three
As per the premier 450 category the 250 races were also held under the triple-crown format, but with races two-minute shorter than the 450 class.
Colt Nichols landed back in Anaheim with a five-points advantage over Adam Cianciarulo but his buffer had been trimmed back to two-points by the time they left A2.
Cianciarulo though had slipped from second in the championship points standings down to fourth as Shane McElrath moved up to second place on the back of the A2 round win.
Dylan Ferrandis also gained a place on the points table, moving up to third outright by a single point over Cianciarulo.
Colt Nichols had won the first Main from Ferrandis but it was Ferrandis that took top honours in Main #2 from Shane McElrath with Nichols in third.
McElrath twon Main #3 to take the 26-points for the overall round win ahead of Ferrandis and Nichols.
Australian privateer Tomas Ravenhorst ranked 21 out of the 46 riders that participated in the qualifying sessions but with only the top 18 automatically going through to the Mains he again had to contest the LCQ. Unfortunately the Victorian missed out on the Mains after finishing seventh in the LCQ.
250 Main Event 1
Colt Nichols
Dylan Ferrandis +02.602
Shane Mcelrath +10.893
Adam Cianciarulo +12.274
RJ Hampshire +15.184
Jacob Hayes +19.320
James Decotis +23.504
Chris Blose +26.168
Cameron Mcadoo +27.166
Michael Mosiman +32.907
250 Main Event 2
Dylan Ferrandis
Shane McElrath +01.347
Colt Nichols +02.589
RJ Hampshire +09.612
Cameron Mcadoo +19.900
Michael Mosiman +23.485
Jacob Hayes +26.658
Chris Blose +31.385
Mitchell Harrison +38.432
Sean Cantrell +42.393
250 Main Event 3
Shane McElrath
Adam Cianciarulo +03.232
Dylan Ferrandis +04.608
Colt Nichols +05.317
RJ Hampshire +18.507
Cameron Mcadoo +19.847
Michael Mosiman +23.711
Chris Blose +25.113
Jacob Hayes +26.109
Jess Pettis +34.097
AMA SX Round 3 – 250 Western Round Points
Shane McElrath 26
Dylan Ferrandis 23
Colt Nichols 21
RJ Hampshire 19
Adam Cianciarulo 18
Cameron Mcadoo 17
Jacob Hayes 16
Michael Mosiman 15
Chris Blose 14
Mitchell Harrison 13
AMA SX Round 3 – 250 Western Round Points
Shane McElrath 26
Dylan Ferrandis 23
Colt Nichols 21
Shane McElrath
“We’ve been learning a lot throughout the season so far. I mean, we had a really good off-season but you can’t really do bike setup without going to the races and that’s my comfort – that’s really what we’ve been searching for. The last two weekends have been upsetting because of the way I’ve been riding but we’ve just kept pushing – perseverance produces hope, so this is good for us.”
Shane McElrath
Dylan Ferrandis
“The short amount of time between each main event made it physically demanding, but I felt good and strong all night. All the rain from the week, made for a really technical rhythm section, but the bike was awesome. My teammate and I were able to put the bike up front at every start. I’m a bit disappointed to finished second again, but me and my team are going to analyze our race and work on what we need for the win.”
Colt Nichols
“The track was very difficult. It got really rutty and soft during the third main event, so made it very hard to continue to jump the rhythm sections and keep everything consistent. The bike was incredible, got off to three really great starts. I’m a little bummed with the way I rode in the last main event after getting the holeshot, but overall it was a good night. Still came out with a podium, can’t be mad at that. It was also pretty tough to bounce back in between each race, with there being a short time in between each one of the main events. Made it physically demanding, but happy with the way I rode. Just have to get a little bit better.”
Colt Nichols
Adam Cianciarulo
“It was a rollercoaster night to go from being out front to falling to finishing on the podium. I really want to put the mistakes behind me and I think with three races, I was able to show that I could still be up front even on an off night. We are still in the hunt and will be working hard to make sure we get back on top.”
Adam Cianciarulo
AMA Supercross 2019 250 Western Championship Points
Moto News Wrap for January 15, 2019 by Darren Smart
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Moto News Latest
Baggett and Cianciarulo Take Glendale AMA SX
Latest on Dakar Rally after Stage 7
Fricke Wins Aussie Speedway Solo Championship
Waters Wins Coffs Harbour Stadium
Bowers Wins German Supercross
‘Sir’ Jeffrey Herlings is a Knight
MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina Entry Lists
Watson Wins Gurp TT Beach Race
2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Up-Date
Kirkness to Star at Old Bar Dirt Track This Weekend
2020 Aussie Speedway Championship hosting EoIs open
Baggett and Cianciarulo Take Glendale AMA SX
The second round of the AMA Supercross Championship was filled with great racing and drama but when it was all said and done Blake Baggett won his first 450SX main event after Adam Cianciarulo completely dominated the 250SX main.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2
450SX Report – Start 1
There were two starts to the 450 main so let’s start with the original gate drop where Ken Roczen outsmarted his competitors by breaking ranks to position himself on the third farthest outside gate away from all of the contenders who were on the middle to inside gates, to earn the holeshot from Marvin Musquin, Blake Baggett, Jason Anderson, Vince Friese, Malcolm Stewart, Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia, Dean Wilson and Justin Brayton while Chad Reed continues to struggle with his starts to be back in 14th place.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2
Anderson moved to second place and all of the places were remaining predominantly the same for the first four minutes when Stewart spewed over the bars in the tough whoop section and didn’t move off the track so the race was stopped – news on Stewart’s status below.
Start 2 – Staggered Start
With Roczen at the front, the whole field sat single file from 1st to 21st on the main straight for the remaining 16 minutes of the main event and after a confusing drop of the flag Roczen led the field from Anderson, Musquin, Baggett, Friese. Tomac and the rest of the star studded field.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Ken Roczen
The first couple of laps were enthralling as Roczen held Anderson at bay but then the defending champ ran out of patience and drove hard into the right hand berm at the end of the whoops and thanks to their alternate lines coming together Roczen was dropped off his Honda.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Jason Anderson
All bets would have been on Anderson taking off for an easy win but Baggett, who had already passed Musquin was looking mighty comfortable on the hard packed, slippery surface and it wasn’t long before Anderson and Baggett were in a battle for the lead just as Roczen and Tomac moved into third and fourth with easy passes on the struggling Musquin.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Chad Reed
Out front Baggett was all over Anderson for the lead for several laps and it looked like a cat playing with a wounded mouse for some time before Baggett literally rode around the outside of the defending champion as they entered a right hand berm before taking off for his maiden 450SX class main event win.
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Blake Baggett
“I have had weekends where I have had to run the pace with those guys, Kenny as well, then some weekends they leave me in the dust, so it feels good to finally get my whole program together and win a round against those guys.”
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Blake Baggett
Anderson’s title defence is back on track with a solid second place.
Jason Anderson
“This was a good weekend, I was able to ride the Main better than last week. I had a section that I didn’t think I was great in, so I didn’t want to put myself in a position to go down and lose points. I took the second and I’ll go from there.”
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Jason Anderson
Eli Tomac didn’t get the best start and was right in the mix when Stewart went over the bars but the Kawasaki ace battled through to fourth place.
Eli Tomac
“I was feeling confident coming into the weekend and also felt good in qualifying. The track was massive and different from most of the tracks in the series. It’s never ideal to have to go to the LCQ but we got it done and stayed focused on the Main Event. We’ll be focusing on our starts this week and look to apply that practice to the race next weekend. We’re still third in points and in a really good position so we’ll come out swinging for the second go-around in Anaheim.”
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Eli Tomac
Last week’s winner Justin Barcia didn’t get the starts he needed to contend for another win but the Yamaha rider is just one point off the championship lead.
Justin Barcia
“It was a really difficult day for me. The track was really high speed. It had some really technical rhythm sections. For some reason, I could never get a good flow on it. It was a little bit frustrating I would say, but I felt like every time I went on the track I kind of got better and better and made some really good bike changes. I wish I could have gotten more comfortable right off the bat. I just never felt comfortable today. It was definitely a frustrating day compared to my win last weekend. But all in all, the team really worked their butts off today to get me as comfortable as I could on the bike on this tricky track. It was really hard packed, really slick. The team went above and beyond and did a good job on the bike. The track was just a difficult one for me. So I’m moving on this week. Will work on a few things and then back to Anaheim. Looking forward to that. I’m really excited for A2.”
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Justin Barcia
Rookie Aaron Plessinger struggled with the track conditions to end the night just outside the top 10 in 11th.
Aaron Plessinger
“Phoenix Supercross was a little rough for me. I was struggling with the bike all day. I had a big crash in practice and then changed a lot on the bike for the heat race. The track was really, really getting slick in the heat race. I got a pretty good start in the heat race but just made a couple little mistakes and it cost me third and ended up fifth. In the main event, I didn’t really get a great start. Then we had to do a restart, a staggered start. That didn’t really play into my favour. I went from 12th to 13th, I think. Then about halfway through I started feeling really good and started flowing with the track and made a few passes and was catching another rider and just ran out of time. I think A2 will be a lot better. It will be the first triple crown, so I’m coming in with high hopes.”
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Chad Reed was dead-set on fire in his heat race to pass the likes of Roczen and Baggett on his way to second place but the final did not go Chad’s way with a poor start and a few small mistakes leaving the multi champion back in 14th place at race end.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Chad Reed
Joey Savatgy’s night ended with a concussion after crashing during his heat race.
Joey Savatgy
“I was feeling really comfortable on the bike all day. The team and I were prepared to redeem our results from last week, but unfortunately, I made a mistake in my heat race, which caused me to sit out the rest of the night. It’s only the second round of a long season and I’m looking forward to using the experience and improving each week.”
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250SX Report
The fifteen minute 250SX main saw Cianciarulo take the holeshot ahead of Shane McElrath, Jimmy Decotis, Colt Nichols and Dylan Ferrandis who was on a mission as he passed Nichols but the Frenchman high-sided on a left hand sweeper which dropped him to 16th.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Adam Cianciarulo
As Cianciarulo pulled away, Decotis and Nichols were going toe to toe for several laps before Nichols eventually won the battle and then demoted McElrath to third place but he was 10 seconds back from Cianciarulo and never looked like catching the flying Kawasaki pilot.
R.J Hampshire was another on the move and had moved up from a bad starting position to 5th by lap eleven and then quickly demoted Decotis to take 4th.
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Shane McElrath
Cianciarulo secured maximum points with his 7th career victory, almost 12 seconds ahead of Nichols who retained his championship points lead with a five point advantage heading into the third round while McElrath held off a charge at the flag from Hampshire who finished well ahead of Decotis and Ferrandis who came home 6th after his crash.
Adam Cianciarulo
“I got through the first corner, unlike last week. I’m really tired of being the guy that just has potential. We just went back to the drawing board this week,”
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Adam Cianciarulo
Garrett Marchbanks struggled on the hard packed surface to end the night in 9th place.
Garrett Marchbanks
“Round 2 is done and I’m proud of our ninth-place position. I’m still learning each week, working on my starts and building my confidence. I’m so grateful for all the hard work my team has put in and all the support they continue to provide me with. This track was a lot different from the others I’m used to but I’m using everything as experience and applying it to each round.”
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Garrett Marchbanks
Tomas Ravenhorst had an up and down heat race with the Australian privateer running as high as 7th before dropping to 11th then back to the final qualifying spot only to drop back to 10th and a trip to the LCQ where he never figured to finish 15th.
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250 Main Event Overall Results
Adam Cianciarulo
Colt Nichols
Shane McElrath
RJ Hampshire
James Decotis
Dylan Ferrandis
Chris Blose Husqvarna
Sean Cantrell
Garrett Marchbanks
Michael Mosiman
AMA Supercross 2019 250 Western Round Two Main Event Results Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki Colt Nichols – Yamaha +9.557 Shane McElrath – KTM +13.919
250 West Coast Points (Round 2 Of 9)
Colt Nichols – 49
Adam Cianciarulo – 44
Shane Mcelrath – 42
Dylan Ferrandis – 40
RJ Hampshire – 38
James Decotis – 34
Garrett Marchbanks – 31
Chris Blose – 30
Michael Mosiman – 24
Jess Pettis – 24
Latest on Dakar Rally after Stage 7
Sam Sunderland came out on top in the loop around San Juan de Marconae and now stands less than 10 minutes behind the new overall leader, Ricky Brabec who has a six minute lead over Toby Price who moved up to second place overall after stage 7.
Sam Sunderland
Still suffering with his injury, Toby Price battles on in third overall. Of the other Aussies in the event, Rodney Faggotter dropped out with a mechanical issue early in the event while James Ferguson is down as a DNF during stage six but Ben Young sits in a more than credible 63rd outright despite suffering six-minutes’ worth of penalties.
