Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans will be under the Team HRC awning in 2022 as they both look to rebound from differing 2021 campaigns, and put their Honda CRF450R’s at the front of this highly competitive MXGP class.
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans
Last year’s championship was filled with a lot of good moments for Team HRC, with four-time world-champion Gajser winning four rounds after some really impressive riding, including an incredible one-one performance at the opening round in Russia. However, ultimately, he came up just short in his quest to become a five-time champion, and it is that outcome that he is looking to set right when he lines up at Matterley Basin and beyond, for what should be another intense title-battle.
Tim Gajser
For his Aussie team-mate Evans, 2021 was the most difficult of his young career as he was forced to watch from the sidelines whilst recovering from the wrist injury he sustained at the MXGP of Spain in 2020.
Mitch Evans
Missing an entire season is never positive, but the Australian has kept a strong focused mindset and is hoping to bounce-back this year and remind everyone of the rider who scored a third-place finish in his first ever MXGP moto. He knows it won’t be easy and isn’t putting pressure on himself to get those sorts of results straight-away but his belief in his ability has never wavered and it should only be a matter of time before the #43 is challenging at the very front of the field.
Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans
“It’s been a really tough 15 months for me, not being able to race and not being able to ride for such a long time. It’s been hard, both physically and mentally to try and stay positive and to keep the motivation high to come back to what is an extremely high level of motocross in the MXGP class now. However, I am feeling better and better every day now and my fitness and strength is ahead of the schedule I’d set out for myself. I know that it won’t be easy to race these guys right away because they are going so fast, but I’m not putting pressure on myself and I truly believe I can get back to that level. You never lose your ability to ride, so it’s just a case of getting my left-side strong enough and that is happening day by day. I’m really thankful to have had the support of Team HRC throughout this period and I’m really looking forward to paying that back by putting in the results on the track.”
Mitch Evans
First up for both riders are the preseason Italian International races, before they head to Great Britain and the amazing Matterley Basin track on the weekend of February 20th. From then on, it’s a steady stream of racing, on some of the best tracks around the world, with hopeful returns to some of the overseas destinations that have been unavailable these past two seasons. Whatever happens this year with the calendar, both Honda riders are ready to bounce back and give their best in the 2022 World Motocross Championship.
Tim Gajser
“I feel really good coming into this 2022 season. Obviously last year didn’t end the way I wanted, as I finished third in the championship, which is still good, but it isn’t what I aim for. I did have a lot of good moments and those are the things I am focusing on and building upon in this off-season. We haven’t had a lot of time to switch-off and relax so that has been difficult but I am feeling fit and healthy and ready to fight for the championship. I will race the Italian races to give me some warm-up gate drops but I know the real racing starts at Matterley Basin in under one month’s time. There are a lot of familiar tracks on the calendar and I am confident that I can maintain a high level of performance and put the Honda CRF450R on the podium throughout the season. Hopefully we can get into a regular routine and the schedule stays the same, and that the fans can come out and support us at all the rounds as that makes such a big difference.”
Tim Gajser
Marcus Pereira de Freitas – HRC General Manager – MXGP
“It is great to have both Tim and Mitch under the awning this year, and they are both working really hard to be ready again for the new season. The break was very short from the end of the 2021 campaign so it has been a very busy period and I must thank everyone in Team HRC for continuing to work hard to make sure we are all set for the first gate drop. Tim always does the work necessary, both with bike testing and his own physical training so I always trust him to do exactly what he needs to do. Mitch has been back in Europe for a little bit now and all the reports have been positive and now we get to test with him before the first MXGP and that will give us an idea of where he is. We know it won’t be easy as the level has risen since he last raced but he is very determined and we will make sure he has everything he needs to get back to top of the class. It sounds like we are going back to a two-day format, which I think is good for the sport so we need to be ready for that, but overall, I think Team HRC is in a strong position for 2022.”
2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar
Honda had a bit of fun a few weekends back – and since we love all things two-wheeled here at MotorBikeWriter, let’s take a look at the stats.
The July 17-18 weekend showcased Honda racing teams speeding to success, thanks to a long-standing collaboration with French oil manufacturer Motul.
Here’s a breakdown of how everyone is doing so far:
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
FCC (Fuji Clutch Co.) TSR (Technical Sports Racing) Honda France snagged a win at the Cicuito do Estoril on the Portuguese Riviera. This was the team’s first victory for the FIM Endurance World Championship 2021 and one that showcased their partnership with Motul to a tee.
Team HRC extend their lead in the MXGP championship
Team HRC also beat the heat and took advantage of the partnership with Motul by prettying up their CRF450RW with the Motul 300V Factory Line Off Road 5W-40 4T. Results were a success, with team HRC taking first place at MXGP of The Netherlands.
National Motos racing team carves their way into the podium
Honda’s National Motos (also supported by Motul) burned up the superstock class with a podium finish, awarding the team with the Dunlop Independent Trophy (Twice the charm!)
Tim Gasjer from Team HRC takes the overall win at the MXGP in the Netherlands.
Thanks to Motul’s joint partnership with Honda, the Motul 300V Factory Line Racing Kit Oil 2376H 0W-30 ESTER Core® was created with the FCC TSR Honda France racing team in mind, with the oil engineered specifically for their CBR1000RR engine.
The results are nothing short of fantastic, providing the CBR1000RR with superior power output yet maintaining the full reliability of the machine.
Because of this excellent compatibility between bike and oil, Honda’s CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP remained reliable for over 400 laps.
Here are the more detailed specs on all of Honda’s racing team results:
FIM EWC QUALIFYING RESULTS
#5 F.C.C TSR Honda France CBR1000RR
The Team:Josh Hook | Yuki Takahashi | Mike Di Meglio
The Results: P3 in EWC class, P3 Overall (1:39.309)
#55 National Motos CBR1000RR
The Team: Stéphane Egea | Guillaume Antiga | Enzo Boulom
The Results: P4 in Superstock class, P13 Overall (1:41.233)
FIM EWC RACE RESULTS
#5 F.C.C TSR Honda France CBR1000RR
The Team: Josh Hook | Yuki Takahashi | Mike Di Megli
The Results: P1 in EWC class, P1 Overall (417 laps completed, Fastest Lap – 1:39.801)
#55 National Motos CBR1000RR
The Team: Stéphane Egea | Guillaume Antiga | Enzo Boulom
The Results: P2 in Superstock class, P9 Overall (407 laps completed, Fastest Lap – 1:41.171)
FIM MXGP RACE RESULTS
#243 Team HRC CRF450RW
The Team: Tim Gajser | Mitch Evans
The Results: P3 in Grand Prix Race 1 (20 Points), P2 in Grand Prix Race 2 (22 Points), P1 Overall (42 Points)
Our hats off to the young racers – looking forward to seeing what Motul and Honda give us next!
An updated 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar has been issued with a much-anticipated return to racing following a four month break due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The common goal has remained to preserve the maximum number of events in order to make a credible Championship, supporting all the stakeholders with the aim of saving the jobs of everyone in our sport.
Now even if the situation has not yet become completely clear with regards to COVID-19 MXGP starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and with the calendar announced MXGP will concentrate a very intense championships into three months for all classes.
The season will resume with a triple race in Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia, Riga and Kegums, with the first event scheduled on the 8-9 of August, followed by a mid-week special on the 11-12 of August, and the final Latvian stop concluding on the 15-16 of August. The Latvian circuit will undergo changes for each event, providing the riders with three completely different racetracks. As it stands, in Latvia there will be a total of 1,000 spectators permitted, with a promise that if the situation improves, numbers will be increased.
The updated calendar will unfortunately see the cancellation of the MXGP of Czech Republic, the MXGP of Sweden and MXGP of Finland from the 2020 MXGP calendar with all being postponed to 2021.
The MXGP of Germany, previously as TBA, as well as the MXGP of Indonesia and Asia scheduled to be held in November have been also postponed to 2021 while the MXGP of Emilia Romagna changed the venue hosting a double-race in Faenza – MXGP of Italy and MXGP of Emilia Romagna – and an additional race in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia have been included together with a triple race in Lommel, Belgium as the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders, MXGP of Limburg and MXGP of Lommel.
The 2020 MXGP Calendar then foresees the MXGP of Trentino scheduled at a later date and the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina as penultimate and final event respectively. The MXGP of Russia and the MXGP of Portugal are part of the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar as TBC for the moment depending on the ongoing national conditions.
Unfortunately, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France has been postponed to 2023 due to the high restrictions for COVID-19 which forbid mass public gatherings in France. Infront Moto Racing are now working with Steve Dixon to bring the 2020 Monster Energy FIM MXoN to Matterley Basin (UK); the event, which is nearly three months away will conform to the outdoor event guidance regulations.
From September onwards, at almost every event spectator number limits will be in place, but organisers hope that by then the situation will be much better, and they will be able to welcome larger crowds. Every country has different protocols concerning the COVID-19 restrictions, therefore prior to each event we will inform all the stakeholders, media and fans concerning the specific restrictions they will need to follow.
With many events running consecutively one after the other, in order to provide the riders with a better recovery period, the MXGP and MX2 race action will be concentrated into one day, with free/timed practice taking place in the morning and the main races starting from 1200 into the afternoon. Whereas the day before each event the European Championship and/or the Women’s World Championship will be run.
At the Monster Energy FIM MXoN the participants will take points for the MXGP and MX2 World Championships, Infront Moto Racing and FIM are working on the regulations keeping in mind the format, the principle and the soul of the MXoN to be maintained.
As always, fans will be able to follow all the race action of each MXGP, MX2, European and Women’s Championship race on the MXGP-TV.com.
2020 MXGP Calendar
MXGP Points Standings
Herlings, J.NED KTM 94
Gajser, Tim SLO HON 85
Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 68
Desalle, C. BEL KAW 60
Paulin, G. FRA YAM 58
Coldenhoff, G. NED GAS 56
Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 53
Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 47
Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 42
Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 39
Evans, M. AUS HON 34
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 31
Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 26
Jacobi, Henry GER YAM 23
Bogers, Brian NED KTM 23
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Team HRC ready to start their engines in MXGP
After a break of what will be five months by the time of the next gate drop, Team HRC are set to resume the MXGP season on August 9th at the Latvian track in Kegums, an hour south of Riga. In what is a much-changed calendar from the before the COVID-19 outbreak, this new schedule looks set to include multiple rounds at the same venue, midweek races, and an all-new one-day format.
This is a major step forward for a campaign where reigning world champion Tim Gajser was on the podium at the only two rounds held so far. With two moto wins out of the four races, the Honda CRF450RW rider was in a strong position before the postponement of the season and he’ll be looking to come back where he left off in Kegums, for what is scheduled to be three races in seven days.
Tim Gajser
“I was really surprised to see the new calendar, especially to do three races in Kegums and also three races in Lommel, in the deep sand. It is how it is though, so I know I need to work hard in the deep sand between now and then and try to get as ready as possible. I’m just looking forward to going racing again after such a long break. I miss the races, the weekends at the race tracks so I’m excited to get back to it. I’m not sure how this one-day format will work completely but it will mean that track time is much more critical and we need to be ready to work on bike setup quickly and efficiently. Thankfully I know I have a really good team around me so I’m confident we can cope. Really though, I am just happy that they have released a calendar and we are going racing in one month’s time.”
Tim Gajser on the podium at round one earlier this season – Bavo Image
For his Aussie team-mate Mitch Evans, this break has allowed him to recover from the shoulder injury which he sustained in Valkenswaard at round two, and with a further five weeks until the first moto, he’ll be hoping show the speed that saw him finish third in the first moto of the year in Great Britain.
Mitch Evans
“I’m happy to see the new calendar come out. It looks like it should go ahead finally, at least I’m optimistic that it should be getting back racing soon. The one-day format will be a new thing for the MXGPs, but for me it is just like racing in Australia where we have practice and qualifying in the morning and then two motos in the afternoon, so I should feel at home with it. At the moment, with my injury, I’ve had one day back on the bike and I did some flat-track riding. I’ll do this for the first month and then see the surgeon at the end of July and then hopefully get the all-clear to start racing after that. Obviously, it’ll mean I’ll only having one week to really get ready on a normal track, to see how my shoulder feels before we go racing in Latvia, so I’m not sure if I’ll be 100% by then, as we’ll have to see how the shoulder keeps progressing. Hopefully it holds up well and feels good when I’m riding and then we’ll make a decision before that weekend. I’ve never had an injury like this, with this much time off the bike so it’s been tough. I’m really happy to be back on the bike though and getting back into normal training and with an exact date in mind, to build towards and see the rest of Team HRC, the fans and the MXGP paddock again.”
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans
Austin Forkner injury update
Austin Forkner had a major crash in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross finale at Salt Lake City and this week revelead just how series his injuries were. The 21-year-old Missouri native had to have his spleen removed and also lost a third of his pancreas along with numerous other injuries to internal organs, including major bruising to his liver and kidneys. Forkner said it was by far the most painful thing he has have ever experienced and that the fist five or six days I was in hospital were horrible. He opens up about the injuries in this social media post.
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Jesse Dobson joins Serco Yamaha
Only days after Jesse Dobson was officially released from his contract with RecoveR8 KTM the talented 23-year-old Queenslander has confirmed he will race under the Serco Yamaha banner for the remainder of the 2020 season, competing at the Australian Motocross Championships on the teams’ YZ250F in the MX2 division Dobson will join current Serco Yamaha Team member Aaron Tanti to form a strong team for the 2020 racing season.
Jesse Dobson
“2020 has been a crazy year already but I’m glad to have found a home for the remainder of the year. I have test rode the bikes and met everyone in the team and racing can’t happen fast enough for me as I’m desperate to fly the Serco Yamaha flag and be surrounded by a great race team. This year I hit the reset button a little on my career and knew I had to change a few things to reignite my racing. This lead me back to the MX2 class and now to Serco Yamaha and I have a really positive vibe about it all and look forward to being apart of such a successful and long established team.”
Jesse Dobson
Dobson comes into the Serco Yamaha fold to cover the loss of Dylan Walsh. The logistics of running a New Zealand based rider during a season interrupted by Covid-19 proved too much and both parties agreed to move on and explore other avenues.