Price Update
Toby Price was given a 1 minute and 33 second penalty for some form of misdemeanor during stage 7 which drops the Aussie to third overall and eight plus minutes behind the leader with three stages to go.
Stage 8 – Tuesday, January 15, 2019 – San Juan de Marcona > Pisco, Total 575 km | Specials 360 km
Stage 9: Wednesday, January 16, 2019 – Pisco > Pisco, Total 409 km | Specials 313 km
Stage 10: Thursday, January 17, 2019 – Pisco > Lima, Total 359 km | Specials 112 km
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Fricke Wins Aussie Speedway Solo Championship
Despite Rohan Tungate winning the final round on his home track at Kurri Kurri, Max Fricke has been crowned the 2019 Australian Speedway Solo Champion thanks to three round wins and two podium finishes over the five hard fought rounds.
Only a handful of points separated Fricke, former World Champion Chris Holder and defending champion Tungate going into the final round at Loxford Park Speedway, Kurri Kurri on Friday night but the fans didn’t need to wait for the final to see Fricke win the championship after the former World Under 21 Champion produced enough points in his heats to clinch the title.
The 22-year-old from Mansfield finished the final round with four wins and one second place finish during his heats, and a second-place finish in the A Final to end the championship with 83 points.
Max Fricke
“It’s been a really close championship between myself, Rohan and Chris right from the get-go. It’s been a great Championship and I am unbelievably happy to now be named the Champion. All the clubs have done such a great job this championship and everything has worked out really well! I hope to look to add a GP World Championship but I think that’s a long way into the future, so I just need to continue improving and hopefully a goal like that can be achievable.”
Max Fricke – 2019 Australian Speedway Solo Champion
Tungate delivered an unforgettable performance at Kurri Kurri, winning all his respective heats and was just too fast for Fricke in the A Final to end the championship on 77 points, just six points shy of repeating his 2018 title win.
Rohan Tungate
“I came out with a plan and everything went to accordingly. I did everything I could and won all my races, so I achieved my goal in the end! Max rode well all meeting and all series, and you simply can’t take that away from him. I can sleep well knowing I rode him hard, and so did Chris. It’s been a hard Championship, and Max fought hard for it, so he deserves it.”
Chris Holder ended the championship on 70 points on the back of a round win and making it to the A Final at every round and despite a couple of mechanical issues Holder fought tooth and nail throughout the Championship to take out the bronze medal despite missing out on points in the A Final at Kurri Kurri.
Sam Masters closed off the championship on 53 points for fourth overall just ahead of Jack Holder on 52 points and Brady Kurtz on 51 points while Jaimon Lidsey and Nick Morris ended the series on 45 points apiece.
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Waters and Tanti Wins Coffs Harbour Stadium
Todd Waters and Aaron Tanti have added their name to the winners list when they won the Pro-Open and Pro-Lites classes respectively at the annual and highly rated Coffs Harbour Stadium Motocross last weekend.
Despite losing the opening moto to Luke Clout, Waters won the Pro-Open class over Connor Tierney and Joel Rizzo while Tanti scored the Pro-Lites class win over Mason Rowe and Rhys Budd.
Todd Waters won the Pro-Open class
There were over 450 riders at the event and unfortunately Clout was forced from the final two Pro-Open motos with a mystery mechanical failure while the other class winners include:
Beau Price (7/u9 years 50cc),
Jake Cannon (10-11 years 65cc),
Hunter Collins (14-15 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
Taylor Thompson (Girls 85cc),
Jarrad Hardcastle (Vets Over 30),
Ashlea Bates (Women’s All Powers),
Chris Nichols (Vets Over 40),
Ryder Kingfsord (13 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
Ryder Creeke (7-9 Years 65cc),
Joshua Lea (C Grade Lites – Under 19),
Lachlan Burns (C Grade Lites – Over 19),
Hixson McInnes (11 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
Ryder Kingfsord (13 years 100-125cc 2st),
Charli Cannon (Girls Lites),
Jack Deveson (9-10 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
Reid Taylor (14-15 years 100-125cc 2st),
Connor Whitney (B Grade Lites),
Cody Kilpatrick (12 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
Connor McNamara (A Grade Lites),
Luke Holder (C Grade Open),
Harrison Reid (13-15 years 128cc2st/250cc4st),
Andrew Fuller (B Grade Open)
Jake Cobbin (A Grade Open).
Pro Open
Todd Waters
Connor Tierney
Joel Rizzo
Mason Rowe
Robbie Marshall
Pro Lites – Top 5
Aaron Tanti
Mason Rowe
Rhys Budd
Jye Dickson
John Bova
Bowers Wins King of Dortmund
American Tyler Bowers was in Germany last weekend contesting the final round of the ADAC Supercross Championship in Dortmund and it bore fruit with the former Arenacross Champ winning the first night on Friday before taking second on Saturday to capture the King of Dortmund crown ahead of Valentin Teillet and Cedric Soubeyras.
Gregory Aranda won the SX1 class overall thanks to his win on Saturday night while Teillet and Soubeyras finished third and fourth overall on the weekend.
Tyler Bowers wins King Of Dortmund 2019 – Image by Jan Brucke
SX1 Overall
Gregory Aranda
Tyler Bowers
Valentin Teillet
Cedric Soubeyras
Charles Le Francois
Dominique Thury
Fabien Izoird
Adrien Escoffier
Matthew Bayliss
Nick Schmidt
King Of Dortmund
Tyler Bowers
Valentin Teillet
Cedric Soubeyras
Dominique Thury
Charles Le Francois
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‘Sir’ Jeffrey Herlings is a Knight
2018 MXGP FIM Motocross World Champion Jeffrey Herlings, from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, has become a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
This honour is exclusively awarded in the Netherlands to people with outstanding achievements. A requirement which Jeffrey Herlings fits perfectly, after becoming 2018 MXGP World Champion, dominating the Dutch Masters of Motocross, and taking third as a part of the Dutch team at the 2018 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.
Jeffrey Herlings
“What a night… amazing. To receive this honour is something very special. One of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. I wasn’t prepared and didn’t see this coming. I’m speechless but will go home tonight with a big smile on my face.”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Marvin Duiker
Herlings received the Royal decoration at the Motorsports gala of the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Federation (KNMV) from Dutch Minister of Sports Bruno Bruins who had nothing but kind words.
Bruno Bruins – Dutch Minister of Sports
“You’re a great champion and an inspiration to others. You’re an example of what it takes to be a true sportsman. Our king could not attend the Grand Prix in Assen but is well aware of your achievements. He’d like to honour you with this decoration.”
At the same event Jeffrey was also awarded the highest Dutch award in motorsports: the Hans de Beaufort trophy. KTM Motorsport’s Director Pit Beirer handed this to him saying:
Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsport Director
“This is for being an outstanding rider and a fighter for your country. You deserve it for being an ambassador of the sport and turning over your knowledge to young riders.”
Sir Jeffrey Herlings enjoyed the night but he is fully focused on the upcoming 2019 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship season kicking off on the 2nd and 3rd of March in Patagonia-Argentina.
MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina Entry Lists
Youthstream have announced the official entry lists for the opening round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship taking place at the Neuquen circuit in Patagonia-Argentina this 2nd and 3rd of March.
MXGP of Patagonia
The MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina has made itself one of the most liked stops on the calendar since 2015 by both riders and industry members. The 2019 entry list showcases an impressive line-up with the best riders in the world. The combination of an amazing venue, stacked competition, and it being the first round of the season will leave all eyes watching in anticipation of the amazing racing which will surely be produced.
To see all those who will be lining up in Patagonia you can find both the MXGP & MX2 Entry Lists here below:
MXGP Riders
Team GBO Motorsport: Simon Furlotti
Team HRC: Tim Gajser/Brian Bogers
Monster Energy Factory MXGP: Romain Febvre/Jeremy Seewer
Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing: Sven Van Der Mierden/Micha Boy De Waal
KTM Sarhotz Racing: Max Nagl/Tom Koch
Scandinavian Racing Sports: Jonathan Bengtsson
Team Gibben Van Venrooy Kawasaki Racing: Alessandro Lupino/Benoit Paturel
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing: Pauls Jonass/Arminas Jasikonis
Monster energy Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team: Arnaud Tonus/Gautier Paulin
Monster energy Kawasaki: Clement Desalle/Julien Leiber
NR83 Team: Nathan Renkens
JWR Yamaha Racing: Kevin Strijbos/Vsevolod Brylyakov/Anton Gole
Sixtytwo Motorsport Husqvarna: Klemen Gercar
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Jeffrey Herlings/Antonio Cairoli’
AG Racing: Guryev Artem
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MX2 Riders
Marchetti KTM: Iker Larranaga/Andrea Zanotti
Team HRC: Calvin Vlaanderen
Yamaha SM Action – M.C. Migliori/Michele Cervellin/Max Renaux
E2T – Racing Team: Enzo Toriani/Hampus Kahri
F&H Racing Team: Henry Jacobi/Adam Sterry
Team Diga-Procross Husqvarna: Davey Pootjes
Team Gibben Van Venrooy Kawasaki Racing: Marcel Conija
KTM Racestore MX2 Max Bart: Lesiardo Morgan
JD Gunnex Racing Team: Richard Sykina/Petr Polak
Bud Racing Kawasaki: Brian Moreau/Brian Hsu
A1M Husqvarna: Roland Edelbacher
Honda 114 Motorsports: Mitch Evans/Zach Pichon
STC Racing IXS: Loris Freidig
Hitachi KTM: Conrad Mewse/Bas Vaessen
Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha: Ben Watson/Jago Geerts
Team Honda Redmoto Assomotor: Brent Van Doninck/Mathys Boisrame
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Jorge Prado/Tom Vialle
Bike It DRT Kawasaki: Darian Sanayei/Gustavo Pessoa
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing: Thomas Kjer Olsen/Jed Beaton
GT243: Maks Mausser
Revo Husqvarna UK: Dylan Walsh/Alvin Ostlund
Vamo Racing Team: Hakan Halmi
Watson Wins Gurp TT Beach Race
500 plus riders turned up for the Gurp TT de Grayan-Et-L’Hôpital which was round five of the France based beach race series called Championnat de France des Sables and it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson who claimed a hard-fought victory on the final lap of the two-hour 30-minute beach race over Husqvarna’s Yental Martens to record his third win of the series.
Yentel Martens – Gurp TT 2019
With championship leader Martens out front in the early laps, Watson settled into things and began to push the pace as the course roughened and by lap six worked his way up to the front of the field and into the race lead.
However, Martens didn’t want to give up without a fight and for the second half of the race the duo went head-to-head for victory. Finding the extra energy needed, Watson upped his pace aboard his KTM 450 SX-F during the closing stages of the event, overtaking Martens on the final lap to clinch a memorable race win.
Nathan Watson
“I’m really happy with that, I couldn’t ask for a better race. To finish on the top step of the podium again, for the third time in the championship, is awesome. The opening lap was fast, much faster than I expected it to be. I didn’t want to make mistakes and lose more places than I could gain, so I remained calm and let things settle. Then I began building my rhythm and made some really good passes to reach the front of the field. When I passed Yentel for the lead he stepped up his pace too and we were fighting hard until the end. It was a great battle – one I enjoyed a lot – so to end up on the top step of the podium feels amazing after such a great race. With another win it means my championship hopes are growing despite having missed round two. Now, with just Enduropale Le Touquet remaining, I’m just going there chasing victory because that’s a race I really want to win. If I can do that then we’ll keep our fingers crossed to see what happens regards the championship.”
Nathan Watson – Gurp TT – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens
“That was a really nice race. Although I didn’t manage to get the victory, as a racer it’s hard to be disappointed in a performance like that. Nathan and myself were battling all the time and we were pushing the pace a lot. He just had that little bit extra on me during the final lap, but I can’t complain because I gave it everything I had. I must give a big thank you to my team, they were awesome too. The bike was wonderful and our pitstops were very slick and fast. With two weeks to go until le Touquet the race is now beginning to build on our minds. Today I showed that I can go there and be a contender for the top step of the podium. Everything is working so well and there is a good feeling inside the team that we can deliver something special there.”
Yentel Martens – Gurp TT 2019
Martens takes a 15 point lead into the sixth and final round of the Championnat de France des Sables at Enduropale Le Touquet on February 3.
Results – Championnat de France des Sables, Round 5
Nathan Watson, KTM, 12 laps 2:30:07.650
Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 2:30:51.180
Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 2:32:38.110
Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:34:25.190
Jeremy Van Horebeek, Honda, 2:34:55.910
Championnat de France des Sables Points after Round 5
Martens – 150
Watson – 135
Potisek – 125
Dewulf – 115
Ramon Steve – 110
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2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Up-Date
MX Sports Pro Racing has announced the return of Fox Raceway in Pala, California, for the second round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, May 25.
Pala previously served as the season finale of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship for back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011, which signified the return of the sport to the San Diego area following an absence that spanned multiple decades after the closure of famed Carlsbad Raceway. During those two seasons, Ryan Dungey and Dean Wilson claimed back-to-back victories in the 450 Class and 250 Class, respectively, with Wilson amassing an undefeated record by winning all four motos.
AMA Motocross returns in 2019
Roy Janson – MX Sports Managing Director
“We are excited to keep the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in Southern California, and it’s fitting that it comes with a return to Pala considering the overwhelming popularity of that event during our initial partnership. This region provides the pulse for the entire sport, so it is important that we provide our teams, riders, and fans with the best possible venue to showcase this championship. The Pala Band of Mission Indians has remained committed to enhancing their facility, and they have put their trust into a group of industry veterans to ensure the track’s presence continues to grow.”
“When MX Sports Pro Racing contacted us with the opportunity to bring the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship back to Pala we jumped at the chance,” said Myron Short, Founder and VP of Operations for 2X Promotions. “This is the most storied motocross championship in the world and Fox Raceway has grown to become what is arguably California’s premier motocross track. It’s fitting that these two entities are back together and we hope this is the beginning of a long and historic partnership.”
AMA Motocross returns in 2019
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has served as the preeminent motocross competition since 1972 and the 2019 season will kick off on Saturday, May 18, with the Hangtown Motocross Classic, where reigning back-to-back 450 Class Champion Eli Tomac will look to join elite company in his quest to win the Edison Dye Cup for the third straight season while in the 250 Class, the advancement of titleholder Aaron Plessinger into the 450 division means the Gary Jones Cup will be up for grabs, opening the door for the sport’s next star of the future to emerge.
2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Schedule
Rd1: May 18, Hangtown Motocross Classic, Prairie City SVRA, California
Rd2: May 25, Pala National, Fox Raceway, Pala, California
Rd3: June 1, Lakewood, Colorado
Rd4: June 15, High Point National, High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania
Rd5: June 22, Florida National, WW Ranch Motocross Park, Jacksonville, Florida
Rd6: June 29, Soutwick National, Southwick, Massachusetts
Rd7: July 6, RedBud National, RedBud MX, Buchanan, Michigan
Rd8: July 20, Spring Creek National, Spring Creek MX Park, Millville, Minnesota
Rd9: July 27, Washougal National. Washougal MX Park, Washougal, Washington
Rd10: Aug 10, Unadilla National, Unadilla MX, New Berlin, New York
Rd11: Aug 17, Budds Creek National, Budds Creek MX Park, Maryland
Rd12: Aug 24, Ironman National, Ironman Raceway, Crawfordsville, Indiana
Malcolm Stewart Injured at Glendale
Malcolm Stewart broke his femur after crashing in the whoops during the 450 main event at the second round of the AMA Supercross at Glendale last weekend and was immediately taken to hospital where they operated on him on Sunday morning. This is what Malcom had to say on his Instagram account.
Malcolm Stewart
“Such a bummer on what happened last night. Surgery this A.M on femur! We will be back better than ever. Sorry I let you guys down! I appreciate all the prayers you guys sent me! I’ll give you guys a update soon.”
Malcolm Stewart
Interestingly, Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda team owner Mike Genova released a heartfelt statement regarding Malcolm’s injury – you can read it in full below:
Mike Genova – Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda Team Owner
“As most of you know, Saturday night in Glendale, while going Mach speed through the whoops pushing to catch the front runners, Malcolm had a big get off. While I am super bummed and disappointed for Malcolm, his family and our group, I am equally grateful and happy that Malcolm’s injury is limited to strictly a broken femur of which the doctors performed surgery on Sunday morning. My gratitude and happiness stems from the experience of having one of my guys lying virtually motionless for some twenty minutes, thirty feet away from me (I was in the managers tower) having no idea the extent of the injury, thinking the worst and having no way to be by Malcolm’s side to support and comfort him. Followed up by Tony [Alessi, team manager] and I going to the hospital after the race, only to find Malcolm alert and upbeat, (pain meds may have been working) preparing to eat an In and Out burger, insisting on how he will be back in no time, stronger and better than ever.
Malcolm Stewart before injury
“Unfortunately for Malcolm, his family, MCR, the fans and the whole race community, we are all going to have to patiently wait for Malcolm to recover from his injury and further pursue the excellence he displayed during the first two races of the 2019 season. I wanted to publicly acknowledge how proud I am of Malcolm for the level of commitment and work ethic he has invested into this years SX series. When looking for a ride this past September he gave Tony and I his word that he was ready to do whatever was required to be prepared to compete at the highest level in the 2019 SX series, all of which he has done to perfection — both on and off the track. To improve his overall fitness and endurance levels, Malcom hired a personal trainer, never missing a training session and constantly pushed himself to reach new fitness levels. Alongside focusing on improved fitness, Malcolm modified his diet and quickly dropped 25 pounds that improved his results on the bike. When it came to testing and riding days, Malcolm was often the first one to the track and handled the rigorous demands the team put on him with a positive and cooperative attitude. Malcolm has been very respectful to work with and brought a lift in our team.
Malcolm Stewart before injury
“So Malcolm won’t get the chance to show the world how hard he worked and the results of his efforts, but I feel it’s only fair to Malcolm to let the world know how proud I am of him on how he chose to become a better racer, role model and man.”
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Kirkness to Star at Old Bar Dirt Track This Weekend
What was for many years a tradition will continue this Saturday (January 19) when the dirt track racing season opens with a twilight Dirt Track meeting at the Old Bar track near Taree and the star attraction will be former Troy Bayliss Classic winner and multi Australian Champion Michael Kirkness who will be the favourite to take the major class wins.
Reigning triple Australian Dirt Track champion Kirkness will take on another former champion in Marty McNamara while there is a strong contingent heading down the highway from the Macleay Club with the seasoned campaigners Jarryd Oram and Michael Booth joined by young guns Sam Davies, James Chapman and Alex Hurst.
Former Taree member Jared Myer has entered along with talented Queenslander Ben Montgomery and former junior stand-out Bayley James from the Hunter club.
Much interest will centre on two of the youngest senior entries in Taree rider Kye Andrews, a triple Australian champion in his last season in juniors, and Gunnedah rider Thomas Donnelly. Both have made a good impression in their limited senior outings to date.
The Over 35s class will take on added significance with the family of the late Peter Fahey sponsoring the class in his memory while Kempsey youngster Jayden Holder steps up to an older age bracket this year with Queenslander John Lytras and diminutive Beau Bailey from Forbes also among the best credentialed visitors coming to take on the strong entry of local riders in the junior classes.
All the juniors racing this weekend will be able to use the experience as a preparation for the New South Wales Junior Dirt Track Championship meeting which is to be held at the Old Bar track on the weekend of July 13 and 14.
This Saturday will see practice start at 12 noon followed by the first round of racing at 1pm and continue through to around 5.30pm.
Following a tea-break, the night-time session will finalise the program which will enable fans who cannot be there in the afternoon to still take in the action.
2020 Aussie Speedway Championship hosting EoI open
After the finish to the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship with a star-studded line-up, Motorcycling Australia has announce that opening of applications for qualified clubs and/or promoters to host Speedway Championships in 2020! The relevant Australian Speedway Championships now accepting applications includes:
Australian Senior Solo Championship (One Round of Championship)
Australian U21 Championship, Australian U16 250cc, Australian U16 125cc Solo and Teams Championships.
Australian Senior and Junior Sidecar Championships
Please note that all applications must be submitted before Friday 8th February 2019 in order to be reviewed with the opportunity of being accepted. All applications must be completed in full on the downloadable application form (link above), with a copy of the club’s track attached, and emailed to MA’s Track Event Manager, Sam Redfern, via [email protected].
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The opening round of AMA Supercross for 2019 at Anaheim saw competitors battle muddy conditions. For round two in Arizona conditions were fine and clear as they were under the roof of the State Farm Stadium at Glendale, despite that the track still certainly presented its challenges.
State Farm Stadium at Glendale – AMA Supercross 2019 Round Two
Some fireworks had unfolded earler in the heat races when Dean Wilson and Justin Barcia had some stern words with each other after the pair clashed in Heat Race One. That opening Heat was one by Marvin Musquin ahead of Cole Seely.
Chad Reed qualified 11th before finishing second in his Heat to Justin Brayton, and thus the Aussie legend was promoted straight through to the Main. Ken Roczen qualified P9 and finished eighth in his heat race to narrowly qualify for the Main without having to endure LCQ.
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round Two – Glendale – 450 Main
Malcolm Stewart rode strong at the series opener and that form looked to have followed him to Arizona with third place in his heat race. Unfortunately the 26-year-old crashed heavily 15-minutes remaining of the 450 Main which put him out of the running. The fall was heavy and caused the race to be stopped while Ken Roczen had a handy lead over Anderson and Musquin. Stewart was later diagnosed with a broken femur.
Roczen would rue the race being stopped as he had scored an amazing holeshot in the first attempt at running the Main and looked as though he was running away with it.
Jason Anderson didn’t really fire at the A1 season opener but the reigning Supercross Champion looked to have a lot more fire in his belly. Some judged that to be too much fire in his belly when the Husqvarna man made a hard pass on Roczen that took the German down.
The Honda man managed to remount and salvage third place after being passed by Anderson, Baggett and Musquin while he was on the ground. Roczen got back past Musquin for third but his challenge for the win ended with that pass by Anderson. To help offset some of that disappointment Roczen can take heart that he now leads the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship on 44-points.
Jason Anderson was rounded up by Baggett in the closing stages of the race and the KTM man then went on to walk away from the defending champion to an almost easy win. Anderson gave up the fight as soon as he was passed by Baggett, electing instead to take a safe P2 and the 23-points it came with. Anderson is now seventh on the points table.
Glendale marked the first 450 Main win for the 26-year-old Californian and promotes the KTM rider to fourth in the championship standings.
Blake Baggett – P1
“It’s good to just be able to feel good enough to run behind Jason [Anderson] and you know, I’ve had weekends where I can run with those guys and some weekends they just leave me in the dust, so it feels good to finally get my whole program together and be able to run with those guys. I’ve got to keep things rolling, it hasn’t hit me yet that I finally got a 450 win!”
Jason Anderson – P2
“This was a good weekend. I was able to ride the Main better than last week. I had a section that I didn’t think I was great in, so I didn’t want to put myself in a position to go down and lose points. I took the second and I’ll go from there.”
Eli Tomac had to take on the LCQ in order to make the 450 Main Event after the reigning AMA Motocross Champion suffered a problem with the rear wheel of his KX450F in the heat race. There was a massive pile-up during the LCQ that Tomac managed to avoid but Savatgy got caught up in the incident and thus missed the Main.
Tomac though rode well in the main to claim fourth place ahead of Marvin Musquin and Anaheim 1 winner Justin Barcia. Tomac is now third on the points table, three-points adrift of second placed Barcia.
Justin Brayton finished seventh ahead of Dean Wilson and Cole Seely while Cooper Webb rounded out the top ten.
Chad Reed bagged nine-points from his 14th place finish, coming home four-seconds behind Yoshimura Suzuki team-mate Justin Hill.
AMA Supercross 2019 450 Round Two Main Event Results
Blake Baggett – KTM
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna +5.847
Ken Roczen – Honda +8.148
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +10.650
Marvin Musquin – KTM +12.034
Justin Barcia – Yamaha +12.844
Justin Brayton – Honda +14.650
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna +16.992
Cole Seely – Honda +21.168
Cooper Webb – KTM +23.442
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha +24.690
Vince Friese – Honda +29.977
Justin Hill – Suzuki +30.666
Chad Reed – Suzuki +34.443
Justin Bogle – KTM +56.357
Kyle Chisholm – Suzuki +63.895
Alex Ray – Suzuki +1 lap
Carlen Gardner – Honda +1 lap
Ben Lamay – Honda +1 lap
Ronnie Stewart – Husqvarna +1 lap
AMA Supercross 2019 Championship Points
Ken Roczen 44
Justin Barcia 43
Eli Tomac 40
Blake Baggett 37
Dean Wilson 34
Marvin Musquin 33
Jason Anderson 32
Cooper Webb 31
Aaron Plessinger 29
Justin Brayton 28
Cole Seely 27
Chad Reed 23
Vince Friese 21
Justin Hill 18
Malcolm Stewart 17
Round Two – Glendale – 250 West Main
Round Two – Glendale – 250 West Main
Adam Cianciarulo jumped out to an early lead in the 250 Main and by half race distance had built up a healthy five-second buffer over Shane McElrath.
Shane McElrath
By race end Cianciarulo had doubled that gap out to almost ten-seconds while Colt Nicholds overhauled Shane McElrath in the latter half of the race to claim the second spot on the rostrum.