“First of all, I would like to thank Dylan (Walsh) for his efforts during the start of the year and racing the New Zealand Motocross Championships with our support. When the Covid lock down came and international travel proved difficult, we acknowledged that it would be difficult to continue and Dylan has since left to explore options in the US,” explains Serco Yamaha owner, Gavin Eales. “We then assembled a bit of a list of the available riders and Jesse Dobson was the stand out. He has great speed and experience, is Queensland based and very determined to get his career back on track. Our initial test with him proved successful so now we are full steam ahead with him and hoping to get some local racing under our belts before the Australian Motocross Championship kicks off in the coming months.”
2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships Entries Open
Entries are now open for the 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships to be held at Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia, on September 26 and 27, 2020.
The Championships will be run by the Keyneton Motorcycle Club and held at Mungeree Homestead, “Hogan Family Property”, Survey Road, Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
The 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships will offer competition in all classes and returning in 2020 is the Mini Trial, a support class on a shortened course of 10 sections, with 3 laps each day – for all riders aged 4 to 9-years-old on mini wheeled bikes.
Camping is available to competitors and officials at the venue from 8am Thursday 24th to Monday 28th September. Please contact Tyler Hogan on 0429 665 240. Showers available with a gold coin donation.
COVID-19 requirements and restrictions will be in place, please refer to supplementary regulations for further information.
YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup’s Postponed Till October 2020
Due to the existing COVID-19 pandemic, Yamaha Motor Europe, Infront Moto Racing and FIM Europe have agreed to postpone the 2020 YZ 125, 85 and 65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were scheduled to take place at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France on the weekend of September 27th to a later date, which is likely to be in October. The exact date and location of the event will be announced when more information is available.
A record 286 young riders are signed up to the 2020 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup across the YZ65, YZ85 and YZ125 classes. This year, the number of national championships bLU cRU riders will participate increased from 17 to 21 as Yamaha continues to expand its pool of talent across the continent.
2020 will mark the fourth edition of the highly popular YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup and the second edition of the YZ85 and YZ65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were introduced at the start of 2019.
As was the case in 2019, the top three finishers of each SuperFinale race, as well as two wildcard riders, will automatically be invited to the bLU cRU Masterclass at the end of the year. The winner of the 125, 85 and 65 categories in the Masterclass will have the fantastic opportunity to earn support from Yamaha Motor Europe next year, following in the footsteps of last year’s winners: Latvian Mairis Pumpurs, who won the YZ125 class and now races for the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team, as well as our 85cc and 65cc winners Dex Kooiker from The Netherlands and Freddie Bartlett from Sweden, who now have added support from Yamaha Motor Europe.
2020 Lima Half-Mile Postponed
Due to COVID-19 regulations in the areas surrounding Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH, the promoters of the Lima Half-Mile have had to postpone its doubleheader race dates scheduled for Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 2020.
American Flat Track is working closely with the promoter, Allen County Fairgrounds and the local health officials to help secure a date that will accommodate its current schedule and provide the best experience for its fans, competitors and staff.
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More Speedway GP events cancelled
Due to ongoing global health concerns and crowd restrictions in Russia and Germany in light of COVID-19, the 2020 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and 2020 Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix have been cancelled.
The events were scheduled to take place at Anatoly Stepanov Stadium on August 29 and Teterow’s Bergring Arena later this year respectively.
Following discussions with the Anatoly Stepanov Stadium and Bergring Arena, we are pleased to announce that both the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and the Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will return in 2021.
The Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, May 22, while the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix’s timing will be announced at a later date.
Czech Republic National series
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing restarted their engines with two ‘warm-up’ appearances in the initial rounds of the 2020 Czech national motocross series where current MX2 FIM World Championship leader Tom Vialle celebrated a victory and a runner-up podium finish.
The MX2 crew of Vialle and Rene Hofer (with EMX European Championship rider Liam Everts also in competition) travelled to the Czech Republic for the first two rounds of six in the domestic contest. The events at the Dalecin and Kaplice circuits were some of the first in Europe to take place after wide international lockdown restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Vialle flew to a 1-1 set of moto wins at Dalecin on his works KTM 250 SX-F while Hofer was also fast to gain 2nd place overall at the hard-packed opener. The Frenchman and Austrian had last competed at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard on March 8th.
Rene Hofer
A week later at Kaplice Vialle ran MX2 Grand Prix rival Jago Geerts close for victory: the gap was less than a second between the two riders in the second moto. Vialle lifted the red plate again on the podium thanks to a 2-2 scorecard as Hofer rode securely to 5th position overall (having qualified fastest) and Everts made the top ten with 10th spot.
The Czech outings helped both 18-year olds get back into a race groove ahead of the MXGP series reconvening in Latvia on August 9.
Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle
“A pretty good weekend again and I’m happy with the week we’ve had here in the Czech Republic. The track was really good for passing, even if there were a lot of lappers from pretty early in the race and there was only really one line: you had to be patient and ended up losing some time, so that made things tricky. I had the best lap-time in both motos and had a great feeling on the bike. In the end it was good training. Now we’ll have a small break before working in Belgium this next month and then the GPs start again!”
Czech Republic MX2
Czech Republic MX2 Championship standings
Tom Vialle, KTM, 94 points
Rene Hofer, KTM, 76
Richard Sikyna, KTM, 74
Jago Geerts, Yamaha, 72
Michael Sandner, KTM, 60
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Yamaha to host Facebook Live reveal of 2021 Motocross Range
Yamaha Motor Australia has announced it will present the 2021 Yamaha motocross range during a special Facebook Live event at 10 am on Friday, 10 July.
YMA will present all the MX models from the YZ65 through to the YZ450F allowing viewers to get a close look at the full range just hours after the international embargo is lifted.
Viewers can interact with the live stream via the comments sections and will be encouraged to ask questions and generate further online discussion about the new releases.
Following the broadcast, a copy of the presentation will be hosted on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page.
An event has been set up on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page, allowing people to register their intention and receive a reminder when the stream is about to go live.
Click Facbeook logo below for the event page or click get reminder to be notified when broadcast starts
Learn more about Gajser in this feature video that has highlights from his victory at the 2019 Motocross of Nations and MXGP world championship winning season in 2019, from ex-HRC world champion Dave Thorpe, who breaks down exactly how and why the #243 is one of the very best motocross riders of the modern era.
March 24 (24/3) marked a special day for Team HRC rider Tim Gajser as the birthday of his older brother Zan, who passed away in a motocross accident before he was born. This is the reason that the number ‘243’ adorns his factory Honda CRF450RW, as a tribute and a reminder that his brother is always with him.
You can also check out the following gallery of Tim Gajser with his time with Team HRC, showing off the ‘243’ (and the occasional #1 plate) since he joined Honda in 2014, where he has won three world titles.
Tim Gajser
MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser
MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser
MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser, Jeffrey Herlings, Antonio Cairoli
MXGP Rnd Tim Gajser Jeffrey Herlings Antonio Cairoli
MXGP Rnd Tim Gajser hondaproracing bybavo
Tim Gajser
MXGP Rnd Tim Gajser hondaproracing bybavo
MXGP Rnd Tim Gajser hondaproracing bybavo
Tim Gajser
MXGP Rnd Tim Gajser
MXGP Rnd Tim Gajser
Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Mitchell Evans Tim Gajser Jeremy Seewer
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
MXGP Rnd China Shanghai Gajser shotbybavo
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of Sweden – Round 16 Uddevalla
MXGP Sweden Rnd Uddevalla gajser uddevalla hondaproracing shotbybavo
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of Italy, Imola
MXGP Italy Rnd Imola Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser – 2019 Czech MXGP, Loket
MXGP Rnd Czech Loket Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser took the Race 1 holeshot – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
MXGP Asia Semarang Rnd Gajser start
Tim Gajser & Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
MXGP Indonesia Tim Gajser Jeremy Seewer
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
MXGP Indonesia MX Gajser Anstie start qual
Tim Gajser claims win number five – Image by Bavo – MXGP of Germany 2019
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What happened this week
Eli Tomac wins 450SX from Ken Roczen in Texas
Chase Sexton claims 250SX triple-header win from McElrath
2020 AORC kicks off in Toowoomba with Rounds 1 & 2
GNCC season kicks off in South Carolina with Round 1
Gibbs closes in on New Zealand MX1 lead at Round 2
Charles Le Francois wins 2020 Pro 450 Arenacross Championship
Tim Gajser & Mitch Evans talk 2020 with HRC
KTM Ultimate Race 2020 entrants announced
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 American Flat Track
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
2020 Australian Track Championship
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
2020 King of MX
2020 Australian Motocross National Championship
2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship
Eli Tomac wins 450SX from Ken Roczen in Texas
Ken Roczen took first blood in the 450SX class at the Round 8 triple-header, with victory over Cooper Webb while Jason Anderson rounded out that first podium. Barcia was fourth, while the slow-starting Tomac had worked his way up to fifth place by the flag.
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
In Moto2 Blake Baggett scored the hole-shot but this time Eli Tomac was quick out of the blocks and Tomac cruised to a clear victory, despite backing off in the latter half of the race, by more than three-seconds over Anderson, with Hill rounding out the podium ahead of Zach Osborne. Roczen was a disappointing seventh, behind Justin Barcia and Malcolm Stewart.
When the gates dropped for the final 450 Moto of the night it was Zach Osborne with the best clutch hand to get the jump ahead of Blake Baggett, Jason Anderson and Ken Roczen. Late race a beautiful move by Tomac saw him go past Anderson, the Husky rider came back at him but Tomac had more speed up his sleeve and just pulled away to take his best supercross victory for some time, and the overall round win.
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Roczen got Osborne, then made some attempts on Anderson before letting caution call the shots. The German was very careful in this moto with his eye more on the championship points standings and not really up for any hard on-track fights that could bring him undone.
Anderson succumbed to the pressure late in the moto and went down in the whoops, allowing Roczen through for second place. Jason Anderson rounded out the podium ahead of Barcia while Osborne salvaged fifth.
Eli Tomac – P1
“We showed that we could fight and overcome adversity tonight. To be completely honest, I just got a bad start and struggled to find any rhythm in the first main event. Once I got into fifth place I kind of just got tight and couldn’t go forward after that. But I was able to quickly regroup with the team, and in the next two main events, we had a much better gate pick each time and were able to control the races from there. I am just happy to be leaving here healthy. We raced something like 50 laps tonight and as you saw, the track took out a lot of key dudes. I am glad we’re through it and looking forward to Atlanta next weekend.”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen – P2
“The first main was really good. I made some moves early and while I wouldn’t say I checked out, I rode up front the whole race. It was good to get that first win and start with a low number for the night’s overall points. I think the second race is the most important and we wanted to go out there and get a good finish, but it just wasn’t our race at all. I didn’t get the start I wanted and then couldn’t find the same momentum. I’m happy with how we executed the last race though. I battled hard and went back and forth with Eli [Tomac] a couple times and just rode much better in traffic, having people in front of me and making some passes. All in all, with how many crashes there were throughout the whole day and night, and how I struggled with the track overall, I’m really happy to come away healthy and with second overall.”
Ken Roczen & Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Jason Anderson – P3
“My weekend went pretty good, it’s hectic out there with the Triple Crown format. My riding seemed to be pretty good all night but I think the most eventful part for me was the whoops. Other than that, I rode good, put myself in good positions and was able to come out with a podium. I’m having a good time and I’m excited to keep going!”
Jason Anderson – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia – P4
“It was strong racing tonight in Dallas. We got a little bit better on the starts, but still needed something there to get us on the podium. The track was not super technical, but took a few guys out of the race. All in all, my race was really good. I made charges and made passes. I felt really strong and stayed in the hunt. My starts are going to keep getting better, I just need to stay consistent and keep trying my hardest. I’m ready for next week for sure.”
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
Zach Osborne – P5
“It’s nice to finally have a good result for the team and also for me, it just makes the workload a lot easier when you have a decent weekend. To lead some laps in the last Main and finish 7-4-3 with a consistent night, I feel pretty good about it, so we’ll just continue to work and keep this momentum rolling in the right direction for the rest of the season.”
Zach Osborne – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Round Overall Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
M3
Total
1
Eli Tomac
5
1
1
26
2
Ken Roczen
1
7
2
23
3
Jason Anderson
3
2
5
21
4
Justin Barcia
4
5
4
19
5
Zach Osborne
7
4
3
18
6
Justin Hill
6
3
8
17
7
Malcolm Stewart
8
6
9
16
8
Aaron Plessinger
9
10
7
15
9
Dean Wilson
13
9
6
14
10
Blake Baggett
10
8
13
13
11
Vince Friese
12
11
10
12
12
Cooper Webb
2
17
20
11
13
Chad Reed
14
12
16
10
14
Ryan Breece
18
15
11
9
15
Kyle Chisholm
19
13
12
8
16
Tyler Bowers
16
14
14
7
17
Martin Davalos
11
20
19
6
18
Kyle Cunningham
17
19
15
5
19
James Weeks
20
16
17
4
20
Ronnie Stewart
21
18
18
3
21
Justin Brayton
15
21
21
2
22
Broc Tickle
22
22
22
1
450SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Eli Tomac
181
2
Ken Roczen
174
3
Cooper Webb
155
4
Justin Barcia
154
5
Jason Anderson
139
6
Adam Cianciarulo
128
7
Malcolm Stewart
122
8
Justin Hill
110
9
Zach Osborne
105
10
Justin Brayton
105
11
Blake Baggett
104
12
Dean Wilson
100
13
Aaron Plessinger
92
14
Vince Friese
82
15
Martin Davalos
65
16
Tyler Bowers
49
17
Chad Reed
31
18
Kyle Chisholm
29
19
Ryan Breece
25
20
Justin Bogle
24
21
Kyle Cunningham
21
22
Alex Ray
19
23
Chris Blose
18
24
Benny Bloss
13
25
Broc Tickle
12
26
James Weeks
4
27
James Decotis
4
28
Jason Clermont
3
29
Cade Autenrieth
3
30
Ronnie Stewart
3
31
Adam Enticknap
2
32
Fredrik Noren
2
33
Jerry Robin
1
34
Joshua Cartwright
1
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Chase Sexton claims 250SX triple-header win from McElrath
In Moto 1 it took Sexton a few minutes to get the better of Smith but Hampshire had cleared off and he capitalised on that to take a clear victory over Sexton. Shane McElrath recovered from a poor start to work his way through the field and claim the final step on the rostrum.