Nichols retains the series lead while Cianciarulo’s win promoted him up to second on the series leaderboard.
Colt Nichols – Race P2 – Championship P1
“The bike was great. It felt really, really good all day. We made a few changes to the suspension before the night program and that helped a lot. The track was just so dry and you had to be really, really patient. I was trying not to rush everything, but sometimes I kind of rushed it and made a few little mistakes. That’s all right though. I still salvaged a second, so I’m really happy to leave with the points lead and will get ready for next weekend.”
Australian privateer Tomas Ravenhorst piloted his KTM to 26th in qualifying to make it into the top 40 cut that progressed through to the heat races. Ravenhorst then finished tenth in his heat race which meant he narrowly missed the cut for automatic progression to the 250 Main. Ravenhorst then had a difficult LCQ in which he finished 15th and thus missed out on the Main, despite running inside the LCQ top ten for most of the LCQ.
AMA Supercross 2019 250 Western Round Two Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki
Colt Nichols – Yamaha +9.557
Shane McElrath – KTM +13.919
RJ Hampshire – Honda +15.007
James Decotis – Suzuki +28.681
Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha +36.520
Chris Blose – Husqvarna +51.927
Sean Cantrell – KTM +54.672
Garrett Marchbanks – Kawasaki +55.925
Michael Mosiman – Husqvarna +60.157
AMA Supercross 2019 250 Western Round Two Main Event Results Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki Colt Nichols – Yamaha +9.557 Shane McElrath – KTM +13.919
AMA Supercross 2019 250 Western Championship Points
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What Went Down Last Weekend?
2019 MX Nationals calendar confirmed
Yamaha Dominates Anaheim 1
Fricke Leads Aussie Solo Championships after Three Rounds
Woffinden Wins WA Speedway Solo Titles
Zach Osborne Injured
KTM Dominates German SuperEnduro Round
HRC Confirms MX2 GP Line-Up
Mewse and Vaessen for Hitachi KTM
Stefan Everts Out of ICU
2019 MX Nationals calendar confirmed
The 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals (MXN) calendar has been confirmed by Williams Event Management, with a 10-round championship including double rounds in South Australia and Queensland.
Yamaha riders Justin Barcia and Colt Nichols have won the 450SX and 250SX classes respectively when the opening round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship kicked off in an uncharacteristically wet Angel Stadium in Anaheim last Saturday night.
AMA Supercross 2019 450 Round One Main Event Results Justin Barcia – Yamaha Ken Roczen – Honda +3.053 Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +4.890
450 Class Report
It was always going to be a tough event with rain coming down as the gate dropped for the 20 lap main events and it was Dean Wilson who scored the holeshot from Malcolm Stewart, Jason Anderson, Barcia and Ken Roczen while Cooper Webb went down and caused a first corner pile-up which included Chad Reed.
Wilson led for 14 laps but all the while you could see Justin Barcia taking his time to find his rhythm and you can thank the many lapped riders for Wilson losing so much ground on laps 12, 13 and even 14 where Barcia made his way up the inside of Wilson for the lead.
2019 AMA Supercross – Anaheim 1 – 450 Start
Wilson lost some mojo over the next six laps to lose second place to Ken Roczen then third place to Eli Tomac but valiantly held on to finish ahead of a very hard charging Webb who put down the fastest lap time on the night.
Aaron Plessinger’s rookie season kicked off with a solid sixth place ahead of Stewart who had his customary small crash while Marvin Musquin, Reed and Cole Seely rounded out the top ten.
Reed and Anderson had main event of complete contrasts with Anderson losing ten positions to end the race in a disappointing 14th place while Chad passed ten riders to go from 19th to ninth by race end – only Webb passed more riders after going from 20th to fifth.
Justin Barcia
“Anaheim 1 was an awesome day. I had a lot of fun in practice, then going into the heat race it started to sprinkling a little. I didn’t get the best start but made some good passes and got into the lead and won my heat race which was awesome, and it felt really good to get that first one out of the way at the first race. The main event it was really pouring down. It was looking tricky watching the 250 start so I definitely got a little excited and nervous and all those feelings you get at the first race. I got off to a pretty decent start and worked my way up to third by a little over half the race. I played it smart and tried to make no mistakes. One of the guys went down in front of me and then I was able to charge harder and catch the leader, make the pass and ride a smooth race to the win. For me this is incredible, I haven’t won a 450 race in over six years so it’s a pretty awesome feeling. I couldn’t be much happier, I’m really excited to go to Phoenix. I just want to stay, smart, smooth, fast, consistent and focus on the championship plate.”
Justin Barcia
Ken Roczen on FB
“I couldn’t have asked for a better night. A heat race win and a 2nd in the main event at the first round. Conditions were tough! Anyway… stoked!”
Eli Tomac
“There were tricky track conditions due to the unusual amount of rain for Anaheim, but I managed to stay in good enough condition to keep jumping most of the lanes and pushing forward. I remained patient and controlled my pace throughout the Main Event, and although we’re always shooting for the top spot, I’m happy to kick off the season on the podium. The team and I are already looking forward to Glendale, let’s get this season rolling!”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb
“Anaheim I is in the books and overall it was a really good day. We started with free practice just getting the hang of the track and I was able to qualify seventh. In the heat race, I didn’t get off to the greatest of starts and I didn’t ride to my potential, so I had a bad gate pick in the Main Event. I had a pretty outside gate but I nailed the start and I was first in the first turn but unfortunately, I fell over. It was slicker than I thought but I was able to get up and really put my head down and charge really hard to come back to fifth. I guess I had the fastest lap of the race, so that was really cool and I’m feeling confident and good with that result, so I’m ready to go to Phoenix next weekend!”
Cooper Webb
Aaron Plessinger
“Anaheim 1 went pretty well. I got better and better every time I went out on the track. The heat race went awesome. I started out about fifth or sixth, got past some guys and finished third. I was pretty amped on that and I went into the main event pretty happy with myself. I got a great start and just maintained it. There were sometimes where I felt a little winded, but I couldn’t back down and pushed on to the finish and got sixth. I’d say Anaheim I, my first 450 race, was pretty good in my eyes. We’ll keep making improvements and head into Phoenix hot on the ball.”
Aaron Plessinger
Marvin Musquin
“The riding was not too bad but physically it was not an easy day as I didn’t have much time on the bike this off-season. But we knew it coming in, so the goal was to score some points and I ended up eighth in the Main Event. I had a great start and Cooper did too, but we almost got into each other and he went down. I avoided him but I lost a lot of ground. It would have been a little bit easier on me to get out front – I was right there in second place behind Cooper, it was pretty cool – but almost both of us crashing. My goal, once again, was to be consistent and score points and that’s what I did. Eighth is not too bad considering and now we can move on and get better from there.”
Marvin Musquin
Chad Reed
“With the weather, it was an interesting weekend. I had the feeling that no matter what I was going through, it was going to drastically change by the night program. I tried to get the most out of the daytime practices and qualifying to have good data for the next round in Glendale. Once the weather came I just dealt with it. I didn’t get the best of starts in my heat race. The conditions were tough and challenging, so I had to go to the LCQ. In some ways, it rained quite a lot in the LCQ, so I had a feel for what the track was going to be like in the main event. The downside was that I was on the far outside gate for the main. I was dead last on the start and came up to ninth, which is respectable. I feel like I have the pace. There are just a few things I need to work on to allow me to feel more comfortable when I’m out of my comfort zone. I have to adapt to the pace, but fortunately that’s one of my strengths. Sometimes that pace comes naturally, and other times it’s forced. I need to be more comfortable in that area. That’s something I will work on this week.”
Chad Reed
Jason Anderson (via social media)
“Man yesterday did not go well… kinda overwhelmed with everything going on and wasn’t myself at all. Looking forward to bringing it back around in the next rounds and really want to thank my crew for all the support no matter how I do. Sorry guys but still looking forward and ready to give 110% the rest of the season! Also shoutout to my good friend @deanwilson15 for absolutely crushing it!”
Jason Anderson – Image by Simon Cudby
Joey Savatgy
“I’ve been working so hard this off-season and feel really comfortable on the bike, but the weather made quite the challenge for us. I had a tip over on the bike and some issues with my goggles in the rain, but I remained focused on finishing the race to my best ability. We have a long season ahead of us, I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike and continuing to grow and improve.”
2019 AMA Supercross Championship Points after A1
Justin Barcia – Yamaha 26
Ken Roczen – Honda 23
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki 21
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna 19
Cooper Webb – KTM 18
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha 17
Malcolm Stewart – Honda 16
Marvin Musquin – KTM 15
Chad Reed – Suzuki 14
Cole Seely – Honda 13
Justin Brayton – Honda 12
Blake Baggett – KTM 11
Vince Friese – Honda 10
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna 9
Justin Hill – Suzuki 8
Joey Savatgy – Kawasaki 7
Carlen Gardner – Honda 6
Ben Lamay – Honda 5
Justin Bogle – KTM 4
Ryan Breece – Yamaha 3
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250SX Report
The 15-lap main event started with pre-race favourite Adam Cianciarulo spewing through the first corner and having to dodge the outside barriers before re-joining the race in 15th place while out front it didn’t take long before Colt Nichols got around Shane McElrath who had RJ Hampshire and Dylan Ferrandis hot on his heels.
2019 AMA Supercross – Anaheim 1
Nichols simply gapped the field every laps so all eyes were on the rest of the field and in particular the progress of Cianciarulo who blitzed his way to fourth on the back of an aggressive pass on Hampshire who apparently took exception and knocked Adam to the ground on the next corner but when it was all said and done Nichols took a very convincing win ahead of his French teammate Ferrandis while McElrath made it to the final podium spot ahead of Hampshire and Cianciarulo.
Colt Nichols
“It’s really an indescribable feeling to win at A1. The conditions were far from perfect but I was able to stay focused, ride my laps to take the win. That was the longest race of my life, it felt like. My mechanic gave me five to go, four to go, three to go… You’re kind of talking to yourself a little bit to get through it. I just tried to stay consistent. I really didn’t know how big of a lead I had and who was in second at the time, so just tried to keep the focus forward. I knew if I tried to relax a little too much I’d probably make a big mistake and crashed. So I just kind of tried to keep it moving and it ended up working out for me. The off-season was great this year. I was really, really pumped on how everything went. This is really what it was for. You can’t describe the feeling I had jumping that finish line in first. That’s why we all do this. For me to cross that off my list was a really, really big deal. That made all the suffering, all the pain of the past two years completely worth it.”
Colt Nichols
RJ Hampshire
“Glad to get back to racing, we had a really good offseason. Practice went well and then the rain came. The heat race was a little sloppy but I was able to get a good start and get out front. I won my first heat race in a while, which I was pretty pumped on. Main event came around and it was still raining pretty heavy. Got a decent start and was just kind of riding around in third for a few laps. I made a dumb mistake and went for the quad-quad in the rhythm before the whoops and came up way short and went down pretty hard. Then once I got up I was in fifth and had a couple more close calls throughout the race. Happy to get out of round 1 healthy and ready to go racing next weekend!”
Adam Cianciarulo
“I’m pretty disappointed I wasn’t able to contend for the win tonight, but with the conditions and going down, we’ll take what we can get. It makes me want to win that much more when we get to Phoenix. I want to win, but we also have to think long term. There are a lot of positives to take away from today’s race. The day started out great as we were able to secure the fastest qualifying time in practice, which gave us first gate pick to start the evening races. In my heat race, I got a little squirrelly off the start but I was able to save it and charge to the front and get my first heat race win of the year, which was awesome. The main event is a tough one to swallow because I know I should have been on the podium. It is unfortunate that I came together with another rider, however, I am happy I was able to remount and safely walk away from Anaheim 1 with some decent points. I am already looking forward to next weekend in Glendale.”
Garrett Marchbanks
“Being able to be a part of this team and lining up for my first supercross race has been a dream come true. With the conditions, I was focused on staying up and keeping it on two wheels. It’s nice to get a race under my belt, and we’ll see how it goes in dry conditions next weekend.”
Jimmy Decotis
“The first round of the year with the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing crew was a blast. I was excited to debut the new Suzuki RM-Z250. I felt very comfortable all day. Unfortunately, I had a crash on the start of the heat race that put me in a tough spot for the main event. The conditions were tough due to the rain. Overall, I’ll take a seventh given the circumstances. We have lots of racing to come, and I’m excited to grab some more starts. I want to show the industry what the new RM-Z250 can do. Thanks to the whole team for supplying me with the best equipment. I’m looking forward to Glendale!”
2019 AMA Supercross underway! Image Hoppenworld
Thomas Revenhorst qualified to the night program and after coming 12th in his heat race was unfortunately taken out by another rider from behind in the LCQ but nothing is surer than the young Aussie will have learned a lot over the weekend and will come out swinging next weekend at Glendale, Arizona.
2019 AMA Supercross 250 Western Championship Points after A1
Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 26
Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 23
Shane McElrath (KTM), 21
RJ Hampshire (Honda), 19
Adam Cianciarulo (Kawasaki), 18
Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki), 17
Jimmy Decotis (Suzuki), 16
Jacob Hayes (Yamaha), 15
Chris Blose (Husqvarna), 14
Jess Pettis (KTM), 13
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Fricke Leads Aussie Solo Championships after Three Rounds
Gillman Speedway, Olympic Park, Mildura and Undera Speedway have hosted the opening three rounds of the 2019 Australian Speedway Solo Championships and after 45 plus heats, six semi finals and three finals, Max Fricke holds a three point lead over Chris Holder who in turn has a four point break on Rohan Tungate with two rounds remaining.
Round 1
Former World Under 21 Champion, Fricke won the opening round at Gillman Speedway on the back of three heat wins and the final win for 17 points ahead of defending champion Tungate and former World Speedway Champion Holder who had some mechanical issues throughout the night.
Max Fricke
“The field this year was really tough so it’s nice to start this year off with a win. I dropped a couple of points along the way, but it was great to come away with the win, I’m very happy! There were some new faces this year which is fantastic to see. They’re all doing really well so I definitely need to watch my tail and try to keep them at bay! I’m feeling really good on the bike as we head into Mildura for Round 2. I haven’t ridden much since the end of last season back in September, so I had a couple of rides last week to shake off the cobwebs. Overall though, it’s just really nice to come away tonight with the win!”
Round 2
Clinching top position at Mildura was Chris Holder who scored a total of 18 points after winning four of his five heats, and taking out first place in the A Final ahead of Tungate and Fricke.
Holder reflected on his efforts in the past two rounds.
Chris Holder
“The competition in the past two rounds has definitely been tight so it was important tonight to get a good score and make up for Gillman. My memories of Undera aren’t entirely positive especially considering that I broke my wrist last time we were there, but I have won a round there previously! Undera is a small track and it’s tough racing, so starts are really important! But my starts today have been really good so I’m looking forward to it! I definitely am working to get myself into the Grand Prix, but coming back into racing you do a lot of miles. You want to win something but top three would also be good. But, I’m not looking too far ahead, instead I’d just like to enjoy myself and get back into racing! More than half of the riders out on the field are contenders for the Championship and any of them have the ability to upset the competition and take out a few vital wins. You can’t count anybody out so instead you just have to concentrate on getting into the finals!”
Round 3
On a tight and dusty Undera Speedway track Fricke stormed into a three-point lead in the championship after scoring 14 points in the heats before seeing off Chris Holder in the final on Monday night.
Holder scored 12 points during the heats and while 2018 Aussie Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey, Tungate and Nick Morris all scored 11 points, one ahead of Jack Holder.
Fricke went into the meeting tied on 30 points with Holder and Tungate, who had to battle his way into the A Final the hard way but disaster struck when he came to grief and crashed on turn three, denying him even a consolation point as he was excluded.
Despite a strong early challenge in the A final re-run, Holder couldn’t overhaul Fricke for the victory in his home state, as Max picked up his second win in three rounds.
Max Fricke
“It’s exciting to be a leader again! After the first round it was a little bit daunting, but I had a good run in Mildura so I’m just trying to remain consistent. I think that consistency is key right now because that will be what wins the Championship. Right now I’m just handling it race by race and getting as many points as I can. The Grand Prix qualifying spot is the main motivator for me but we’re also here in the Championship and I want to win! Hopefully I can keep up the momentum and secure a spot in the top three! It’s close right now between me, Chris and Rohan, but there’s a little bit of a gap so hopefully we can try and secure that gap and get the best possible position in the lead up to the final rounds. Albury is a much bigger track, so there are a lot of changes in comparison to Undera, Mildura and Gillman. It’s going to be a great round, and no doubt a lot of the younger riders in the competition will do quite well as well! I just need to keep making good starts and get as many points as I can in the lead up to Kurri Kurri.”
Albury hosts round four on Wednesday with the championship concluding in Tungate’s home town Kurri Kurri on Saturday and both will be shown live on NRGTV.
Undera Heat Scores
Max Fricke 14
Chris Holder 12
Jaimon Lidsey 11
Rohan Tungate 11
Nick Morris 11
Jack Holder 10
Justin Sedgmen 9
Brady Kurtz 9
Sam Masters 9
Jordan Stewart 6
Todd Kurtz 5
Zane Keleher 5
Ryan Douglas 3
Kye Thompson 2
Zach Cook 2
Ben Cook 1.
B Final
Tungate
J Holder
Morris
A Final
Fricke
C Holder
Lidsey
Tungate (f.exc).
Australian Championship Standings after Round 3
Max Fricke 48
Chris Holder 45
Rohan Tungate 41
Jack Holder 32
Sam Masters 29
Brady Kurtz 29
Jaimon Lidsey 28
Nick Morris 26
Jordan Stewart 23
Ryan Douglas 19
Woffinden Wins WA Speedway Solo Titles
2018 World Speedway Solo Champion Tai Woffinden has emulated his father Rob when he won the WA Speedway Solo Champion last week at the new Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway complex.
On a track that copped some criticism over the two nights of racing, Woffinden predictably dominated proceedings and easily won the final from Cameron Heeps, Kane Lawrence and Daniel Winchester.
Tai Woffinden
“Obviously I grew up here and my dad won the state title here so for me and him to both win is a very special achievement that not many people would be able to do. The track was really tricky for solo riders tonight. If it was a grand prix, it would have been off 100 per cent; they would have cancelled it. But I got the boys revved up as much I could and said ‘we’ve got to put on a show, there are people who have come to watch us’ and I think we did a good job.”
2019 WA Speedway Solo Championships Final
1st: Tai Woffinden
2nd: Cameron Heeps
3rd: Kane Lawrence
4th: Daniel Winchester
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Zach Osborne Injured
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna announced before the opening round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship that Zach Osborne sustained a collarbone injury in a practice crash and will miss the next four to six weeks.
Zach Osborne
“I am extremely bummed at the timing of this injury. I feel that I have reached a level of riding that I never had in my career, on a bike that I’m so very comfortable with. I know that everything happens for a reason and I’ll be back as soon as possible!”
Zach Osborne
Osborne, a two-time 250SX East Region Champion, was scheduled to make his 450 debut with three other high-profile rookies in Joey Savatgy, Aaron Plessinger and Justin Hill who made their debuts at Angel Stadium with differing success.
KTM Dominates German SuperEnduro Round
After two wins and a second place over the three finals, Cody Webb has claimed victory at round two of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Germany to take the series lead ahead of his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Taddy Blazusiak who placed second overall to ensure a KTM 1-2 result.
Despite a mid-pack start in race one, KTM 350 EXC-F mounted Webb was quick to carve his way through the field and work his way up to the wheel tracks of leader Blazusiak. Making a break for the lead, he put his KTM out front and claimed a well-deserved win.
Colton Haaker
Making the best of the reversed start order in race two, Webb wasted no time in reaching the front. Building a comfortable advantage, he claimed a commanding 19-second victory. Aiming for a hat trick of race wins, the American’s hopes of a clean sweep unfortunately didn’t materialise in race three.
A couple of early mistakes left Webb playing catch up, finishing an eventual third. But with enough in hand thanks to his two earlier race wins, Webb topped the overall podium and with it becomes the new leader of the 2019 SuperEnduro series.
Cody Webb
“It feels awesome to come away with the victory here in Germany, as well as the points lead in the championship. I think this is my third win here in Riesa, so I seem to have a good feeling with this place. Overall, it’s been a good night. I got off to a good start with a win in the first race. My start wasn’t the best but I had some good lines and was able to close the gap to Taddy and then take the win. Race two is always a little tricky with the reversed start order but I managed to find a bit of space and find a way through. I had a few mistakes in the final race and just lost my momentum a little. But third was enough to take the top step of the overall podium. With round three in Madrid just a couple of weeks away it feels good to have the series lead.”
Cody Webb – Image by Future7Media
Following his winning performance at the opening round of the championship in Poland, Taddy Blazusiak entered Riesa aiming to keep that momentum rolling. Feeling confident in practice, he lined up for the opening race eager to put his KTM out front. However, following a crash from Alfredo Gomez, which resulted in a restart, he became unnerved by the incident and lost his rhythm and feeling with the track.
Alfredo Gomez
Nevertheless a 2-3 scorecard in the first two races kept him in the hunt for the overall podium entering race three. Feeling more settled, Blazusiak regrouped in style to secure an almost start-to-finish win, ultimately ending his night as runner-up to Webb.
Taddy Blazusiak
“It was a bit of tough night for me but we managed to turn things around for second overall. I felt great in practice and gelled very quickly with the track. However, when Alfredo Gomez crashed during the start of race one it unnerved me a little, I didn’t feel how I felt in practice. I was making mistakes in the restart and couldn’t shake them off. Race two was a similar story, too. I felt more myself in the final race and rode like I should have done all night there to win the moto. Unfortunately, we lost the series lead tonight but only by a few points. We’ve got round three in just a couple of weeks and I’m looking forward to making amends there. Finally, I’d just like to wish Alfredo a speedy recovery.”
Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media
The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round three in Madrid, Spain on January 26.
Prestige Race 1
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:46.552
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:50.994 +4.442
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 7:23.168 +36.616
Kevin Gallas (GER), Husqvarna, 7:05.780 +1 lap
Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 7:10.590 +1 lap
Prestige Race 2
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:50.910
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 7:10.051 +19.141
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 7:13.609 +22.699
Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 6:51.752 +1 lap
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:13.480 +1 lap
Prestige Race 3
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 7:35.335
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 7:58.051 +22.716
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 8:04.231 +28.896
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 8:22.017 +1 lap
Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 7:39.342 +2 laps
Prestige Class — Overall
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 57 points
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 53 pts
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 52 pts
Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 35 pts
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 33 pts
Championship Standings (After round 2)
Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 109 points
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 107 pts
Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 101 pts
Kevin Gallas (GER), Husqvarna, 58 pts
Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 56 pts
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HRC Confirms MX2 GP Line-Up
Honda’s assault on the MX2 category in the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship will see Assomotor Redmoto Honda and Team Honda 114 Motorsports running two riders each on the factory backed Honda CRF250R.
Spearheading the charge for the Assomotor Redmoto Honda team is 2018 EMX250 champion Mathys Boisrame who lines up alongside Brent van Doninck who joins Honda for the 2019 season for the first time aboard the CRF250R.
Honda are providing a further two CRF250Rs for Team Honda 114 Motorsports, who for 2019 are fielding a new pair of riders in Mitch Evans and Zachary Pichon.
After a winter of testing, the teams will be ready for the first Grand Prix of 2019 which is scheduled to be held in Argentina on 1-3 March.
Mathys Boisrame – Assomotor Redmoto Honda Team
“It’s been my dream to ride in MX2, and after winning the EMX250 title in 2018 I’m really looking forward to the new challenge. I have a really good feeling with the team and the CRF250R so I’m very happy to stay with Honda next season, and I think we have a very good chance of being competitive from the start of the season.”
Boisrame celebrates his 2018 EMX Championship win – He will compete in MX2 for Assomotor Redmoto Honda Team in 2019
Brent van Doninck – Assomotor Redmoto Honda Team
“I am really looking forward to riding for Honda in 2019 and joining the Assomotor Redmoto team. I felt really good on the CRF250R as soon as I tested it – it just feels really comfortable to ride and the engine is strong. I’m already riding a Honda a lot in the off-season, and I can’t wait to get to the gate next year.”
Mitchell Evans – Team Honda 114 Motorsports
“I am grateful for the opportunity that Honda 114 Motorsports has presented me. Racing in the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a goal of mine since I competed in the World Junior Championship in 2010. There is a lot for me to learn and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. I am excited to be racing with the best in the world.”
Mitchell Evans joins Team Honda 114 Motorsports in 2019
Zachary Pichon – Team Honda 114 Motorsports
“I am really excited to join Team 114 Motorsports and enter my first full Grand Prix season with them. I am already working hard physically to be ready and I am looking forward to working with Livia and the team. I had a great feeling when I rode the CRF250R for the first time; the suspension is just perfect. The engine suits my riding style too. We will start testing the bike soon and are all fully focussed on 2019. Being part of an official team will help me to make a step forward, as this season we missed some experience in our family-run team and could not do all of the rounds. Next year will be different and my father will have more time to work with me as well! I want to thank Honda and Team 114 for offering me this great opportunity.”
Mewse and Vaessen for Hitachi KTM
Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee have announced their rider line-up for 2019 with current Maxxis ACU British MX2 Motocross Champion Conrad Mewse teaming up with Dutchman Bas Vaessen to compete in the MX2 category of the 2019 F.I.M. Motocross World Championship and Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship.