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld
Josh Hill narrowly scored the hole-shot over Chase Sexton in Moto 2, and as the race passed the mid-way point McElrath and then Jeremy Martin moved past Crown while a couple of laps later Garrett Marchbanks pushed Crown further back to fifth place.
And that was the order the finished, Sexton getting the flag over nine-seconds ahead of McElrath while Martin rounded out the podium ahead of Marchbanks.
Josh Hill – Image by Hoppenworld
In Moto 3, Shane McElrath scored the hole-shot in the final 250 Main ahead of Chase Sexton, however McElrath proved to have the measure of Sexton as the #1 Honda never got close enough to the Yamaha to try and make a pass. McElrath was the clear victor over Sexton while the super aggressive Hampshire rounded out the podium.
Chase Sexton – P1
“What a night in Arlington. Happy with how everything went last night and how we bounced back after the chaos in the first main! I’m really just having fun out there racing with these guys and stoked to get a win for the team to reward all their hard work this off season. Thank you Texas!”
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld
Shane McElrath – P2
“I felt awesome all day. I didn’t put myself in a good position tonight with the first two starts. It really tough to catch the leaders, but I fought hard all night and at times maybe a little too hard. I’m happy with my last race and motivated to get behind the gate again next weekend!”
Shane McElrath – Image by Hoppenworld
RJ Hampshire – P3
“In the first race, I got up front and won my first Main Event and I was stoked on that, I fought hard for it,” Hampshire said. “I felt like we got a good start to the year now. Last weekend was a bit rough but I’m confident that we’re just going to keep getting better now.”
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
Garrett Marchbanks – P5
“I am happy with today’s result. I honestly didn’t feel like myself all day today and struggled in sections of the track. I had tweaked my ankle during practice which really bugged me all night long, so to finish with another top-5, I’ll take it. We will continue to work throughout the week to find an even more comfortable flow so that we are ready to go in Atlanta next weekend.”
Garrett Marchbanks – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX Round Overall Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
M3
Total
1
Chase Sexton
2
1
2
26
2
Shane Mcelrath
3
2
1
23
3
RJ Hampshire
1
6
3
21
4
Jeremy Martin
5
3
4
19
5
Garrett Marchbanks
6
4
5
18
6
Joshua Hill
9
7
6
17
7
Joey Crown
7
5
10
16
8
Enzo Lopes
8
8
7
15
9
Jalek Swoll
10
12
9
14
10
Jo Shimoda
14
10
8
13
11
Jordan Bailey
13
11
12
12
12
John Short
12
9
15
11
13
Jordon Smith
4
20
14
10
14
Lorenzo Locurcio
16
17
11
9
15
Curren Thurman
17
15
13
8
16
Dustin Winter
15
13
18
7
17
Richard Jackson
18
16
16
6
18
Jace Owen
11
21
21
5
19
Kevin Moranz
21
14
19
4
20
Isaac Teasdale
20
18
17
3
21
Wilson Fleming
19
19
20
2
22
Kyle Peters
22
22
22
1
250SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Dylan Ferrandis
135
2
Justin Cooper
128
3
Austin Forkner
122
4
Brandon Hartranft
110
5
Alex Martin
98
6
Jacob Hayes
89
7
Luke Clout
83
8
Michael Mosiman
82
9
Derek Drake
78
10
Mitchell Oldenburg
72
11
Carson Brown
72
12
Martin Castelo
53
13
Killian Auberson
51
14
Aaron Tanti
50
15
Chase Sexton
49
16
Shane Mcelrath
49
17
Jett Lawrence
46
18
Jay Wilson
45
19
Robbie Wageman
43
20
Jeremy Martin
40
21
Rj Hampshire
38
22
Garrett Marchbanks
37
23
Michael Leib
32
24
Joey Crown
31
25
Christian Craig
29
26
Jordon Smith
28
27
Joshua Hill
28
28
Cameron Mcadoo
27
29
Logan Karnow
27
30
Jo Shimoda
26
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 AORC kicks off in Toowoomba with Rounds 1 & 2
KTM Enduro Racing Team duo Daniel Milner and Mason Semmens lead the E2 and E1 categories respectively after riding to victory in the opening rounds of the 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) at Toowoomba over the weekend.
Daniel Milner
Defending E2 champion Milner reigned supreme aboard the KTM 450 EXC-F to dominate both days in Queensland, setting the benchmark outright throughout the weekend.
Daniel Milner
“To win the opening rounds of the year is always a good way to start a championship. I made sure I got through it all clean and had good runs over both days, because it was important to maintain consistency and carry the best pace that I could without making mistakes. I felt like I was well-prepared for the season, but you’re never 100 percent sure, so to have such a strong weekend shows that all the hard work has paid off. I’m really happy with the KTM Enduro Racing Team 450 EXC-F, it’s honestly been unbelievable – especially in the conditions that we had on the weekend. We’ve done a lot of work in the off-season and I’m really happy.”
Daniel Milner
It was a spectacular start to the season for Milner, who became a father for the first time during the off-season, and he began his campaign for the new year in remarkable form. He now has a six-point lead in the standings.
Josh Green led the charge for the Yamaha team and battled on determinedly all weekend despite coming into the season opener under-prepared due to a heavy fall just two weeks prior. But the veteran came out all guns blazing on Saturday and posted times near the top of the outright list and took it up to the major players in off road. He finished the day in third-place in the highly competitive E2 division and shadowed Milner and Australian MX Champ, Todd Waters all weekend.
Josh Green
“Two weeks ago it was doubtful I would even be racing, so to not only be competing but also very competitive is a real bonus and I’m satisfied with the result from the weekend. As each day went on, I could feel my strength draining but on Saturday night, I was able to freshen up and tackle Sunday feeling pretty good. The bike was good all weekend, the team worked hard behind the scenes to ensure I had everything I needed and the interest in off road was as good as I have seen it so it’s awesome to see the promotion and energy in racing at the moment. We have a month until rounds three and four so hopefully I can continue to recover and hit them at 100%. But, glad to get through the weekend unscathed, land on the podium both days and get off to a good start in the 2020 championship.”
Josh Green
The weekend also marked the debut of teenage signing Semmens in the KTM Enduro Racing Team and he didn’t disappoint on-board the KTM 250 SX-F, finishing second in E1 on day one and first on day two for the points-lead.
Semmens is the newest member of the factory KTM off-road program after transitioning from motocross full-time for this season. He’d previously won multiple junior national titles as part of the KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team during his career.
Mason Semmens
“To get 2-1 results and take the points-lead over the weekend in my first race with the KTM Enduro Racing Team is a really good feeling. I wasn’t sure where I was going to be at coming into the first round, but the hard work that we did in the off-season showed and I surprised myself a little bit. I’m learning every time I go out and really tried to minimise mistakes, so it was good and I’m really fortunate to be teammates with Milner. Everything has been awesome and I’m definitely feeling comfortable on the KTM 250 SX-F.”
Mason Semmens
Luke Styke took a convincing victory on Saturday, but the juggernaut was slowed on Sunday when he crashed heavily on the second sprint lap that left him sore, sorry and battered. Nursing a banged up elbow and reaggravating an ankle injury, Styke soldiered on for the remainder of the day. He clawed his way to third place in E1 on the day and his combined 1-3 results saw him sitting second after the opening two rounds.
Luke Styke
“Saturday was good and everything was on track but I got it all wrong in a rocky area of the course and fell onto my elbow and also got my ankle stuck under the bike. And I’m not sure what hurts most. I will have to get them both checked out as the pain in both is pretty high. I managed to finish and actually got better as the day went on, but I was no where near 100%. Thankfully the team had my back and encouraged me to keep plugging away and salvage what I could after the crash. My first priority will be to get both my elbow and ankle checked out and make a plan after that.”
Luke Styke
Daniel Sanders and the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team meanwhile claimed assertive E3 class victories in Toowoomba, QLD. Sanders is not yet back at 100 percent following a wrist injury sustained in the pre-season, but put in a fine performance to open his campaign with commanding results aboard the Husqvarna FE 501.
Despite a difficult start on Saturday morning, the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team rider rebounded to land the E3 overall. He continued that form on Sunday, recording the second-fastest times outright in both rounds of racing.
Daniel Sanders
“The results in class were good this weekend in Toowoomba. It’s definitely positive to start the season on top, especially after the way Saturday started and after spending minimal time on the bike in the lead-up. We have the base to build from now in terms of results and will keep working hard, so thanks to everyone at the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team, the FE 501 was really solid as it always is. I’m excited to keep going and look forward to the Dungog rounds coming up.”
Daniel Sanders
Round One Results
Pos
Rider
Time
1
Daniel MILNER
54m39.5
2
Daniel SANDERS
55m21.3
3
Todd WATERS
55m27.3
4
Joshua GREEN
55m36.4
5
Luke STYKE
55m47.2
6
Mason SEMMENS
55m55.5
7
Michael DRISCOLL
56m19.5
8
Beau RALSTON
56m34.5
9
Jonte REYNDERS
56m59.3
10
Cooper SHEIDOW
57m01.6
11
Stefan GRANQUIST
57m05.3
12
Jeremy CARPENTIER
57m07.0
13
Callum NORTON
57m09.3
14
Kyron BACON
57m38.5
15
Korey MCMAHON
58m05.1
16
Fraser HIGLETT
58m14.9
17
Corey HAMMOND
58m27.0
18
Jesse LAWTON
58m38.4
19
Blake HOLLIS
58m44.1
20
William PRICE
58m54.1
21
Harrison TEED
59m10.4
22
Hayden KEELEY
59m22.9
23
Joshua KILVINGTON
59m26.9
24
Brad HARDAKER
59m34.0
25
Brent DEAN
59m40.3
Round Two Results – Top 25
Pos
Rider
Time
1
Daniel MILNER
59m40.0
2
Daniel SANDERS
00m34.4
3
Todd WATERS
01m23.8
4
Joshua GREEN
01m32.3
5
Michael DRISCOLL
1h02m07.2
6
Mason SEMMENS
1h02m17.8
7
Jonte REYNDERS
1h02m39.4
8
Stefan GRANQUIST
1h02m55.1
9
Callum NORTON
1h03m05.1
10
Jeremy CARPENTIER
1h03m44.2
11
Fraser HIGLETT
1h04m02.8
12
Kyron BACON
1h04m04.4
13
Beau RALSTON
1h04m06.3
14
Luke STYKE
1h04m31.4
15
Korey MCMAHON
1h04m44.6
16
Blake HOLLIS
1h04m50.7
17
Jesse LAWTON
1h04m56.7
18
Cooper SHEIDOW
1h05m01.1
19
Corey HAMMOND
1h05m24.6
20
William PRICE
1h06m00.8
21
Brock NICHOLS
1h06m06.9
22
Brad HARDAKER
1h06m11.9
23
Hayden KEELEY
1h06m28.2
24
Harrison TEED
1h06m42.3
25
Samuel PRETSCHERER
1h06m54.3
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
GNCC season kicks off in South Carolina with Round 1
The first round of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series concluded on Sunday in Union, South Carolina with the 23rd Annual Big Buck GNCC. Cool and partly sunny conditions greeted the final day of racing at Round 1, making for almost perfect racing conditions.
Kailub Russell – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill
As racing got underway it was Kailub Russell jumping off the line first to grab the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 holeshot award. Russell would lead the race from start to finish, after gaining a lead of over one-and-a-half minutes by the time they completed lap four out of six. Russell would continue to turn the pace up, and by the time the checkered flag flew, Russell would hold a lead of one minute and 51 seconds. Russell earned his 61st career victory, and his last “first-race” win ever.
Coming through in the second place position was Coastal Bi-Con Racing’s Ricky Russell. After completing the first lap of racing Russell was just 1.9 seconds behind the leader, however as the race wore on Russell would fall back to over a minute-gap. Russell remained focused and pushed through the three-hours of racing to earn second overall and a podium finish to start off the season.
Ricky Russell – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill
Josh Strang had a strong performance at round one of the 2020 GNCC season. Strang would come through sixth on the opening lap, but by the time the race reached the halfway point he had worked his way into the final podium position. Strang would continue to push, and hold off his fellow XC1 Open Pro competitors, taking home a third overall at the season opener.
Earning fourth overall aboard his new team, and in his home state was Steward Baylor Jr. Baylor, who would work his way through the pack after a seventh place start to the day. Baylor looked to be making a late race push, as he came through timing and scoring just five-seconds behind Strang at the completion of the three-hours.
Taking fifth in XC1 Open Pro and sixth overall was Jordan Ashburn. After starting the day up in third, Ashburn would battle with his fellow XC1 competitors throughout the entire three-hour race. Ultimately, Ashburn would cross the line three minutes behind fourth place to finish out round one of the 2020 season.
Mike Witkowski – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill
Earning his first-ever XC2 250 Pro class win was Mike Witkowski. After starting the day off in third, Witkowski would put his head down and go to work on picking off the competition. Coming through timing and scoring on the fourth lap, Witkowski had gained the lead, and would not look back. Witkowski came through one minute and 23 seconds ahead of second, while also finishing fifth in the overall standings.
Making his comeback to GNCC Racing was Johnny Girroir. After missing all but three rounds of racing last year due to health concerns, Girroir proved that he has been hard at work to get back to where he was. Girroir held the lead for the first three laps of XC2 racing in South Carolina, and would then engage in a battle for the lead with Witkowski. Girroir would hold onto second all the way to the checkers.
After battling his way through the pack XC2 class it was Coastal Bi-Con Racing’s Craig DeLong coming through the finish line third in the class. DeLong was not satisfied with his third place finish, and expressed that in his podium interview. However, DeLong continued to close the gap throughout the entire race, crossing the finish line just five seconds behind second.
Zack Hayes – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill
Taking the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class win was Zack Hayes. After making the decision to race the 125 class, Hayes would have his work cut out for him. After grabbing the holeshot Jason Raines made his way to the lead on the second lap. Raines would hold the lead, but when the white flag came out Hayes would make the pass for the lead and hold it until the checkered flag came out. Cole Mattison would come through in the third place position after a consistent day of racing in South Carolina.
Brody Johnson took home the Top Amateur honors at Big Buck on Sunday afternoon. Johnson finished 20th overall, and first in 250 A. Tristan Landrum came through second in 250 A and 25th overall earning second on the top amateur podium. Chase Hayes came through 31st overall, and first in the Open A class earning himself a spot on the top amateur podium.
As the 10 a.m. race started Tayla Jones got the jump off the line first and earning the Trail Jesters $100 WXC holeshot award. Jones would hold the lead on the opening lap, but as the WXC riders came through timing and scoring on lap two it was Becca Sheets with the lead.
Becca Sheets – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill
Sheets would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the race, earning the first WXC and overall win of the season. Jones would cross the line second in South Carolina followed by Rachael Archer rounding out the WXC class and overall podium.
At the conclusion of the youth race it was Grant Davis taking the overall win and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win at Big Buck. Noah Cooper came through to take second in YXC1 and in the youth overall. Crossing the line third overall was YXC2 Super Mini Jr. rider, Nick Defeo. Jack Joy captured the final podium position in YXC1, while Cole Forbes and Matthew Hallenbeck rounded out the YXC2 class podium.
The first Moto Hero of 2020 was awarded to Travis Snelson. Snelson comes from Asheville, North Carolina and has been in the Army for 15 years, serving his country in Iraq in 2010 as an engineer.
The 2020 GNCC Season continues in two weeks with the Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC in Palatka, Florida.
Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (30)
Ricky Russell (25)
Josh Strang (21)
Steward Baylor Jr. (18)
Michael Witkowski (16)
Jordan Ashburn (15)
Grant Baylor (14)
Layne Michael (13)
Jonathan Girroir (12)
Craig DeLong (11)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Mike Witkowski (30)
Jonathan Girroir (25)
Craig DeLong (21)
Jonathan Johnson (18)
Lyndon Snodgrass (16)
Cody Barnes (15)
Liam Draper (14)
Ryder LeBlond (13)
Thorn Devlin (12)
Simon Johnson (11)
Gibbs closes in on New Zealand MX1 lead at Round 2
Kirk Gibbs topped the podium – Image by Clmintiepix
Cody Cooper took the win in the first MX1 Moto of the weekend at Round 2 of the Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship, with Kirk Gibbs having to settle for second, while Hamish Harwood completed the podium. Kayne Lamont was fourth and Brad Groombridge completed the top five.
The second MX1 Moto was an underdog story for Kirk Gibbs however, who had to recover from a crash and ending up down in 17th, all the way up to claiming the race win and 25-points, ensuring he hung onto his championship lead as they head towards Round 3.
Gibbs followed up in Moto 3 with a dominant win, almost 20-seconds ahead of second-placed Kayne Lamont, with Cody Cooper back in third a further 10-seconds behind. Hamish Hardwood and Hadleigh Knight completed the top five in the final race of the weekend.
Kirk Gibbs won the Round Overall in MX1 on 72-points, with Cody Cooper just five-points in arrears, while Hamish Hardwood is a further nine-points behind. Kayne Lamont was just two-points off Harwood on 56-points, while Brad Groombridge was fifth overall.
The result leaves Kirk Gibbs trailing MX1 leader Cody Cooper by just six-points heading into Round 3, with Hamish Harwood a further 16-points off second-place. Kayne Lamont if fourth in the overall standings, with Brad Groombridge fifth.
Kirk Gibbs
“I was frustrated with myself and just wanted to be in the fight, so I pushed really hard and caught all the way back up to Hamish [Harwood] and Coops [Cooper] and was able to pass both of them and get the win, so I was really happy with that one. I’m really happy with the Altherm JCR Yamaha team and my team at home [in the Sunshine Coast], who are working hard in between rounds. I’m stoked with how today ended up.”
MX1 Round Overall
Pos.
Rider
R1
R2
R3
Overall
1
Kirk Gibbs
22
25
25
72
2
Cody Cooper
25
22
20
67
3
Hamish Harwood
20
20
18
58
4
Kayne Lamont
18
16
22
56
5
Brad Groombridge
16
18
15
49
6
Ethan Martens
15
15
11
41
7
Tyler Steiner
14
14
13
41
8
Cody Murphy
13
13
14
40
9
Hadleigh Knight
12
11
16
39
10
Roydon White
11
12
12
35
MX1 Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Cody Cooper
142
2
Kirk Gibbs
136
3
Hamish Harwood
120
4
Kayne Lamont
95
5
Brad Groombridge
92
6
Ethan Martens
87
7
Tyler Steiner
82
8
Hadleigh Knight
81
9
Cody Murphy
73
10
Roydon White
70
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX2
In MX2 Josia Natzke claimed the opening Moto win, ahead of James Scott and Maximus Purvis, with Caleb Ward and Dylan Walsh completing the top five.
Maximus Purvis – Image by Clmintiepix
Kyle Webster came with with a vengeance in the second Moto, after a DNS in Moto 1, claiming the win from Josia Natzke, while Maximus Purvis was once against third. Dylan Walsh and Morgan Fogarty completed the top five.
Kyle Webster again took the win in the third and final Moto of the weekend in the MX2 class, from Maximus Purvis and James Scott, while Dylan Walsh and Josia Natzke completed the top five.
Josia Natzke concluded the the weekend on 63-points for the round, one ahead of Maximus Purvis, while James Scott was third overall on 57-points. Dylan Walsh was fourth, while Kyle Webster was fifth on 50-points, with the DNS in Moto 1 the limiting factor after two Moto wins.
MX2 Round Overall
Pos
Rider
R1
R2
R3
Overall
1
Josiah Natzke
25
22
16
63
2
Maximus Purvis
20
20
22
62
3
James Scott
22
15
20
57
4
Dylan Walsh
16
18
18
52
5
Kyle Webster
0
25
25
50
6
Caleb Ward
18
14
15
47
7
Morgan Fogarty
15
16
14
45
8
Brad Groombridge
14
13
13
40
9
Cobie Bourke
13
12
8
33
10
Broc Martens
12
9
12
33
MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Josiah Natzke
126
2
Maximus Purvis
118
3
James Scott
114
4
Dylan Walsh
96
5
Morgan Fogarty
92
6
Caleb Ward
90
7
Brad Groombridge
82
8
Riley Ward
70
9
Broc Martens
62
10
Cobie Bourke
58
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Charles Le Francois wins 2020 Pro 450 Arenacross Championship
Suzuki’s RM-Z450 claimed a fifth Arenacross championship title in the hands of SR75 Suzuki’s Charles Le Francois, who won the 2020 Pro 450 Championship at the SSE Arena in London, UK over the weekend.
Charles Le Francois (SR75 Suzuki) – 2020 Pro 450 Arenacross Champion
Frenchman Le Francois sealed this year’s championship with five main event and super final wins, plus another seven podiums. Suzuki’s previous titles were in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Geoff Walker – SR75 Suzuki Team Owner
“This Arenacross tour and championship win is incredible and another big landmark for the team. Charles and everyone involved in what we do deserve this title as we have never stopped pushing. It is unreal to take Charles and give him the opportunity to capture his first pro championship and to do it with a dominant performance at the final round shows how far he has come and we are incredibly proud of him, and the strength of the RM-Z450 package. I would like to thank Ian and everyone at Suzuki GB, all our team partners, our amazing staff, and our incredible riders and supporters for making this all possible.”
Tim Gajser & Mitch Evans talk 2020 with HRC
Three-time world champion Tim Gajser of Team HRC took the MXGP crown by over 200 points in 2019, including a record-breaking seven overall GPs in a row, then rounding off the year with one-two moto results at the Motocross of Nations in Assen, making him the first Slovenian to win his class at the historic event.
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
In the meantime, Australian Mitch Evans was competing in his first season in the FIM world motocross championship in the MX2 class, getting off to a good start at the MXGP of Patagonia, before settling into a year that was filled with some ups and downs, as he got used to life in the series.
Now with just a few weeks to go until the start of the 2020 FIM World Motocross Championship, Gajser’s focus is fully on defending that title, while Evans hopes to continue his excellent Internazionali d’Italia form into the MXGP championship and prove to everyone he has what it takes to run up front in the toughest motocross series in the world. We caught up with the duo to find out their thoughts heading into this new season…
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
Question: Just talk briefly about what that 2019 season was like for you.
Tim Gajser: “2019 was an amazing season. Already coming into the season, I was already feeling good, the bike was really great. I was hoping for a great season, and I was struggling a bit early in the season, making too many mistakes in the first races, but then after Valkenswaard we went to Arco and then everything started going in the right direction and I started winning races, Grand Prix’s and eventually the title.”
Mitch Evans: “I got off to a great start by getting on the podium in Argentina, but things didn’t quite go to plan from then on. I struggled a little bit just with everything being new and perhaps trying to push myself too much in order to over-compensate for the results. It was a learning curve though and I’m glad I was able to come over here and do it. Obviously after that I got the call to join Team HRC, it was a dream come true for me, I’ve always grown up looking at the scene over here and HRC is one of the best rides you can have. I was a little bit speechless when it happened but I knew it was going to be a big challenge and I couldn’t wait to get started.”
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
Q: What has this off-season been like and what can you tell us about the new bike?
Gajser: “It was very busy, I didn’t have a lot of time off, and had a lot to do. I am thankful I could spend a couple of days at home in my own bed, and then beginning of December I started preparation for 2020. Obviously I had Monster Cup right after Assen and then we had a few days with the new bike. I’ve ridden it a lot more this year of course but as soon as I sat on the bike, I felt really good and comfortable. Everything goes in a good way and we can have great races with that bike and a great season. I never try to stop progressing and Honda are the same, they always come with new things and together we can do big things.”
Evans: “I went over to Japan just for one race at the end of last year and that was a really cool experience. It was great to see what HRC is all about and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there. Then I went back to Australia for a little bit over the holidays before coming back to Europe this year to ride the new bike and to just work with the team in preparation for the MXGPs. The first time I rode it was in Sardinia and right away I was impressed with what they had done. I was coming from a different place than Tim but I knew that it was a machine capable of winning races and that they’d put in a lot of time and effort to getting it ready for this year.”
Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
Q: What about your preparations for this coming season and how you plan to approach it?
Gajser: “Last year I changed many things and I was super happy with that, so basically we try and stay with the same program, but you can always improve and I tried to improve some things and we try and do that every year, that is the goal. Every year, some riders from MX2 come to MXGP and it makes it bigger and there are more good riders. Already we have the great names, but this year even more good guys and the motivation is that you need to improve, and I always say it could be better. Even winning the races and the titles, I always feel I can do better.”
Evans: “I’ve done a lot of gym work to make sure I’m ready for the extra size and power of the 450 machine. I started a little bit earlier, which meant that I could go to Australia and I think that was important as it refreshed me a bit. Last year I wasn’t able to go home and I felt a bit homesick so just those couple of weeks I think have made a big difference mentally and physically. I’ve tried to work smarter and not just harder, but now I’m back working with the team to get everything ready for this season and it’s all going well.”
Q: Things went very well in Italy, with the pair of you going one-two in the Internazionali d’Italia and winning all the races. Talk about that championship.
Gajser: “It was a great way to start off the season. Of course it isn’t the MXGPs but it was important to see where the new bike was and straight away we can tell it doing very well. We got almost all the holeshots and led all the laps and I felt comfortable right from the beginning. I am very happy with how those three races went and it sets us up nicely for Matterley Basin.”
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Evans: “Like Tim said, those three races went very well. I was very happy with my results and my racing, and my fitness was good too. Winning the last race was also a great feeling for me as it had been a little while since my last victory and it was just a great way to head into the world championships. Things will definitely be tougher there but I’m feeling strong and the Honda CRF450RW is riding well and is fast out of the gate and that is going to be very important when the season begins.”
Q: What are you hoping to achieve in the MXGP class this year?
Gajser: “Defending my title is definitely the goal, but of course, I want to have fun, enjoy the races and stay healthy. I just want to enjoy and if I am having fun riding my dirt bike, I can go really fast. A happy Tim is a fast Tim, so I hope we have good races this year.”
Evans: “I would like to be one of the three or four guys at the front of the field by the end of the season. I know it will be a massive challenge, and I know that the class is extremely competitive with a lot of fast guys in it but I believe that is what I am capable of eventually. To start with, I just want to be consistent and make sure I am in the top 10 each weekend. I want to build my fitness and just work from there towards the front of the field. I’d love to get a couple of podiums and perhaps even a win before the year is out but I’d be happy with a couple of podiums.”
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
Q: What’s it like having Tim / Mitch as your team-mate?
Gajser: “Mitch is a funny guy and he is a good team-mate. We spent a couple of days in November together and we stayed a couple of weeks in Sardinia and riding and having some meals together. He is a good guy, fast, young. I am getting older, but it is nice having Mitch beside me and he is younger and hungry, and he wants to show he is fast. He already proved in Mantova that he can win races so I think he has a chance to have a very good season this year.”
Evans: “Having Tim as three-time world champion as my team-mate is pretty cool. To be on the same team that he did it on is awesome because they know how to win as well. I couldn’t have anyone better to learn from, so I’m looking forward to improving from him and he’s a great guy, we get along really well so I’ve really enjoyed my time riding with him. We have a bit of banter when we can but when we need to be serious, we are, and its just a good dynamic between us both.”
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
So with three highly successful Italian races under their belts, the Team HRC duo of Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans will head to Matterley Basin, Great Britain for the opening round of the 2020 MXGP series full of confidence and ready to show that both the brand new Honda CRF450RW and themselves are ready to take on world motocross championship.
See below for the 2020 MXGP calendar.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
KTM Ultimate Race 2020 entrants announced
Following special qualifying events held within each of the six KTM Adventure Rallies across the world in 2019, KTM has announced the names of those 12 finalists who will be given the once in a lifetime opportunity to race a rally-prepared KTM 790 Adventure R Rally machine at the KTM Ultimate Race 2020.
KTM Ultimate Race
Held within the upcoming Merzouga Rally on May 24 to 29, the second edition of the KTM Ultimate Race will see 12 KTM Adventure riders from Europe, South Africa, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand race aboard equally prepared KTM 790 Adventure R Rally machines. A six-day-long challenge of more than 1,000km, the KTM Ultimate Race 2020 will be a true test for each participant’s riding skills as well as their ability to navigate their way across the Moroccan dunes.