Conrad Mewse races for Hitachi KTM in 2019
Roger Magee – Team Principal
“We were very happy to re-sign Conrad at Imola and then clinch his first British championship. We’ve been watching Bas for a couple of years and thought it was the right time to bring him into the KTM family. Bas has already adapted to the KTM really well and will be travelling to Redsand with Conrad and the rest of the team next week for pre-season testing with WP Suspension.”
Both riders will use the potent KTM 250 SX-F equipped with semi-factory engines. “Conrad and Bas have so much potential and we’re looking forward to seeing them push each other to the next level,” said Roger.
Graeme Irwin will compete in the MXGP category of the F.I.M. Motocross World Championship and Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship. Graeme endured a number of injuries in 2018 that cost him the chance to defend his 2017 British championship so will be looking for redemption aboard the KTM 450 SX-F.
Graeme Irwin will compete in MXGP and the British MX Championship after an injury filled 2018 season
“We know Graeme has the speed to win, we just need to avoid some of the bad luck that bit him. We’re confident that Graeme will be much stronger at home and in the MXGPs this year, once he has fully recovered from the injuries sustained at Imola,” said Roger.
Troy Lee helmets and apparel, Alpinestars boots and Oakley goggles will once again provide state-of-the-art clothing and equipment for Graeme, Conrad and Bas.
Hitachi Construction Machinery and Milwaukee Power Tools will be joint title sponsors for 2019 and beyond. The new-look Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee Team will make their debut at the Hawkstone Park International on 17February 2019.
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Stefan Everts Out of ICU
More positive news regarding Stefan Everts’ battle with malaria has been released by his family. Below is the full update from the family:
Stefan Everts’ family have released a further update
“Again, good news from Stefan Everts. The ten-time world champion, who was hit by malaria at the beginning of December, has traded the intensive care at the University Hospital of Leuven yesterday for the rehabilitation. The legend will stay in that department for six weeks to continue working on his recovery.
“For Everts, this is another big step forward. At the beginning of December, malaria broke out with him after taking part in Congo in the middle of November. He fought for a while for his life and was kept artificially asleep for a while. Everts fought back and defeated his biggest competitor ever. A few weeks ago, testing has already shown that he has not sustained permanent damage to organs and brain.
“In the last few days, Everts has once again made major steps forward, after which the professors decided to move him to rehabilitation. There he will be working hard on his recovery over the next few weeks.”
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The opening round of AMA Supercross for 2019, the famed Anaheim 1 event, was staged in uncharacteristically muddy conditions at the Californian venue on the weekend.
2019 AMA Supercross underway! Image Hoppenworld
Chad Reed took second place in the LCQ in order to move through to the main, but was caught up in a turn one incident in the main event that left the 36-year-old Aussie legend with plenty of work to do. Reed was down around 16th place after the incident, but steadily plugged his way through the field in the trying conditions to take 14-points from his ninth place finish, ahead of Cole Seely and Justin Brayton.
Chad Reed got caught up in a turn one incident on the opening lap – Image Hoppenworld
Reigning AMA Supercross Champion Jason Anderson had conversely started well, but then drifted back through the field, looking increasingly uncomfortable as the race wore on before eventually finishing in 14th place.
Another top runner that failed to fire to his potential was KTM’s Marvin Musquin. The 29-year-old was inside the top ten throughout the event, but never looked likely to threaten the front runners. The Frenchman still took eighth place to get a good first score on the board and 15 points.
Marvin Musquin
“The riding was not too bad but physically it was not an easy day as I didn’t have much time on the bike this off-season. But we knew it coming in, so the goal was to score some points and I ended up eighth in the Main Event. I had a great start and Cooper did too, but we almost got into each other and he went down. I avoided him but I lost a lot of ground. It would have been a little bit easier on me to get out front – I was right there in second place behind Cooper, it was pretty cool – but almost both of us crashing. My goal, once again, was to be consistent and score points and that’s what I did. Eighth is not too bad considering and now we can move on and get better from there.”
Marvin Musquin
Cooper Webb was caught up in the same lap one melee that had troubled Reed but recovered strongly and, at times, was the fastest man on the track as he pushed his way forward all the way to fifth place at the flag. One was left with the impression that if the race went longer, Webb would have made up even more places as the 21-year-old really did look stronger than the others in the late stages of the main and set the fastest lap of the race.
Cooper Webb
“Anaheim I is in the books and overall it was a really good day. We started with free practice just getting the hang of the track and I was able to qualify seventh. In the heat race, I didn’t get off to the greatest of starts and I didn’t ride to my potential, so I had a bad gate pick in the Main Event. I had a pretty outside gate but I nailed the start and I was first in the first turn but unfortunately, I fell over. It was slicker than I thought but I was able to get up and really put my head down and charge really hard to come back to fifth. I guess I had the fastest lap of the race, so that was really cool and I’m feeling confident and good with that result, so I’m ready to go to Phoenix next weekend!”
Cooper Webb
Dean Wilson was another rider that looked very strong in the trying conditions, but unlike Webb, Wilson started really strongly and looked likely to win the event before he made a mistake, and then seemed to lose his speed. Wilson was eventually chased down by Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac but still bagged a highly creditable fourth place in the season opener. That performance from the privateer certainly raised plenty of eyebrows.
Dean Wilson – Image by Hoppenworld
Malcolm Stewart had started strongly with Wilson, the pair running in close company up front for most of the early laps and it looked as though it would be a battle between the two for a win.
Dean Wilson and Malcolm Stewart were the early breakaway leaders – Image by Hoppenworld
Stewart though lost the rear on a corner entry and went down, he rejoined the race quickly but did not look like a challenger again as he drifted back to seventh place by the chequered flag, 12-seconds behind sixth place finish behind 450 debutante Aaron Plessinger.
Aaron Plessinger
“Anaheim 1 went pretty well. I got better and better every time I went out on the track. The heat race went awesome. I started out about fifth or sixth, got past some guys and finished third. I was pretty amped on that and I went into the main event pretty happy with myself. I got a great start and just maintained it. There were sometimes where I felt a little winded, but I couldn’t back down and pushed on to the finish and got sixth. I’d say Anaheim I, my first 450 race, was pretty good in my eyes. We’ll keep making improvements and head into Phoenix hot on the ball.”
Aaron Plessinger
It was Plessinger’s team-mate Justin Barcia though that took the major price and the $12,000 USD prize money for the win, let alone his contingency bonuses from a very happy Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team and other sponsors.
Jim Perry – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“Today at Anaheim, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross kick off was a great day for the bLUcRU. Justin Barcia took the main event win which was awesome. The new YZ450F has been a great bike for Justin. The team’s been working hard in the off season. He’s been working hard in the off season; and it showed tonight. He was fast in practice and was fast in his heat race. It kind of came together in the main event. Justin enjoys the mud and it was starting to rain pretty heavy. Definitely a great night for him and awesome to see the YZ450F in the winner’s circle. It was also a great night for Aaron Plessinger, the rookie, as he starts his career in the 450SX class. He got a great Heat race finish in third and went on to the Main Event, started towards the front, put in a solid moto and finished sixth. Great results for both guys and looking forward to next weekend.”
2019 AMA Supercross got underway at A1 – Image Hoppenworld
Barcia had also won his heat race to qualify for the main, but was in seemingly no hurry to make his way to the front of the pack in the main event. The 26-year-old just plugged away smoothly as he saw those in front eventually flail, allowing the New Yorker to avoid any incidents and go on to take what in the end was a fairly dominant win.
Justin Barcia
“Anaheim 1 was an awesome day. I had a lot of fun in practice, then going into the heat race it started to sprinkling a little. I didn’t get the best start but made some good passes and got into the lead and won my heat race which was awesome, and it felt really good to get that first one out of the way at the first race. The main event it was really pouring down. It was looking tricky watching the 250 start so I definitely got a little excited and nervous and all those feelings you get at the first race. I got off to a pretty decent start and worked my way up to third by a little over half the race. I played it smart and tried to make no mistakes. One of the guys went down in front of me and then I was able to charge harder and catch the leader, make the pass and ride a smooth race to the win. For me this is incredible, I haven’t won a 450 race in over six years so it’s a pretty awesome feeling. I couldn’t be much happier, I’m really excited to go to Phoenix. I just want to stay, smart, smooth, fast, consistent and focus on the championship plate.”
Justin Barcia – Image Hoppenworld
Likewise Ken Roczen, rode smart but looked strong and in the final laps closed down markedly on Barcia. The Yamaha man likely had speed left in his toolkit as he buttoned off in the closing laps, but after Roczen’s horrific injuries and considering the very tough conditions, it was heartening to see the German looking strong and confident.
2018 AMA Motocross Champion Eli Tomac also started the season steadily and strong. Racing again for Monster Energy Kawasaki, the 26-year-old (why does it always seem he is so much older than that?), showed that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Tomac confidently marched his way through the field after being caught out by the same lap one incident that troubled Reed and Webb.
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Tomac dominated the latter half of the 2018 Supercross season, and pretty much decimated the competition in the 2018 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. My money is on Tomac for the 2019 AMA SX Title.
AMA Supercross 2019 450 Round One Main Event Results
Justin Barcia – Yamaha
Ken Roczen – Honda +3.053
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +4.890
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna +9.948
Cooper Webb – KTM +17.107
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha +24.833
Malcolm Stewart – Honda +36.186
Marvin Musquin – KTM +47.621
Chad Reed – Suzuki +58.144
Cole Seely – Honda +71.386
Justin Brayton – Honda +1 lap
Blake Baggett – KTM +1 lap
Vince Friese – Honda +1 lap
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna +1 lap
Justin Hill – Suzuki +1 lap
Joey Savatgy – Kawasaki +1 lap
Carlen Gardner – Honda +2 laps
Ben Lamay – Honda +2 laps
Justin Bogle – KTM +2 laps
Ryan Breece – Yamaha +3 laps
AMA Supercross 2019 450 Round One Main Event Results Justin Barcia – Yamaha Ken Roczen – Honda +3.053 Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +4.890
AMA Supercross 2019 Championship Points
Justin Barcia – Yamaha 26
Ken Roczen – Honda 23
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki 21
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna 19
Cooper Webb – KTM 18
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha 17
Malcolm Stewart – Honda 16
Marvin Musquin – KTM 15
Chad Reed – Suzuki 14
Cole Seely – Honda 13
Justin Brayton – Honda 12
Blake Baggett – KTM 11
Vince Friese – Honda 10
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna 9
Justin Hill – Suzuki 8
Joey Savatgy – Kawasaki 7
Carlen Gardner – Honda 6
Ben Lamay – Honda 5
Justin Bogle – KTM 4
Ryan Breece – Yamaha 3
250 SX
Colt Nichols got the new year off to a sensational start tonight, taking his first career Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX win at the season opener at Angels Stadium of Anaheim. It was great night for Monster Energy/Star/ Yamaha Racing with teammate Dylan Ferrandis joining the Oklahoma native on the podium in second-place.
Dylan Ferrandis
Nichols started the night looking poised for a top result with his solid second-place finish in his Heat race. When the gate dropped for the Main Event, he was ready. He got a good start and went on to lead every lap of the race in spite of worsening weather conditions. The result was an impressive win for the 24yr old and a stunning debut for the all-new 2019 Yamaha YZ250F.
Colt Nichols
Colt Nichols
“It’s really an indescribable feeling to win at A1. The conditions were far from perfect but I was able to stay focused, ride my laps to take the win. That was the longest race of my life, it felt like. My mechanic gave me five to go, four to go, three to go… You’re kind of talking to yourself a little bit to get through it. I just tried to stay consistent. I really didn’t know how big of a lead I had and who was in second at the time, so just tried to keep the focus forward. I knew if I tried to relax a little too much I’d probably make a big mistake and crashed. So I just kind of tried to keep it moving and it ended up working out for me. The off-season was great this year. I was really, really pumped on how everything went. This is really what it was for. You can’t describe the feeling I had jumping that finish line in first. That’s why we all do this. For me to cross that off my list was a really, really big deal. That made all the suffering, all the pain of the past two years completely worth it.”
Colt Nichols
Victorian privateer Tomas Ravenhorst contested the A1 series opener on his privately entered KTM 250 SX-F. The 23-year-old finished a creditable 12th place in his Heat Race then went on to finish eighth in the LCQ but missed out on joining the main event this time around.
AMA Supercross 2019 250 Western Round One Main Event Results
Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha) +16.398
Shane McElrath (KTM) +20.268
RJ Hampshire (Honda) +42.339
Adam Cianciarulo (Kawasaki) +48.964
Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki) +59.254
Jimmy Decotis (Suzuki) +1 lap
Jacob Hayes (Yamaha) +1 lap
Chris Blose (Husqvarna) +1 lap
Jess Pettis (KTM) +1 lap
AMA Supercross 2019 250 Western Championship Points
Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 26
Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 23
Shane McElrath (KTM), 21
RJ Hampshire (Honda), 19
Adam Cianciarulo (Kawasaki), 18
Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki), 17
Jimmy Decotis (Suzuki), 16
Jacob Hayes (Yamaha), 15
Chris Blose (Husqvarna), 14
Jess Pettis (KTM), 13
Monster Energy Supercross next heads to Glendale, Arizona, next Saturday, January 12, for Round 2 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at State Farm Stadium.
Moto News Wrap for January 1, 2019 by Darren Smart
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Moto News Latest
Australian Speedway Solo Championships Ready to GO!
Ipswich to Host 2019 Australian Junior Speedway Championship
Anaheim 1 and Dakar – It’s Almost HERE!
Bloss Out – Bogle In
Changes to MXGP Calendar
Youthstream Releases the Provisional OAT (Officially Approved Teams) List
KTM Signs Liam Everts
Stefan Everts Starts Rehab
Australian Speedway Solo Championships Ready to GO!
We are just day away for the opening round of the 2019 Australian Speedway Solo Championships at Gillman Speedway on January the 3rd and for the first time in three years, the Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship will run a Qualifier the day before the opening round, where 16 selected riders will battle it out for the remaining eight spots in the Championship.
The eight seeded riders are led by none other than Chris Holder who will be joined by the 2018 reigning Champion, Rohan Tungate, Max Fricke, Jack Holder, Zane Keleher, Brady Kurtz, Sam Masters and Jaimon Lidsey.
Former world and multiple Australian champion Chris Holder used the Jason Crump Classic at Kurri Kurri Speedway Club on Boxing Day to signal he will be a force in the upcoming Australian titles.
Chris Holder went through the night undefeated to claim the Jason Crump Classic Cup at Kurri Kurri Speedway Club on Boxing Day. Picture by Michael Hartshorn
Holder won his five heats and then took out the A-final from Tungate, 2017 champion Sam Masters and Holder’s younger brother and 2018 NSW champion Jack.
Chris Holder won the Jason Crump Classic Cup at Kurri Kurri Speedway Club on Boxing Day. Picture by Michael Hartshorn
And vying for the other eight spots on the grid are Mason Campton, Ben Cook, Zach Cook, Ryan Douglas, Matthew Gilmore, Jacob Hook, Todd Kurtz, Jedd List, Rob Medson, Nick Morris, Jack Morrison, Josh Pickering, Cooper Riordon, Justin Sedgmen, Jordan Stewart and Kye Thomson while Brayden McGuiness and Dakota Ballantyne will be on hand as reserves.
At the close of Round 1, riders will move North to Mildura, Victoria for Round 2 on 5th January, followed by Round 3 on 7th January at Undera, Victoria. The penultimate round will be held on 9th January at Albury Wodonga, Victoria, with a close to the Championship at Kurri-Kurri, New South Wales on 12th January.
Don’t miss a moment of the 2019 Championship by going to NRGTV to watch all of the action live and get up-dates by checking out the Australian Speedway Championship website and on Facebook.
2019 Australian Senior Solo Championship
ROUND 1: GILLMAN SPEEDWAY – 3RD JANUARY
ROUND 2: MILDURA – 5TH JANUARY
ROUND 3: UNDERA – 7TH JANUARY
ROUND 4: WODONGA – 9TH JANUARY
ROUND 5: KURRI KURRI – 12TH JANUARY
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Ipswich to Host 2019 Australian Junior Speedway Championship
The Ipswich Switches Junior Speedway Club will host four nights of action between the 17th and 20th of January at Willowbank Raceway with the Under 21’s 500cc title, the Under 16’s 250cc and 125cc titles and the Under 16’s 125cc Team title up for grabs.
The Under 21’s 500cc Speedway Championship will see reigning champion Jaimon Lidsey hoping to regain the title but he will have to contend with Matthew “Happy” Gilmore, Kye Thomson, Cooper Riordan and Jordan Stewart (to name a few) to win in 2019.
The Australian Under 21’s Speedway Championship is the final step riders must make for their chance to represent Australia on the international stage at the FIM Team Speedway Under 21 World Championship. Australia will head to Vetlanda, Sweden for the Semi Finals, and if successful they will then head to Manchester, United Kingdom for the Finals!
Of the nominated riders, 16 have been drawn to compete in the 2019 Australian Championship, with two reserves also selected.
The 2019 Under 16’s 250cc Championship has drawn 13 successful nominees from across Australia including reigning Champion Keynan Rew who along with Patrick Hamilton and James Pearson are already creating a household name for themselves as they climb up through the ranks!
The Under 16’s 125cc Solo and Teams Championship will feature up and coming stars such as James Pearson who fans will also see compete in the Australian Under 16 250cc Speedway Championship, plus Flynn Nicol and Patrick Bowes.
The official entry list made up of 16 riders was drawn from a total collection of 20 nominated riders from across Australia.
Anaheim 1 and Dakar – It’s Almost HERE!!
It’s that time of year again where we are staring down the barrel of the start of two iconic events with the new Supercross season kicking off at Anaheim on January the 5th then the Dakar Rally with an all new route through Peru starts just a day later.
The 450SX class will see 36-year-old Australian Chad Reed take on a field of hard charging younger men led by established superstars including defending champion Jason Anderson, Eli Tomac, Marvin Musquin, Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia, Cole Seely, Justin Brayton, Blake Baggett, Malcolm Stewart, Justin Bogle and Dean Wilson while the likes of Cooper Webb, Joey Savatgy, Aaron Plessinger, Justin Hill and Zach Osborne will be out to prove themselves in this early stage of their 450 class careers.
Anaheim 1 track map
That is 17 very talented and competitive men all with their eyes on the one prize so look out A1 – it is going to be big and let’s hope Chad grabs the holeshot and comes through with what would be an historic win!
Chad Reed on JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450
A1 will also see the opening round of the 250SX West Coast Series and it is going to be a cracker with Adam Cianciarulo, Shane McElrath, Chase Sexton, Austin Forkner, RJ Hampshire, Dylan Ferrandis, Mitchell Harrison, Michael Mosiman, Colt Nichols, Sean Cantrell, Cameron McAdoo and Jimmy Decotis all fit and looking for a win while young Aussie hard charger in Tomas Ravenhorst will also be looking to make a name for himself on the world’s biggest stage.
As for our other Aussie hope in Hunter Lawrence, we will see the Geico Honda rider contest the 250SX East Coast Series which kicks off at Minneapolis on February the 9th and from what we have seen Hunter is looking sharp as he prepares for his rookie supercross season.
Hunter Lawrence – Hoppenworld Image
2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Schedule
Rd1: January 5 Angel Stadium of Anaheim Anaheim
Rd2: January 12 State Farm Stadium Glendale, AZ
Rd3: January 19 Angel Stadium of Anaheim Anaheim
Rd4: January 26 Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Oakland
Rd5: February 2 Petco Park San Diego
Rd6: February 9 US Bank Stadium Minneapolis
Rd7: February 16 AT&T Stadium Arlington
Rd8: February 23 Ford Field Detroit
Rd9: March 2 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta
Rd10: March 9 Daytona Speedway Daytona Beach
Rd11: March 16 Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis
Rd12: March 23 CenturyLink Field Seattle
Rd13: March 30 NRG Stadium Houston
Rd14: April 6 Nissan Stadium Nashville
Rd15: April 13 Broncos Stadium Denver
Rd16: April 27 MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, NJ
Rd17: May 4 Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas
Dakar 2019
As for Dakar 19, 138 motorcycle competitors are going to set off on January the 6th for 11 days of competition that will see them complete over 5500km across some of the most desolate and uninviting terrain Peru (or anywhere else for that matter) has to offer and as you would expect all of Australia will be hoping that Toby Price and Rodney Faggotter go through the event trouble free, ride to their full potential and come home 1-2 – not too much to ask is it?
Dakar will be run per cent in Peru
Dakar Rally 2019 Overview Day – Stage Special Stage Km – Total Km
6 January Start podium Lima
7 January Lima-Pisco 84 331
8 January Pisco-S. Juan de Marcona 342 554
9 January SS.an Juan de Marcona-Arequipa 331 799
10 January Arequipa-Moquegua 352 511
11 January Moquegua-Arequipa 345 776
12 January Rest day
13 January Arequipa-S. Juan de Marcona 317 839
14 January S. Juan de Marcona and Back 323 387
15 January S. Juan de Marcona-Pisco 361 576
16 January Pisco-Pisco 313 410
17 January Pisco-Lima 112 358
Total km 2889 5541
Bloss Out – Bogle In
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Benny Bloss will miss the entire 2019 Monster Energy Supercross season after sustaining a torn ACL in a practice crash early last week so the team has signed former 250SX East Region Champion Justin Bogle to fill-in. Bogle had put together his own program for 2019 after a deal with Phoenix Racing Honda had fallen through.
“Benny has been riding and progressing so well, it’s heartbreaking to Benny, his family, and the team,” said team owner Forrest Butler in a statement. “Benny has been with us since being a rookie in the summer of 2016, and 2019 was really ‘the year’ we were all ready to see what he could do. Really, there isn’t much to say as there are other injured riders too, or ones that have been there. We say it’s not fair, but it’s part of the sport and instead of wishing what could have been, it’s time to just focus ahead, get surgery and put in the hard work to be ready for the 2019 Motocross Nationals.”
“It was the silliest crash and there was nothing spectacular about it, extremely frustrating,” said Bloss in a statement. “I landed off a triple, and just went to the inside to make a new line, nothing crazy. I hit a slick spot and just lost the rear end doing the standard slide out, unfortunately, I had my leg fully committed and it got pinned under the handlebar and the ground. I knew I caught it the at a bad angle, and that’s pretty much end of the story—just the worst possible position I could have slid out in, and now it’s off to get my ACL fixed. I am young though, I have a lot of good people and sponsors behind me, I already have surgery scheduled as of today and have my full vision set on making the start of the outdoors.”
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Changes to MXGP Calendar
Youthstream have announced another revised calendar for the 19 round 2019 FIM World Motocross Championship which will now start on the first weekend of March at the Patagonia-Argentina Circuit of Neuquen and end in Hong Kong of all places on the third weekend of September.
Here is a summary of the changes: -The MXGP of Switzerland anticipated for August has been cancelled - The MXGP of Italy in Imola will now be held on the 17th and 18th of August instead of the 21st and 22nd of September – The MXGP of Hong Kong will move from the 20th and 21st of April to the now available 21st and 22nd of September as per the local organization request.\ – The venue for the 2019 MXGP of Lombardia on May 12th will be Mantova
Updated 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship Calendar
Rd1: Mar. 4 – MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen
Rd2: Mar. 24 – MXGP of Great Britain, Matterley Basin
Rd3: March 31 – MXGP of The Netherlands, Valkenswaard
Rd4: April 7 – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata
Rd5: May 1 – MXGP of China, Shanghai
Rd6: May 12 – MXGP of Lombardia (I), Mantova
Rd7: May 19 – MXGP of Portugal, Agueda
Rd8: May 24 – MXGP of France, Saint Jean d’Angely
Rd9: June 9 – MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok
Rd10: June 16 – MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
Rd11: June 23 – MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
Rd12: July 7 – MXGP of Indonesia, Palembang
Rd13: July 14 – MXGP of Asia (Indonesia), Semarang
Rd14: July 28 – MXGP of Czech Republic, Loket
Rd15: Aug. 4 – MXGP of Belgium, Lommel
Rd16: Aug. 18 – MXGP of Italy, Imola
Rd17: Aug. 25 – MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla
Rd18: Sept. 8 – MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
Rd19: Sept. 22 – MXGP of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
MXGP of Italy 2018 – MX2 Start – Image by Juan Pablo Acevedo
Youthstream Releases the Provisional OAT (Officially Approved Teams) List
Youthstream has released the Provisional OAT (Officially Approved Teams) List for the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship Season confirming that 39 teams have entered the MXGP and MX2 classes ,with 35 riders entered for MXGP and 32 for MX2 with the two Honda MX2 teams yet to sign riders for four spots available.
The list gives a breakdown of the teams currently entered into the new season of racing along with the riders whom will represent them as the series travels throughout South America, Europe, and Asia.
The 2019 Provisional OAT MXGP & MX2 Lists can be viewed in its entirety below.