The members of the global KTM Adventure community who have topped their respective KTM Adventure Rally qualifiers to secure their spot at the KTM ULTIMATE RACE 2020 are:
KTM Australia Adventure Rally
Simon Arthur
Graham Cheney
European KTM Adventure Rally
Iker Iturregi
Andrej Crnkovic
KTM South Africa Adventure Rally
Cayle Dormehl
Keegan Eich
KTM North America Adventure Rally
Wes Van Nieuwenhuise
Brendan Crow
KTM Canada Adventure Rally
Wayne Hodder
Wendell Maki
KTM New Zealand Adventure Rally
Mark Dando
Matthew Kneesch
The KTM Ultimate Race is a special category at the Merzouga Rally, very similar to the main event and ridden mostly on the same routes. All participants will face a grueling six-day-long race from the dusty trails to the dunes of Morocco.
KTM Ultimate Race
Each competitor will have access to a specially prepared KTM 790 Adventure R Rally machine, which will be equipped with a host of KTM PowerParts along with a roadbook to help them navigate through the desert. All KTM Ultimate Race participants will be treated like KTM Factory riders, supported on site with a truck and a team of mechanics to help out with parts and tools or with maintaining the bike after a tough race day.
Along with this unique and exclusive prize, competitors will be given a fantastic opportunity to be coached by some of the world’s finest offroad riders. Chris Birch and Quinn Cody will be present to provide their close guidance and tutelage, while actively supporting these riders in every aspect of how to manage this challenge.
KTM Ultimate Race
Featuring more than 1,000km of offroad riding and navigating in the heart of Morocco, the upcoming Merzouga Rally will take place on May 24/29, 2020.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award
Jason Doyle claims 2019 Golden Helmet title in Pardubice
2020 SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced
Smolinski leads 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up
2019 Australian SX Championship shaping up to be a belter
Justin Rodbell out for Australian Supercross
Team HRC & Gajser lead the way at MXGP Awards Ceremony
Meghan Rutledge to become Kawasaki ambassador in 2020
bLU cRU Masterclass riders announced
Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020
Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership
Mikkel Haarup joins F&H Kawasaki for 2020
Garcia leads KTM BR2 Enduro Solsona 1-2-3
Following Friday night’s action-packed Super Test in Solsona, Saturday saw the 350-strong entry set out on what would prove to be a long and physical day of racing to kick off the 2019 BR2 Enduro Solsona, in the first of two full days of racing.
Josep Garcia took an early lead at Round 7 of the World Enduro Super Series with victory on Day 1 of the BR2 Enduro Solsona in Spain. Delivering a masterclass in Classic Enduro racing, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider ended the opening day of competition with a healthy 40-second advantage over teammates Nathan Watson and Jonny Walker. In what proved to be a top-five clean sweep for KTM, Manuel Lettenbichler and Taddy Blazusiak placed fourth and fifth respectively.
Garcia followed up on Sunday, delivering a home win for Round 7 of the World Enduro Super Series. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider proved uncatchable as he led home Britain’s Nathan Watson and Jonny Walker in second and third respectively.
Friday’s Super Test – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media
Championship leader Manuel Lettenbichler kept his advantage in the standings with fourth, moving a step closer to becoming the 2019 Ultimate Enduro World Champion. Yamaha’s Cristobal Guerrero also rode an incredible final lap to snatch fifth from Taddy Blazusiak and deny KTM a clean sweep of the top-five.
Day 1 – BR2 Enduro Solsona
A lengthy liaison on Day 1 took competitors from Solsona to nearby Bassella, where they faced the Cross Test, Extreme Test and Enduro Test at the Bassella Experience centre. They then returned to Solsona to complete the loop. A second lap of the course – ending with an additional Super Test – ensured many tired and weary bodies on Saturday evening.
The Start saw 350 riders lining up – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media
Determined to maximise his Classic Enduro skills, Garcia quickly got down to business on Saturday after a mixed-outing in Friday’s Super Test. Quickest on the opening Enduro Test and then again on the Cross Test, he ended lap one leading. Building on his advantage during the final lap, he returned to Solsona as the provisional overnight leader.
Behind him, Watson gave chase. Pushing hard, but not quite able to consistently match the Spaniard’s pace in the Enduro or Cross Test, he had to be content with ending Day 1 in second position.
Winning Friday’s Super Test, Walker showed he’s up to speed in the Classic Enduro discipline. Boosted by some of the fastest times in the technical Extreme Test, he sat in third after Saturday.
For championship leader Lettenbichler the opening day of racing went better than expected. Enjoying an exciting battle with Blazusiak and Walker, while setting some impressive test times, the German will look to hold off Blazusiak in the battle for fourth and maintain the pressure on Walker.
2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona
Ending just four seconds behind Blazusiak, Honda’s Kirian Mirabet was just outside the top five, in sixth, after showing more speed on the Cross Test.
Yamaha’s Cristobal Guerrero had a difficult start to his day when a crash cost him valuable time on lap one. Regrouping, he worked his way back up the leader board to place seventh, but is less than 10 seconds behind Blazusiak.
Round 7 – Enduro Solsona, Day 1 Results
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 45:49.650
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 46:29.920
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 46:45.240
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 47:02.870
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 47:45.830
Kirian Mirabet (Honda – ESP) 47:49.840
Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha – ESP) 47:54.760
Jaume Betriu (KTM – ESP) 48:01.460
Bernat Cortes (KTM – ESP) 48:15.280
Tosha Schareina (Husqvarna – ESP) 48:24.220…
Day 2 – BR2 Enduro Solsona
Building on his winning momentum from Saturday, local Garcia locked his sights on victory at Round 7. Starting out with a 45-second advantage over teammate Watson, he pushed hard from the off. Maximising his time on the Cross Test and Enduro Test, while limiting the damage on the technical Extreme Test, he controlled his lead to secure the top step of the podium.
With a sizeable deficit to Garcia, Watson always knew overhauling his teammate in Spain was going to be a tall ask. Keeping the Spaniard honest throughout, he cemented himself as the runner-up to ensure his second podium result in as many races.
Clearly demonstrating his Classic Enduro speed matches his Hard Enduro talents, Walker looked both fast and comfortable in the dry and dusty Solsona conditions as he battled for third. With time in hand over Lettenbichler in fourth, he maintained his third position.
Entering BR2 Enduro Solsona, championship leader Lettenbichler initially hoped for a top-10 result among the many Spanish Classic Enduro specialists. But also proving that he’s adept in the special tests, the German held on to a strong fourth position.
The battle for fifth was a close affair between Guerrero and Blazusiak. The Polish rider held fifth overnight and was determined to sign out with a top-five result. A crash on lap one of Saturday saw Guerrero fight his way back into contention.
Starting Sunday in sixth, he gained time on Blazusiak in the Enduro and Cross test, but lost time on the Extreme test. Putting everything into the final Super Test he managed to overthrow the KTM rider, beating him by eight seconds.
Honda’s Kirian Mirabet edged out Jaume Betriu by just one second to take seventh, while Marzal Schareina and Ramon Quer rounded out the top-10.
“It felt really good to take the win here at home in front of all my friends and family. I couldn’t have asked for more really. Yesterday I had a couple of crashes but today went perfectly. I had to take a lot of care in the final Supertest, I knew I had some seconds to spare, but Nathan has been so close all weekend and also the extreme guys have been really quick here too. I felt a little extra pressure coming here for my home event, but that only motivated me even more to win. Overall it’s been the perfect weekend.”
“I’m happy with second – Josep was on fire here in Spain and really pushed hard, especially on that first lap yesterday. It’s been a really hectic few weeks for me and I didn’t really come into this race at 100 percent, so to pick up second and more WESS points is a good weekend. With all the travel and non-stop races, things have been tough. The Motocross of Nations was really tiring both mentally and physically, I also hurt my shoulder there a little. Overall, it’s been an amazing couple of weeks, and I couldn’t have hoped for better results to be honest. I definitely need a week’s rest now, that’s for certain.”
“It’s been a good race here in Spain, I’m really happy to get on the podium again. I had quite a steady start to the year, partly from coming back after my fall and not being quite at 100 percent. I’m starting to feel like I am getting back into a groove again but I’m still nowhere near where I want to be. The race started well with a win in the Supertest and then I’m really pleased with how I rode on both Saturday and Sunday – I was on top of the extreme test and not too far away on the others considering the opposition. The plan now is to get a good result at GetzenRodeo and hopefully come away with second in the championship.”
“I feel so pleased right now. I came here with no expectations at all, even though I was feeling quite confident after Hawkstone. I thought top-10 would be a good result, so to finish fourth feels amazing.”
Manuel Lettenbichler – 2019 WESS Round 7, BR2 Enduro Solsona – Image by Future7Media
Cristobal Guerrero – P5
“Today I found my rhythm and was able to get fifth position. Luckily, I had a good final Super Test – I got a good start and was able to get in behind Josep. Thankfully that was enough to overtake Taddy for fifth place overall. I think having WESS here in Spain has been good for both the Spanish championship and WESS. It’s good to see a lot of different riders racing and it’s a very different race for the WESS championship too with a lot of variety between all the test. It’s been a great weekend and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
“It’s been a tough weekend, and a shame not to get fifth, but considering the preparation I’ve been able to do for this race I should be happy. You can’t prepare for everything, there just isn’t enough time and here I was getting faster each lap as I settled into the type of riding, which shouldn’t be the case. The good thing is, things started to click towards the end, but it was just too little, too late to challenge for the podium. I’m feeling good which is the main thing, so it’s off to America for the next two Endurocross rounds soon, then back to Europe for GetzenRodeo.”
“Overall I’m really happy with how the weekend has gone. Yesterday wasn’t so good but I was able to find a good rhythm to finish 10th today and secure 12th overall for the event, which I’m really pleased about. I made a mistake yesterday and had a small crash and then today I missed my line in a test which cost me some more time. Coming from a Hard Enduro background I found myself losing out to some of the other riders on the faster tests, so I need to work on that. However, I was very strong on the extreme test. I’m looking forward to GetzenRodeo now. I had a really good battle there last year, so I want to finish the season with a win.”
The 2019 World Enduro Super Series concludes with the eighth and final round at Germany’s GetzenRodeo on Saturday November 2.
Round 7 – Enduro Solsona, Day 2 Results
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 1:26:16.000
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 1:27:06.700
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 1:28:42.870
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 1:29:11.100
Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha – ESP) 1:30:08.760
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 1:30:17.120
Kirian Mirabet (Honda – ESP) 1:30:51.560
Jaume Betriu (KTM – ESP) 1:30:52.040
Marzal Schareina (Husqvarna – ESP) 1:31:05.790
Ramon Quer (Husqvarna – ESP) 1:31:35.700…
WESS Championship Standings (after Round 7 of 8)
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 5110 points
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 4240
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 4165
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 4034
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 3920
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 3881
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 3850
Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 3070
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 2725
Pol Tarres (Husqvarna – ESP) 2520
2019 World Enduro Super Series Calendar
Round 1: Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
Round 4: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) June 21-23
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 3
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
Round 7: BR2 Enduro Solsona (Spain) October 4-6
Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Roczen wins 2019 Straight Rhythm on McGrath’s 2006 CR250R
The sixth running of the Red Bull Straight Rhythm saw a commemoration of two-stroke racers, with participants donning vintage-inspired gear to truly get into the spirit on an ‘un-wound’ track across three classes.
Enzo Lopes & Josh Hansen – Image by Christian Pondella/RedBullContentPool
Split into 250cc, 125cc and a special 500cc exhibition race, the main two classes saw a best-of-three format with a single elimination bracket.
Michael Leib & Joey Crown – Image by Chris Tedesco/RedBullContentPool
In his first appearance at the event since 2015, Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen had an exciting day at the 2019 Red Bull Straight Rhythm in Pomona, California, taking home the 250cc title after winning every matchup and going undefeated on the day. The unique two-stroke only-format saw Roczen pay homage to Jeremy McGrath, as he rode “The King’s” factory 2006 CR250R while wearing a retro kit inspired by McGrath’s 1996 gear.
Ken Roczen
After qualifying second-fastest in practice, Roczen’s first matchup of the evening was against Tevin Tapia, which he won with ease. Advancing in the bracket, he then went head-to-head with Ryan Sipes, who once again was no match for the German. Roczen finally faced his first real challenge in Josh Hanson, in the semifinals, and despite an incredibly close race, Roczen continued his undefeated run, moving into the finals. In the final matchup, Roczen took on Brandon Hartranft, who fought hard but ultimately couldn’t overtake the Honda rider.
Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen
“I’m so stoked! I had such a blast and am so excited to come away with the win tonight. I’ve never raced a two-stroke before so to be able to ride Jeremy McGrath’s actual bike from 2006 and get the win is awesome. Nothing but good vibes and hopefully this translates into many more for the season to come. I have to give it up to the entire team, who put so much work into this whole event. It was always supposed to be super-fun but I know it was also a lot of work, so I have to thank the guys.”
Ken Roczen topped the 250 class from Brandon Hartranft and Josh Hansen – Image by Garth Milan/RedBullContentPool
Jeremy McGrath (Instagram)
“Congrats Ken Roczen on the win at Straight Rhythm. I think I recognize that sick gear you were wearing tonight. Thanks for the tribute! I am guessing my old bike ran pretty good to huh?”
In the 125cc class, Joey Crown lived up to his name, racing his way to the top step of the podium. In the most anticipated and exciting match of the night, Tyler Bowers edged out Travis Pastrana in the Maxxis 500cc Showdown.
Ryan Sipes & Ryan Morais – Image by Chris Tedesco/RedBullContentPool
500cc Showdown
Tyler Bowers
Travis Pastrana
250 Class Results
Ken Roczen
Brandon Hartranft
Josh Hansen
125 Class Results
Joey Crown
Michael Leib
AJ Catanzaro
Travis Pastrana & Tyler Bowers – Image by Christian Pondella/RedBullContentPoolWeekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Toby Price leads Rally du Maroc at half-way point
Marking the second half of the rally’s marathon stage, Day 3 of the Rally du Maroc was set to be the longest of the event. However, organisers cancelled the third part of the timed special for safety reasons, taking the day’s results from the end of the second special.
Toby Price – 2019 Rally du Maroc
With riders only receiving their road books 15 minutes prior to entering the stage – a first for the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – ultimate navigation skills would prove critical to success on the demanding desert stage.