MXGP Riders 2019
Team GBO Motorsport: Simon Furlotti
Team HRC: Tim Gajser/Brian Bogers
Monster Energy Factory MXGP: Romain Febvre/Jeremy Seewer
Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing: Sven Van Der Mierden/Micha Boy De Waal
KTM Sarhotz Racing: Max Nagl/Tom Koch
Scandinavian Racing Sports: Jonathan Bengtsson
Team Gibben Van Venrooy Kawasaki Racing: Alessandro Lupino/Benoit Paturel
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing: Pauls Jonass/Arminas Jasikonis
Monster energy Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team: Arnaud Tonus/Gautier Paulin
Monster energy Kawasaki: Clement Desalle/Julien Leiber
NR83 Team: Nathan Renkens
JWR Yamaha Racing: Kevin Strijbos/Vsevolod Brylyakov/Anton Gole
Sixtytwo Motorsport Husqvarna: Klemen Gercar
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Jeffrey Herlings/Antonio Cairoli’
AG Racing: Guryev Artem
Who will challenge Herlings in MXGP 2019….? – Hoppenworld Image
MX2 Riders 2019
Marchetti KTM: Iker Larranaga/Andrea Zanotti
Team HRC: Calvin Vlaanderen
Yamaha SM Action – M.C. Migliori/Michele Cervellin/Max Renaux
E2T – Racing Team: Enzo Toriani/Hampus Kahri
F&H Racing Team: Henry Jacobi/Adam Sterry
Team Diga-Procross Husqvarna: Davey Pootjes
Team Gibben Van Venrooy Kawasaki Racing: Marcel Conija
KTM Racestore MX2 Max Bart: Lesiardo Morgan
JD Gunnex Racing Team: Richard Sykina/Petr Polak
Bud Racing Kawasaki: Brian Moreau/Brian Hsu
A1M Husqvarna: Roland Edelbacher
Honda 114 Motorsports: TBA/TBA
STC Racing IXS: Loris Freidig
Hitachi KTM: Conrad Mewse/TBA
Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha: Ben Watson/Jago Geerts
Team Honda Redmoto Assomotor: TBA/TBA
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Jorge Prado/Tom Vialle
Bike It DRT Kawasaki: Darian Sanayei/Gustavo Pessoa
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing: Thomas Kjer Olsen/Jed Beaton
GT243: Maks Mausser
Revo Husqvarna UK: Dylan Walsh/Alvin Ostlund
Vamo Racing Team: Hakan Halmi
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Jorge Prado will stay and defend his MX2 Championship in 2019
KTM Signs Liam Everts
Promising Belgian youngster Liam Everts will officially become part of the KTM racing division from 2019 in an agreement that should see the latest generation of a famous family dynasty make his path up the motocross ladder to Grand Prix.
Everts, 14, has evolved as a racer in the last year, and his speed in just a second term with an 85cc motorcycle led to a third-place finish in the EMX85 European Championship. While Liam is able to count on the expertise and peerless achievements of his father Stefan—who is currently recovering from illness—he can also rely on the advice from four-times world champion and grandfather Harry as well as his mother, Kelly, who was so central to Stefan’s motocross efforts as he laid siege to all classes of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
The Everts’ will operate out of their own structure in 2019 as Liam prepares for his first season with the KTM 125 SX; the motorcycle with which Rene Hofer scored victories and red plates as EMX125 European Championship leader in 2018.
Liam Everts: “It feels like an honour for me to ride with KTM because it feels like they are the best brand in motocross. We have a long deal in place but I have been on a KTM for a while now and I love the bike; it’s amazing how it handles and how it fits my style. To get this contract is great. I’m really happy and I’m really looking forward to the future. Hopefully we can make some nice things together, we’ll go step by step and build along the way.”
Liam Everts
Robert Jonas, VP of Offroad: “Liam comes from one of the best family names in motocross and while that also gives him an advantage it also brings pressure, but we’re excited by what we have seen from him so far. It’s clear the progress he has made with his pace and technique in 2018 and that points to even more potential. It is still early but he could go all the way. Liam is clearly making the commitment to racing at the highest level while looking at the next steps to get better and to enjoy success, so we’re really happy to be there with him.”
Liam Everts
Stefan Everts Starts Rehab
The family of Stefan Everts released a positive update regarding his battle with malaria with the ten-time FIM Motocross World Champion beginning rehabilitation.
Everts, who was hospitalized earlier this month after contracting the mosquito-borne disease at a charity event in the Democratic Republic of Congo, remains at the University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium, but has begun his physical rehabilitation after tests have revealed that he did not suffer any damage to his brain or organs.
“Everts started with his [physical] rehabilitation yesterday. Compared to the worrying condition of a few weeks ago, he’s already doing much better. Although he is still in the intensive care of the UZ in Leuven, he is already getting out of bed and can already walk a little. After a charity in Congo mid-November, the legend had suffered an aggressive form of malaria. The state of health of Everts had deteriorated so much that he was in danger for a long time. However, studies last week showed that neither his brain nor his organs suffered permanent damage due to the malaria attack. About the duration of his stay on intensive care and his rehabilitation is not yet certain.
“Everts realises after a good conversation with the professors in Leuven that he escaped the worst. ‘That I’m still here is my most beautiful Christmas present,’ let him know. Stefan and his family want to thank all the people for the huge support they got in the last few weeks and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In new developments, the family—who is now looking to focus on Stefan’s rehabilitation—will again communicate through a press release.”
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Moto News Wrap for December 25, 2018 by Darren Smart
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What Went Down Last Week?
2019 AORC Support Classes and SA Location Announced
Yamaha backs New 2 Stroke Nationals Series For 2019
Taree Kicks Off 2019 Dirt Track Season
McAdoo Slots in for Injured Sexton at Geico Honda
Kawasaki’s Off-Road Programs Expands in USA
Kyle Chisholm Signs with H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki for 2019
Stefan Everts Up-Date
2019 AORC Support Classes and SA Location Announced
Luke Styke – AORC Omeo 2018
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has confirmed Coonalpyn, South Australia as the location for rounds 8 & 9, running from August 30th to September 1st.
Expanding from two to three weekends running across Rounds 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and 10 & 11, the new and improved 2-Stroke Cup will cater to bikes ranging from 125cc up to 250cc. 2019 will also see the return of the Pony Express (All Powers) supporting class which will run at Round 7 of the 2019 AORC season at Broken Hill.
The Vintage (Evo Pre 86) supporting class will run to the same format as seen in 2018. Featuring at Round 3 and 4 in Dungog, New South Wales (NSW) as an Enduro, the Vintage class will run as a precursor to the Vintage Enduro at the Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE), held the following month.
All other classes from the 2018 season will remain unchanged for 2019 and Supplementary Regulations will be released in early 2019.
2019 AUSTRALIAN OFF-ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
Round 1 & 2: Gympie, QLD – 9 – 10 March 2019
Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW – 6 – 7 April 2019
Round 5 & 6: Kyogle, NSW – 20 – 21 July 2019
Round 7: Broken Hill, NSW – 10 – 11 August 2019
Round 8 & 9: Coonalpyn, SA – 31 August – 1 September 2019
Support Classes (*only at selected rounds) 2-Stroke Cup (125cc and 250cc) (*Round 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 10 & 11) Pony Express: All Powers (*Round 7) Vintage: Evo Pre 86 (*Round 3 & 4)
Yamaha backs New 2 Stroke Nationals Series For 2019
Yamaha Motor Australia is proud to announce a new partnership with Williams Event Management (WEM), as the naming rights sponsor of the 2019 Australian 2-Stroke national series which will be known as the Yamaha bLU cRU 2-Stroke Amateur Nationals, the series is open to all makes of two-stroke machines, with classes available for junior and senior amateur racers of all skill levels.
Announcing YMA’s involvement in the three-round championship through its bLU cRU sponsorship strategy, Matthew Ferry, National Sales and Marketing Manager Yamaha Australia said the series would provide an opportunity for junior racers to compete at a national level on three different circuits.
“During the 2018 MX Nationals, we had the opportunity to run the YZ65 Cup and found people were seriously enthusiastic about two-stroke junior racing, so when Kevin Williams from WEM spoke with us about the series, we were very excited. This will be an excellent opportunity for juniors to race nationally and develop their skills in this great sport.”
Five classes will contest the 2019 season, with the three-round series visiting Victoria, ACT and Queensland between February and April. The season kicks off at Traralgon in Victoria on 10 February, before heading north to Coolum, QLD, for round two on 3 March. The season finale will take place at Canberra, ACT, on 27 April.
Classes contesting the series are
Junior – 65cc; 85cc and 125cc
Senior – Two-Stroke All powers; Retro All Powers for motocross bikes aged 20 years or more
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Taree Kicks Off 2019 Dirt Track Season
For many years the Old Bar track near Taree had the honour of opening, and closing, the dirt track racing calendar in New South Wales and that tradition will continue in 2019 with the scheduling of the Twilight Open meeting for Saturday, January 19.
From 2014 to 2017 the Troy Bayliss Classic meeting opened the calendar and despite that event closing down the Taree Motorcycle Club is determined to put on a race meeting that will kick off the 2019 season with a bang.
The dirt track scene of course continues to produce exciting action for fans at the same time as producing exciting young talent progressing through the junior ranks in to other disciplines of the sport like speedway and road racing.
The twilight meeting will give riders the chance to blow away the cobwebs after a break from competition over the Christmas – New Year period.
As well as senior and junior 2-wheel action there will also be sidecar and ATV racing with entries closing on January 11, but Race Secretary Lyndel Butler has encouraged riders to get their entries in early as there will be a cap on entries for some classes to ensure a streamlined program for riders and fans alike.
Max Whale at Taree
McAdoo Slots in for Injured Sexton at Geico Honda
The dramas continue at Geico Honda with the news that Chase Sexton is inured hot on the back of the news that Jeremy Martin will not compete in the 2019 season.
Sexton hurt his collarbone in a mountain bike crash and will now switch from 250SX West Region to 250SX East Region, giving him time to recover so Cameron McAdoo will join RJ Hampshire on a GEICO Honda CRF250R in the West while GEICO Honda will have Sexton, Christian Craig, and Hunter Lawrence racing 250SX East.
Cameron McAdoo seen on the grid here in Dallas 2018 – Hoppenworld Image
Kyle Chisholm Signs with H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki for 2019
After missing the 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross due to a knee injury sustained at round four at High Point, Kyle Chisholm will join Alex Ray and Adam Enticknap in the H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki team in 2019.
Chisholm moved back down to the 250 class in 2018 with 51Fifty Energy Drink Yamaha and finished eighth in the 250SX West Region while scoring five top ten finishes in the 450 class at a few East Coast race.
Chisholm underwent surgery in June to fix a torn meniscus and ACL and is looking forward to the new season – he posted this on social media:
‘Even though it’s no secret I haven’t officially posted about it, but I’m happy to be working with the @hepmotorsports@suzukicycles team for the 2019 @supercrosslive season. Thanks to all of the team’s sponsors. Looking forward to a good and fun season with the team.’
Stefan Everts Up-Date
Stefan Everts was hospitalized in Belgium early in December after he contracted malaria while participating in a charity event in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the family requested privacy during this difficult time so the news on Stefan’s condition have been scant but thankfully the family released some good news to Belgian media just before Xmas.
Below is part of the statement the family released (translated by Google)
‘The situation of Stefan Everts, who has been affected by malaria, is developing favourably and his condition is no longer critical, which is why the ten-time world champion in motocross no longer needs a sedative. Everts is still in intensive care at the University Hospital of Leuven, where he is closely monitored and only his family members are admitted. About the effects of malaria or about the duration of the recovery, nothing can be said at the moment. The Everts family wants to thank everyone for the many statements of support and the encouraging words, we cannot possibly answer them all personally, that is why she (his wife) does it through this way: ‘A big thank you all to give us a heart in this difficult period.’
The family also asks, just like the past weeks, to give them the necessary rest so that she can concentrate fully on Stefan. In the case of new developments, communication will again take place via a press release.’
Stefan EvertsSmarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Chad Reed on JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki for 2019 AMA SX
Although the news has been out of the bag for some time, this week JGRMX/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing officially announced its race teams for the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross series that includes two-time 450 Supercross Champion Chad Reed alongside Justin Hill.
Chad Reed on JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450
Fourth on the all-time Supercross win list, with 44 main event victories, Reed is easily one of the most popular riders in the paddock, and will contest the 17-round 450 Supercross series on a Suzuki RM-Z450.
The 36-year-old had a busy off-season, sweeping the S-X Open in New Zealand and capturing the International FIM Oceania Championship. He looks to carry that success into 2019.
Chad Reed claimed inaugural FIM Oceania Championship in Auckland – Image AUS-X Open
Alex Martin will join Jimmy Decotis, Kyle Peters and Enzo Lopes in the 250 class. The four-rider 250 program will race with the all-new 2019 Suzuki RM-Z250.
JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki
Weston Peick, a 450 class favourite, will also return to the JGRMX/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team for his fifth year. However, due to a serious injury at the Paris Supercross in November, where he suffered multiple facial injuries, Peick will not be competing until he is healthy and ready. Peick is hopeful to return to the track this season. Until then, he will be signing autographs and meeting fans at various Supercross races.