Following his tough Day 2, where issues with the road book ended up costing him valuable minutes, Toby Price knew he had to attack stage three to stay competitive in the overall standings. As the ninth rider to take to the special, the reigning Dakar Champion immediately set about chasing down the riders ahead. Unfortunately, with the stage cut short, the Australian was unable to maximise his advantage, but was still able to win the stage and move himself up to the top of the provisional overall standings.
Toby Price
“The stage went well for me today. There were a couple of sections that were quite tricky and I didn’t quite catch them at the right point to make up time on the guys in front. Even so, we were able to close the gap a little and I felt good all day. The roles will be reversed again for tomorrow so the other guys will be chasing us down again but that’s just rallying. It’s a shame they cancelled the last part of the stage because I think we could have made up even more time but that’s the way it is sometimes. A disadvantage for you might be an advantage for someone else. But we completed the marathon stage safely, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.”
Toby Price – 2019 Rally du Maroc
Also losing time on the previous stage, Matthias Walkner also put in a superb performance on Day 3 to claim runner-up for the stage and elevate himself to second in the rally standings. Happy with how he rode on the sandy, two-part timed special, Matthias managed his tyres perfectly, bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home just one minute and 55 seconds behind his teammate.
Matthias Walker
“I think today was the first day that I really enjoyed the riding. It was tough because the tyres had already ridden a lot of kilometres yesterday and toward the very end of the stage today, I could really feel that they were worn. I know I made some mistakes with my navigation and I thought it would have cost me a lot of time, so I was quite surprised to find out I had finished second. Hopefully I can continue like this and finish the year with a good result here in Morocco.”
Matthias Walkner – 2019 Rally du Maroc
Stage 3 Rally du Maroc 2019
Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:00:33
Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:02:28 +1:55
Franco Caimi (FRA), Yamaha, 3:02:54 +2:21
Johnny Aubert (FRA), Sherco, 3:04:34 +4:01
Ignacio Cornejo (CHI), Honda, 3:04:49 +4:16
Rally du Maroc 2019 after 3 of 5 stages
Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 11:57:39
Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 12:01:45 +4:06
Franco Caimi (ARG), Yamaha, 12:04:19 +6:40
Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 12:04:20 +6:41
Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 12:05:31 +7:52
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Jarred Brook stamped his dominance on the Barleigh Ranch round of the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship over the weekend, winning the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes, winning ten of his 12 heats in the running.
Jarred Brook
“Amazing weekend down at Barleigh Ranch Raceway for the 2019 Australian Dirt Track Championships. Absolutely stoked to come away with winning the Pro Open, Mx Open and Pro 450. I am also extremely honoured to win the Duke of Edinburgh award and to be presented with the Rod Allen and The Begley Family memorial Trophy’s. I cannot thank my little team enough for all of their help and a support over the weekend. Dad and Tom Laycock worked their butts off all weekend. Thank you to the Reay family for all of their support and help through out the weekend as well.”
In the 250 Pro class it was James Chapman who took top honours, while Briony Henrickson topped the Women’s class. Harrison Ryan was the top Under 19s performer, while the Support classes were won by Jason Griffin, Lachlan Russell, Cameron Dunker and Max Berry.
Pro 450
Jarred Brook
Kayden Downing
Daniel Wicks
Pro 250
James Chapman
Angus Hutchinson
Harrison Ryan
MX Open
Jarred Brook
Damien Koppe
Kayden Downing
Pro Open
Jarred Brook
Kayden Downing
Daniel Wicks
Under 19s
Harrison Ryan
Angus Hutchinson
Jake Farnsworth
Womens
Briony Hendrickson
Brooke Goulding
Tayla Street
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2019 KTM AJMX Champions crowned
The Championship decider of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) was held at the Motocross Riders Association in South Australia and saw plenty of thrills, battles and celebrations as 12 national titles were decided in an incredible day of racing.
2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds
The Motocross Riders Association club in Gillman was blessed with exceptional weather conditions all week and the track produced top notch racing, while the Motocross Riders Association, officials and volunteers were commended on the professionalism and efficiency in which the week-long event was conducted, and the daily track preparation and maintenance ensured the safety of all competitors.
128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15
The first 2019 AJMX Champion of the day crowned was Queenslander, Brad West who sealed the title when he took the chequered flag in the first race of the day and the sixth final of the 128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15 class.
With what was once again the Banana Bender Show, West charged to victory beating rival and fellow Queenslanders Deegan Mancinelle coming through with a close second and Jackson Camilleri rounding off the top three for the last final for this class.
128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15 Top 3
Brad West – 185
Jackson Camilleri – 169
Ryan Alexansderson – 166
65cc 7-U10
The third and final race for the 65cc 7-U10 class was won by Queensland’s “Mr Consistency” Cooper Downing with an impressive fast lap time of 2:14.508. Fellow Queenslander Peter Wolfe came second and local rider Cooper Ford (TAS) crossed the line with a strong third, to seal the championship win.
65cc 7-U10 Top 3
Cooper Ford – 97
Cooper Downing – 91
Lachlan Allen – 82
100-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st– 13-U16 Girls
Queenslander, Charli Cannon has dominated this class and the final moto to take the Junior Lites – 13-U16 Girls Championship in fine style. The massive 210-points Cannon clocked up was more than enough to seal the deal and she won the final race by over five-seconds. Cannon was followed by Victorian Madison Healey for second and Taylah McCutcheson rounded up the top three for their final race.
100-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st– 13-U16 Girls Top 3
Charli Cannon – 210
Taylor Thompson – 184
Madison Healey – 180
85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 9-U12
The third final and probably the most hotly contested class of the KTM AJMX saw New South Welshman Hixson McInnes prove to be the surprise package in the third final of the 85cc 2st/1500 4st 9-U12 class.
Not only did Hixon have the fastest lap time of 1:56.285 but he also took the win over Queenslander Jet Alsop in second and West Australian Kayden Minear who took third place for the final and the overall win of the championship.
85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 9-U12 Top 3
Kayden Minear – 95
Liam Owens – 95
Jet Alsop – 88
85cc 2st– 150cc 4st 12-U16 Girls
Charli Cannon from Queensland made it a clean sweep once again in the Mini Lites BW 12-U16 Girls final to grasp the title, completing the week with a dominant 18-second victory. Taylor Thomson from New South Wales pulled through for another consistent runner-up placing ahead of Queenslander Taylah McCutcheon.
85cc 2st– 150cc 4st 12-U16 Girls Top 3
Charli Cannon – 210
Taylor Thomson – 186
Taylah McCrutcheon – 186
100-125cc – 2st 15yo
New South Welshman Blake Fox has sealed the 125cc – 15yo championship, despite coming third in the final moto and winning one final. It was Queenslander Levi Rogers who took victory in the sixth final, followed by local champion Alex Larwood who had the fastest lap time of 1:45.589 and Blake Fox (NSW) followed him eight-seconds later to take third.
100-125cc – 2st 15yo Top 3
Blake Fox – 191
Levi Rogers – 187
Alex Larwood – 177
2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds
85cc 2st/150cc 4st– 12-U14
The championship battle for the Mini Lites BW – 12-U14 could not have been any closer, with the only 3 points between the top three! Ryder Kingsford was awarded the championship on countback, after finishing fourth in the final race.
It was New South Welshman Byron Dennis stormed home to take the chequered flag in the final race for this class, with a fastest lap time of 1:53.500, Queenslander Branden Plath crossed the line under 2 seconds later to take second and Cody Kilpatrick from New South Wales rounded up the top three.
85cc 2st/150cc 4st– 12-U14 Top 3
Ryder Kingsford – 90
Connor Towill – 90
Byron Dennis – 87
85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 14-U16
New South Welshman, Benny Novak has once again sealed the Mini Lites BW – 14-U16 championship with his first-place finish in the final moto securing 201 points overall to retain the title for 2019.
Fellow state counterpart Hunter Collins secured runner up in the championship by coming second in the final moto with the fastest lap time of 1:51.684 and Queenslander Jake Kowal crossed the line in third.
85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 14-U16 Top 3
Ben Novak – 201
Hunter Collins – 199
Zachary Watson – 176
2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds
65cc – 10-U12
West Australian Kayden Minear made it two championship wins at Gillman with victory in the 65cc – 10-U12 category. His first place and fastest lap time of 2:02.221 in the final moto was enough to guarantee the title.
New South Welshman Jack Deveson crossed the line closely behind for second and fellow state counterpart Ky Woods rounded up the top three in their final race of the day, placing him second on the championship podium.
65cc – 10-U12 Top 3
Kayden Minear – 202
Ky Woods – 189
Jake Cannon – 168
100-125cc 2st – 13-U15
West Australian Liam Atkinson sealed the title with a solid second-place finish in the final moto. Queenslander Ryan Alexanderson took a three-second margin win over Atkinson and New South Welshman Hunter Collins came in third with the fastest lap time of 1:51.977 in their last race of the championship.
100-125cc 2st – 13-U15 Top 3
Liam Atkinson – 92
Brock Flynn – 84
Jack Mather – 83
50cc Division 2 – 7-U9
It was all the sandgroper’s way as Mason Brown (WA) took a sensational victory in the final moto of the 50cc class to earn himself a championship win, while Deegan Fort (WA) crossed the line three-seconds later second making him runner up for the championship in his first national event.
West Australian Brian Gyles had the fastest lap time of 2:24.483 which saw him third over the line for their last race of a very long week for this group of little Aussie troopers!
50cc Division 2 – 7-U9 Top 3
Mason Brown – 210
Deegan Fort – 176
Kyle Harvey – 171
128-150cc 2st/200-250 4st 15yo
Taking his second podium of the day, local hero Alex Larwood took the championship in style with the final chequered flag and the fastest lap time of 1:46.880 in the last moto of both the day and the 2019 KTM AJMX Championships.
New South Welshman, Blake Fox pulled through for second in the race making him runner up for the championship ahead of fellow state counterpart Cameron Torpy rounding of the top three for the final race of the 2019 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships!
128-150cc 2st/200-250 4st 15yo Top 3
Alex Larwood – 210
Blake Fox – 190
Cameron Torpy – 157
2019 KTM 2019 Interstate Challenge Cup
Earlier this week each state chose a team of eight riders from four different classes to compete for the Interstate Challenge Cup and each of those competitors was scored within their own class.
At the end of the event, the state with the highest point scoring six team members had their final placings re-scored for an overall score. The state with the highest overall team score is the winner.
Queensland were the winners this year on 199 points, the runner up state for 2019 is New South Wales on 196 points, third place was Western Australia on 193 points, followed by Tasmania 189 points, Victoria 182, South Australia 174 and Northern Territory on 132 points.
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Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award
On Saturday the 5th of October the Motocross Riders Association Club proudly hosted the presentation night of the 2019 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships at the Port Adelaide Football Club.
During the proceedings the prestigious Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award winner was announced and presented in front of a packed house of over 300 guests by Holden On Tight Organisations founder, Rosco Holden.
Taj Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award
In 2017 the Holden On Tight Organisation created the “Holden On Tight Spirit Award” as part of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships. The “Spirit Award” is exactly that, it can be a selfless act to help a fellow competitor, one of true grit or continuing to compete through adversity of injury or so much more that can make someone a contender.
Rosco, who attended the week-long event, opened his speech congratulating the South Australian Motocross Riders Association President Anthony Slade and his tireless hardworking team of officials, medical staff, corner stewards and volunteers.
Rosco Holden
“I’m proud to say my Holden On Tight Organisation is in its 4th year unofficially, and 3rd year officially, for contributing prize money sponsorship for every class for the KTM AJMX championships. The thing that impresses me each year is the commitment that all have shown in preparing all year and attend this event. The top three place getters will get their rewards, but the winners are all of you that have taken on this annual September School Holiday Dirt Challenge. But it’s not all about winning far from it, hence why in 2017 I created the Holden On Tight Spirit Award. This year’s remarkable standouts were #6 Patrick Butler in the 65cc 10-12 class who stopped and helped get #213 Cohen Guatt get his leg out from his wheel and the start line dummy grid dynamic duo of Josh and Billy who did an awesome, yet thankless job all week. There was also the fearless young Jack Ellingham who rides for Josh Coppins in New Zealand, Jack who rode in the 65cc 7-9 yr. class, got 3rd degree tyre burns to the side of his wrist and bravely continued on and still racing all week…”
2019 KTM AJMX Trophies
There were many contenders, including Tasmania’s #77 Jordan Hingston who also helped Northern Territory rider #174 Clayton Bogucki get out from under his bike during a race.
During the very first practice session for the 2019 KTM AJMX, newly crowned champion, Brad West was badly trapped under his bike at the first corner with no-one around to help.
Taj Gow-Smith was about to leave the start line for his practice when he saw Brad. Taj instantly raced down to turn one and threw his bike down on the ground and helped him. Brad fortunately wasn’t hurt and by Taj lifting his bike off him he was able to get back on his way and finish his all-important practice session. Gow-Smith earnt the 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award for his selfless act.
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Jason Doyle claims 2019 Golden Helmet title in Pardubice
Aussie ace Jason Doyle celebrated retaining his FIM Speedway Grand Prix status by winning the iconic Golden Helmet in Pardubice for the second straight season on Sunday.
Doyle triumphed over former European champion Andzejs Lebedevs, Patryk Dudek, Max Fricke, Antonio Lindback and Jack Holder in the final on the giant Czech track, which features six-rider races.
Jason Doyle
“What a way to celebrate my birthday weekend!! Qualified for 2020 SGP series with seventh in the world and then on my birthday won the Golden Helmet! The biggest individual meeting of the season! So happy! Thank you for all the nice messages over the weekend! Bring on 2020!”
Only SGP wild card Antonio Lindback defeated Doyle at the quarter final stages, before he stormed through his semi group and triumphed in the decider.
It capped a strong weekend for the Newcastle-born racer who secured seventh spot in the World Championship on Saturday night to retain his record of qualifying for the SGP series without the aid of a wild card every year since his debut in 2015.
Slovak star Martin Vaculik won the consolation final ahead of Matej Zagar, Chris Holder, Viktor Kulakov, Vaclav Milik and Tero Aarnio.
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2020 SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced
Former FIM Speedway Grand Prix world champions Greg Hancock and Tai Woffinden are back for 2020 after the SGP Commission confirmed next year’s four permanent wild cards.
Two men with seven world titles between them are joined by Russian racer Artem Laguta and Swedish star Antonio Lindback in receiving invites to compete in the SGP World Championship.
2020 Speedway Grand Prix wildcards have been announced!
Hancock is set for an historic return to speedway in a year, which will see him become the first 50-year-old to compete in the SGP series, when he celebrates his half-century on June 3, 2020.
The four-time world champion is taking a break from the sport this year to support wife Jennie as she undergoes breast cancer treatment, but he has made no secret of his desire to continue battling it out with the world’s best.
Great Britain hero Woffinden, who became the nation’s first triple world champion last year, is back after a tough season, which saw him sidelined for two months with a broken TH4 vertebra sustained in a PGE Ekstraliga crash in Lublin on June 7.
Woffinden was 13th in this season’s standings – the first time he has finished outside the world’s top four since he rejoined the series in 2013.
2020 Speedway Grand Prix wildcards
Laguta claimed 11th place in the SGP series, but still ended 2019 a world champion after racing to Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations glory with Emil Sayfutdinov at Russian track Togliatti in July.
And Lindback returns to the SGP stage after finishing 12th this season. The Swedish international is a two-time FIM Speedway World Cup winner and has three SGP victories and two Swedish Championships to his name.
The top eight riders in this year’s SGP World Championship – Bartosz Zmarzlik, Leon Madsen, Emil Sayfutdinov, Fredrik Lindgren, Martin Vaculik, Maciej Janowski, Jason Doyle and Patryk Dudek – qualify automatically for SGP 2020.
The line-up is completed by the top three riders from the GP Challenge in Gorican, Croatia on August 24 – winner Matej Zagar, runner-up Niels-Kristian Iversen and third-placed Max Fricke. The substitute riders for the 2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series will be confirmed soon.
2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix Ride Line-Up (in FIM ranking order with rider numbers to be confirmed in due course)
Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
Leon Madsen (Denmark)
Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia)
Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
Maciej Janowski (Poland)
Jason Doyle (Australia)
Patryk Dudek (Poland)
Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark)
Artem Laguta (Russia)
Antonio Lindback (Sweden)
Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
Max Fricke (Australia)
Greg Hancock (USA)
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Smolinski leads 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up
German ace Martin Smolinski will serve as the 2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix first substitute rider as the full SGP 2020 line-up is confirmed.
The 2018 FIM World Longtrack champion heads the list of substitute stars and will be called into SGP 2020 events if any of the 15 permanent riders are forced out of action for any reason such as injury or illness.
Smolinski famously won the 2014 New Zealand SGP on his full World Championship debut at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium.
Smolinski will lead the 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up
The charismatic Munich-born man has also played a pivotal role in helping Germany reach two straight Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals – the country’s first world team finals of the 21st century.
He’s joined on the substitutes list by second stand-in Mikkel Michelsen of Denmark – the new European champion having won a run-off with Russia’s Grigory Laguta at the final round in Chorzow last month.
Last year’s FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner Bartosz Smektala of Poland is the third reserve, with Denmark’s Anders Thomsen – who finished fifth in his first-ever GP Challenge in August – the fourth substitute.
Swedish racer Pontus Aspgren suffered cruel luck in his quest for SGP qualification at the GP Challenge with an engine failure in his final ride. He will be the fifth reserve for SGP 2020.
The list is completed by French star Dimitri Berge – the new FIM World Longtrack champion and a Speedway of Nations star for his country in 2018 and 2019.
2020 SGP Substitute Riders
Martin Smolinski (Germany)
Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark)
Bartosz Smektala (Poland)
Anders Thomsen (Denmark)
Pontus Aspgren (Sweden)
Dimitri Berge (France)
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2019 Australian SX Championship shaping up to be a belter
The 2019 Australian Supercross Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in history, with a host of decorated international talent preparing to face off against the best Australia has to offer, and take the coveted SX1 and SX2 Championships to foreign lands.
Australian Supercross 2018 – Image by TBG
Leading the charge and looking to secure his fourth consecutive Australian championship will be Penrite Honda’s Justin Brayton, who has recently signed a deal with the HRC corporation for his World Championship campaign in 2020, and will come with additional parts for his Honda machine which is an ominous sign for the competition. The American is known as one of the world’s best supercross riders, having made his debut in 2004 and progressively making his way into the top echelon of the sport, and has his sights locked on another title.
Justin Brayton
“The aim is to defend (my championship), and add a fourth to the belt. I’m under no illusion that it’ll be an easy defence though, with a lot of good guys putting that target on my back and wanting the SX1 Championship. I’m expecting a few guys to step up and make it difficult, however, I’m confident in my preparation and believe that I can get the job done.”
Justin Brayton – Image by Hoppenworld
Team USA will have a presence in the SX2 ranks too, with Mitchell Oldenburg and Chris Blose as the sister Penrite Honda’s of Brayton, albeit both in the small-bore division. Bradley Taft (Empire Motorsports Kawasaki), Jacob Hayes (Serco Yamaha) and Josh Osby (Raceline KTM Thor) will all return for their second season in Australia and will no doubt be after the championship.
Mitchell Oldenburg
“I’ve watched the Australian Supercross Championship expand over the last couple seasons, and was pretty eager to be involved. I’m super thankful for the opportunity to come and race with Penrite Honda – it’s going to be awesome to spend the summer in Australia and go after an international championship.”
Mitch Oldenburg – Image by Hoppenworld
The Australian Supercross Championship will span five rounds in 2019, with Brisbane Entertainment Centre playing host for the opener on October 12. The series then heads to South Australia the next weekend, followed by Wollongong on the 9th of November. The series will then cross the pond to New Zealand on the 16th, before concluding in Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on November 30.
Tickets for Round 1 (Brisbane Entertainment Centre) are available from just $45 at www.ticketek.com.au.
2019 Australian Supercross Calendar
Round 1 – Queesland, October 12, 2019
Round 2 – South Australia, October 19, 2019
Round 3 – Wollongong, NSW, November 9, 2019
Round 4 – Auckland, NZ, November 16, 2019
Round 5 – Melbourne, VIC, November 30, 2019
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Justin Rodbell out for Australian Supercross
Justin Rodbell has apologised to the Raceline KTM Thor Team, after being unable to compete in the up-coming Australian Supercross Championship due to being in Australia on a vacation visa, which does not allow him to work as a professional racer. Here’s what he had to say:
Justin Rodbell
“I would like to apologise to the whole Raceline KTM Thor Team for not being able to compete in the Australian Supercross championship. This is completely my fault, I take full responsibility for not being over there on the correct visa. Sucks my trip to Australia has ended this way, I met so many rad people during my stay in AUS. I’d also like to thank @dvlanwood @markwood25 @ksf_racing for taking me in and giving me a place to live. As for what’s next for me I honestly couldn’t tell you. Sorry @cwktm250 for causing you all this stress, thanks for the opportunity. Basically what happened was I got paid on a vacation visa and I needed to be on a professional sporting visa.”
Justin Rodbell – Image by iKapture
Team HRC & Gajser lead the way at MXGP Awards Ceremony
Taking place on Saturday night at the 2019 Motocross of Nations, Team HRC, Honda and Tim Gajser wrapped up four different awards as they were recognised for what was an excellent MXGP campaign.
Tim Gajser cleaned up at the MXGP awards – Image by Bavo
Winning nine overalls during the course of the season in Trentino, Portugal, France, Russia, Latvia, Germany, Indonesia (twice) and Belgium, Gajser proved that it didn’t matter what the conditions were as he took victories in a whole host of terrain and surfaces. This not only helped him win the MXGP title by 202-points but it also meant that Honda took the manufacturers classification by 22-points.
In addition to race wins and overalls, Gajser also posted the most fastest laps during the season, to further prove just how dominant he was in the competitive MXGP class. While this ceremony celebrated the 2019 season as a whole, the Slovenian rider wasn’t done collecting awards as he took a moto victory and MXGP class overall at the Motocross of Nations, the first for his country.
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
He also collected two holeshot awards from his two races, showing the power of the Honda CRF450RW once again in the wet, sandy conditions of Assen. Team HRC MX2 rider Calvin Vlaanderen also put in a fine performance on Sunday as he helped the Netherlands win their first ever Chamberlain Trophy, in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
Tim Gajser will now prepare himself for a completely new challenge as he goes to Las Vegas in order to compete in the Monster Energy Cup on October 19th.
2019 MXGP Awards
MXGP Manufacturer World Champion: Honda
MXGP Winning Team: Team HRC
Tag Heuer Best Lap Challenge MXGP: Tim Gajser
MXGP World Champion: Tim Gajser
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Meghan Rutledge to become Kawasaki ambassador in 2020
Kawasaki Motors Australia has announced Meghan Rutledge will continue working with them heading into 2020 as an Ambassador and in a coaching role. Rutledge has been supported by Kawasaki for over 10 years and in 2020 has announced she will be stepping away from motocross racing to focus on career and personal growth.
Meghan Rutledge
“After an incredible 2019 season, that included taking out back-to-back National Women’s Motocross and Queen of MX Titles, 2020 holds new opportunities to grow outside of motocross competition. I will be stepping away from competitive racing and focusing on my career with coaching and personal training. Motocross is in my blood, I will continue to ride for fun, be a coach and mentor the next generation. I am excited for what 2020 has in store for me and thrilled to still be working closely with all my current sponsors as an ambassador. I would like to take the opportunity to thank my sponsors for the support over many years. Sponsorship support has enabled me to win eight Championship Titles in the past two years.”
Meghan Rutledge – Image courtesy of Kawasaki
Meg Rutledge has won a trophy room full of Championships in her racing career and Kawasaki will continue to support Meg in an Ambassador and Coaching role.
“I’m eager to focus on my future with my amazing supportive partner Aaron. My job as a personal trainer will work in with motocross coaching and we will take some time to enjoy life. I have put my life into racing and training nearly every weekend for the past 10 years and I never really had any down time, as much as I love racing it’s time to expand my focus. I really appreciate the support from all my fans and sponsors and I look forward what lays ahead.”
Following an enthralling weekend of racing in the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations in Assen, the line-up of young Yamaha riders picked to take part in the bLU cRU Masterclass in November has been announced.
Featuring the top three finishers in the YZ65, YZ85 and YZ125 SuperFinale classes respectively, the Masterclass will also include two carefully selected wildcard riders from each class, chosen on the basis of their talent, attitude and potential demonstrated at the SuperFinale.
2019 YZ125 bLU cRU SuperFinale
The YZ65 Masterclass category for the youngest riders consists of podium finishers #724 Jëkabs Kubulins from Latvia, #292 Freddie Bartlett from Sweden, and #80 Frederik Stampe from Denmark in first, second and third respectively. The three will be joined by wildcards #484 Dex Kooiker from the Netherlands, and #517 Niccolo Mannini from Italy.
The YZ85 top three of #910 Olle Mårtensson from Sweden, #567 Levi Schrik of the Netherlands and #78 Adrian Bølviken from Norway will be joined by #15 Sven Borger of the Netherlands and #11 Zoltan Ordog from Romania.
Featuring the oldest YZ bLU cRU riders, the YZ125 Masterclass line-up includes top three #601 Mairis Pumpurs from Latvia, #252 Raul Sanchez of Spain and #579 Bobby Bruce from Great Britain, who will be joined by #96 Victor Alonso Rodilla from Spain and #397 Simon Depoers from France.
Representing ten European nations, the YZ bLU cRU riders will meet again in Spain on 18-20 November where, together with their road-racing bLU cRU counterparts, they will receive expert motocross tutelage from bLU cRU ambassadors and Yamaha MXGP riders Jeremy Seewer and Gautier Paulin. From the Masterclass, one lucky YZ rider will receive the top prize of direct Yamaha support in their 2020 European Championship.
The Masterclass also serves as the deciding round of the 2019 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup, with one overall winner from each class chosen. The top YZ125 bLU cRU rider will win a place on the MJC Yamaha EMX125 team, while the top YZ65 and YZ85 riders will receive support from Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. for the 2020 season.
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Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020
The Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team has announce that Romain Febvre has joined the squad on a multiple year deal for the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship. Next season KRT will line up two of the most successful and experienced riders in the series as the Frenchman joins Clément Desalle to compete on the KX450 Kawasaki.
Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020
Crowned world champion in 2015 during his rookie season Febvre, who will turn 28 in December, has raced to podium results every year since he joined the MXGP category; despite missing a third of the 2018 season due to injuries he claimed five GP podiums with a double-victory in the Czech Republic, won four motos, took four pole-positions, led ninety laps of racing and posted the fastest lap five times.
With his long racing experience he will form a perfect twin-spearhead alongside Desalle; the Belgian will enter his fifth season with the team and has formed a perfect relationship with both the bike and the team staff who are more excited than ever to start working with both riders.
Clement has now recovered from his injury and will start testing soon, while Romain still needs to wait a few more weeks to recover from the broken leg he sustained during the Swedish round of the World Championship when he was racing for another podium result.
Romain Febvre
“We turn to a new page but the book is still open and there is a new adventure on the horizon! I’m very happy with this choice; it’s never easy to change after five years on the same team but I’m sure this is the best moment to do it. My injury late this season will delay my first days with the team, but I will be even more motivated later this winter when I can get back on a bike again! Everyone in the team is highly motivated and I’m impatient to be with them and on the bike. As far as my injury is concerned it’s taking a long time of course but everything is going as planned by the medical staff; I will soon have the first examination six weeks after surgery; we’ll see how it is with the femur and we’ll be able to make our plans for the rehabilitation. I will take a longer winter break than usual but patience is the only option and I don’t want to endanger any stage so I will be able to start testing in good conditions and to open this new chapter of my career on a good basis. The team is 100% behind me; they have a strong experience of racing and I’m sure we’ll achieve great things together.”
Romain Febvre
Thierry Chizat Suzzoni – KRT Team Owner
“We are very happy to welcome Romain to the team alongside Clément; both have a lot of experience and I’m convinced that they will join forces to cooperate and get the best from our Kawasaki; it’s a great bike which both of them will want to put on the podium. We know that Romain always gives 100% and we confidently expect that both he and Clément will put the bike in the leading pack. It gives us great satisfaction to see one of this season’s GP winners so enthusiastic to join us. We are confident that the new KX450, which we have developed so meticulously since the end of last year, has a huge potential. It’s a winning bike and we now have two GP winners on the team to show that to the world.”
Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership
Long time partners in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship, Monster Energy and the Kawasaki Racing Team have renewed their partnership and will continue their successful association.
Joining the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2014 as title sponsor of the factory squad, Monster Energy has always been the main partner of the team and even as the 2019 season was not the best due to rider injuries the American company renewed the contract for the future. Both Romain Febvre and Clément Desalle are long time Monster athletes, and they achieved great results during the past seasons with fifteen Grand Prix wins and thirty heat wins. They will be team mates for the first time in their career next season, joining their experience and efforts to offer the best results to the team in the premier class.
Mitch Covington – Monster Energy Vice President of Sport Marketing
“We’re excited to go again with our long-term partner KRT. It’s been a difficult year with injuries, but it happens. Unfortunately it’s part of the sport when you have riders who are passionate about the sport and really do what it takes to win so sometimes you’re going to have injuries and accidents; we’ve been in the sport a long time and we understand that. We hope for an injury-free season next year. We’re really excited for Romain to stay in the Monster family; moving over from one Monster team to another should be a really smooth transition. Romain has been a champion for our brand for a long time now and we’re wishing him the best in his new team. It’s a very strong team with Romain and Clement. We have two of the most-experienced riders in the series; they are both very fast and we have high expectations from both.”
Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership for 2020
Thierry Chizat Suzzoni – KRT team Owner
“Since 2014 we’re working in collaboration with Monster Energy and we are very pleased to continue with such a renowned partner who has a very strong image in motorsports. It’s a very long time partner who follow us with great loyalty even in difficult period such as like we had this season. We are currently working to prepare next season with both Clément and Romain who are Monster athletes since many years; every day we work to be ready for 2020, and we expect a great season.”
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Mikkel Haarup joins F&H Kawasaki for 2020
Team F&H Kawasaki will line up an ambitious young trio next year in the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship as Mikkel Haarup joins Roan van de Moosdijk and Mathys Boisrame in the Dutch team.
Mikkel Haarup joins Team F&H Kawasaki in 2020
Mikkel, just eighteen years old, will contest the MX2 World Championship alongside nineteen-year-old Roan van de Moosdijk from the Netherlands and twenty-one-year-old Mathys Boisrame from France.
The multi-national squad will be one of the youngest team line-ups in the World Championship; the F&H Kawasaki team will focus exclusively on the MX2 class next season after their successful 2019 campaign.
All three riders will be trained by Marc de Reuver and they will also contest the Dutch Masters in which they will defend the MX2 title which the F&H team secured this year with Henry Jacobi.
Mikkel Haarup
“I believe joining F&H is going to be a really good move for me; it’s a step forward after four years with my previous team. I feel Kawasaki is very supportive and they will do a good job to help me develop in the future. The team has already done really well the past few years and they work really hard to be even better. Their goal is just like mine … to win the championship; it’s nice to have a team whose main focus is the same. It will be very good for both of us, developing our relationship and achieving results together. Of course it’s a step higher to race the MX2 GPs and the intensity is even higher, but I think everyone can see by the results Roan put in at the end of the season that the speed in the European is also really quick. I already rode a few GPs this year so I think I’m well-prepared to be ready for next year. It’s going to be interested to work with Marc de Reuver; he’s clearly a good trainer and I’m looking forward to working with him. It’s going to be interesting for sure and you see that every rider he has worked with has progressed.”
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The final round of the 2019 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship arrived at the Shanghai Off Road Circuit in China over the weekend, with big crowds turning out to witness the world’s best duke it out.
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Jeffrey Herlings proved his return to form with the MXGP round overall win – his second of the season – while Jorge Prado’s untouchable form continued with another MX2 win, giving KTM the first ever MXGP of China round wins.
Jorge Prado – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Being the last round of the season, the Shanghai off road international circuit witnessed the conclusion of one of the most spectacular seasons ever. Taking the top three spots in the final MXGP Championship standings were Tim Gajser, Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff while in MX2 class Jorge Prado, Thomas Kjer Olsen and Jago Geerts finalised the MX2 Championship standings.
MXGP Race 1
In the opening MXGP race it was Glenn Coldenhoff who led from Jeremy Seewer, Tim Gajser, Jeffrey Herlings and Pauls Jonass. Herlings was quickly into third place and relegating the MXGP champion to fourth. After a lap the battle for first place between Coldenhoff and Seewer was intense, with Herlings three seconds back in third.
Jeremy Seewer – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Seewer had passed Coldenhoff but was repassed and then crashed in a corner as Herlings moved into second place. Seewer again crashed as he dropped to seventh place.
Coldenhoff continued to control the race, although after five laps the lead was down to just over two seconds and Gajser was five seconds back in third place while the two Arminas Jasikonis and Pauls Jonass filled the remaining top five positions.
Seewer was sixth, Ivo Monticelli seventh, Jeremy Van Horebeek eight, Gautier Paulin ninth and Jordi Tixier in 10th. After nine laps Herlings was just over two seconds behind Coldenhoff and made a move for the lead. 11 laps in and Paulin dropped back to eight while Tixier moved into ninth place.
Jeffrey Herlings – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Herlings was suddenly all over Coldenhoff as the race heated up and to make it even more exciting, Gajser joined the party. For a couple of laps the big three battled for the top spot, and the pace clearly went to another gear.
MXGP came alive again as Coldenhoff tried to fight off Herlings and Gajser. Coldenhoff hung in there to win it from Herlings and Gajser.
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
MXGP Race 2
The second MXGP gate dropped and Seewer took the FOX Holeshot, but got passed by Coldenhoff who lead again, Gajser was in third, then Van Horebeek, Herlings, Bogers, Jonass, Paulin, Monticelli and Jasikonis who rounded up the top 10. Herlings quickly passed Van Horebeek and was onto Gajser for third.
2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
After a lap Coldenhoff was a second and a half ahead of Seewer who was fighting off Gajser, with Herlings fourth and Van Horebeek fifth. Tixier had worked his way into 10th place as Jasikonis dropped to 12th.
After three laps the lead remained a little over a minute while Gajser miscalculating a jump ran off the track, having to pull the board from his machine and lost places to Herlings, Van Horebeek and Jonass as he dropped to sixth position. On lap nine Gajser passed Jonass for fifth, and Seewer was still a second and a half behind Coldenhoff.
Jeremy Seewer and Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Herlings was all over Seewer for second place as he tried to get an overall victory while Coldenhoff continued to ride in cruise control and at the pace he was comfortable. Herlings made a move to take second place from Seewer and the race of the Dutchman would continue.
Coldenhoff remained calm and continued to lead Herlings, with Seewer third, Van Horebeek fourth and Gajser fifth. After 14 laps Coldenhoff was nearly three-second lead over Herlings and seemingly did enough to win the race and the Grand Prix while Gajser passed Van Horebeek for fourth position.
Jeremy Van Horebeek – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Herlings turned it up in the final three laps and caught Coldenhoff, then he pulled into the lead on the last lap as he won the Grand Prix with 2-1 results.
Jeffrey Herlings has won the MXGP of China with a stunning 2-1 result leading his Motocross of Nations team-mate Glenn Coldenhoff who scored 1-2 results. Third overall was Jeremy Seewer.
Jeffrey Herlings – Round Winner
“I wanted to finish the year strongly: I owed Red Bull, KTM and all my partners that after the injury. I gave everything I had and I’m very grateful to have won the last two GPs. I’ll race in the sand next week for the final preparation for Assen. Hopefully with Team Holland we can go for the win. Then, next year in MXGP, I want to fight hard to get the title back. I really enjoyed the track here – it was tough to pass in places – but we won the GP and that’s the most important thing.”
Jeffrey Herlings – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
While Tim Gajser climbed again the MXGP Podium to be awarded with the Gold Medal, Jeremy Seewer celebrated the 18th round of the Championship with a silver media ensured just after race 1 and Glenn Coldenhoff clinched the bronze medal after an unpredictable season.
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP Champion
“First of all, I am super happy to have my third world title this year, especially winning it in front of so many fans in Imola. It was really something special. Now, after that my level maybe hasn’t been as high and I’ve struggled to find the flow but overall I’m super happy with the year and I must say a big thank you to the team for their part in that. They have been amazing this year, but they also stood behind me these past two years when things didn’t go my way, and that is when you know you have a good team around you. I must also thank all the fans who have supported this season, they have followed me around the world and it is so great to have people at the track cheering you on. People from Slovenia even came all the way here to China and I am so thankful for that. As for this Shanghai race, I really enjoyed the layout and the dirt and I really felt good out on the track. I was fast in practice and grabbed a holeshot yesterday but a mistake a couple of laps later cost me positions. This meant I had 11th gate pick but I was still able to get two good starts, inside the top three. In the first moto we were all close together and it was tight racing but it was difficult to find a place to pass so I finished third. Then in the second moto, I was running third again but I jumped off the track and got tangled in a banner and by the time I was free from that I had lost a lot of time and positions. I was still able to get back to fourth which was good enough for fourth overall. I would have loved to have been on the podium, but it was still amazing to get handed the gold medal as champion and overall it has been a great, great season.”
Tim Gajser – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Jeremy Seewer – P2 Overall
“It has been incredible. My winter preparation for this season was horrible. I was in bed sick for three weeks. I came into the season battling to be in the top-ten and I had to fight my way back. I am really happy to be here now. It was a process, I started to break into the top five after the few weeks we had off in May, and then eventually got on the podium and then got six podiums and now I am here, second in the world!”
Jeremy Seewer – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Glenn Coldenhoff – P3 Overall
“I feel like we did a great job this weekend. It was a solid start in the second race and I was second and led all the races, I started making mistakes and I was looking at the bigger picture that is the bronze medal and I got a podium, which was good. First race was great. I am so pumped, I knew I needed a great gate pick and I was able to hold of Jeffrey (Herlings) and Tim (Gajser).
Gautier Paulin – P4 Overall
“I really want to thank my team first of all, Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP team. We have had a tough season and have worked hard all year long as a satellite team. We were fighting for second in the championship to begin with and then second, and then third, and finally we came up short in fourth. It was a good year for my first year back on the Yamaha. We have some experience for the future. The bike was working good today, although it was not the best day for me. I am happy I put in a full season without injuries and could fight to the finish.”
Gautier Paulin – 2019 MXGP of China, Round 18
Pauls Jonass – P6 Overall
“I have some mixed feelings after this MXGP of China. With some podium results in recent races I really wanted the same here, to end the year on a high note. But I didn’t feel as sharp as I have been feeling. I’m not sure it’s the travel, but anyway it certainly wasn’t a bad way to end the series. I got pretty ok starts in both races but dropped back a little. Both races were like that. But sixth overall is a pretty decent result. Also, to finish sixth in the MXGP championship is very positive. It was a steady start to the year, coming back from injury and also adjusting to the MXGP bike. The second half of the year was very positive – I started to improve my strength, feeling with the bike, starts and results. Now we’ll focus on the Nations, before some time at home and then preparations for next season.”
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What happened this week
JD Beach wins 2019 Buffalo Chip TT
Ryan Sipes tops AFT Singles at Buffalo Chip TT
Gajser and Prado claim victory at 2019 MXGP of Belgium
Van De Moosdijk tops EMX at Lommel
Husqvarna’s Waters & Todd claim titles at Coolum MX Nationals
Bartosz Zmarzlik wins Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
Dan Reardon joins CDR Yamaha for 2019 Australian SX
Cole Seely announces retirement
Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
JD Beach wins 2019 Buffalo Chip TT
JD Beach took an unexpected last-second victory at the 2019 Buffalo Chip TT at the American Flat Track premiere class showdown in Sturgis, with Jake Johnson seeming a clear winner until a mechanical issue on the final corner of the final lap wreaked havoc on his would-be victory.
AFT Twins Start – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
TT standout Johnson grabbed the holeshot and quickly broke free at the front while a four-rider fight for second took shape involving Jarod Vanderkooi, Jared Mees, Bronson Bauman and Beach.
And they are off! – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Passing opportunities proved few and far between as the riders negotiated the purpose-built TT circuit on the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground that encircled “The Bar” and was pressed tight by thousands of fans on the fences. As a result, the top five could have easily been set from the opening lap if not for repeated drama.
First, Vanderkooi ran wide and quickly gave up three positions. An aggressive Beach then made his way by Bauman as well and immediately went about applying intense pressure on Mees for second.
Jake Johnson – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
That pressure was so great, in fact, that Mees ultimately decided it was better to just hand the position over to Beach than invite trouble in an attempt to defend it, especially once he saw that championship rival Briar Bauman was destined to DNF after crashing further back in the field.
At that point, Mees’ calculated decision appeared likely only to open the door for an eventual Estenson 1-2, but Beach still wasn’t satisfied. He somehow reeled in teammate Johnson, arriving on his rear wheel just in time to take the white flag. However, Beach simply couldn’t find a way through and was all but ready to follow Johnson to the checkered flag when Johnson’s bike suffered a mechanical issue exiting the race’s very final corner.
JD Beach claims the win from Jake Johnson – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Beach promptly powered past, officially claiming the victory by 0.201 seconds. The win was the second of Beach’s AFT Twins career and his second straight on the tour’s run of TTs, having also won at the Arizona Super TT earlier this season.
JD Beach
“I’m heartbroken for Jake. He rode an amazing race. I came from like fifth and caught him, but we only had a lap to go. I was trying to find a way by him but there just wasn’t any room. Coming out of the last turn, I heard his bike blubber, so I knew I was hooked up and going. It’s awesome to get a win, but to get a win like that — especially with Jake because he’s such a good guy – it feels good but it doesn’t. I have to thank the whole crowd for coming out. This event is awesome. And I’ve got to thank the whole Estenson racing team. They’ve been working really hard. We’ve got a bike that can go right, and I think we’ve proved it. And we have another chance at the Peoria TT, so we’ll see what happens.”
JD Beach – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Mees came home in third, slashing his title deficit from 26 to just 12 (173-161) to open the second half of the ‘19 title fight. Bronson Bauman finished fourth, followed by Vanderkooi in fifth.
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Ryan Sipes tops AFT Singles at Buffalo Chip TT
For the second consecutive year, Ryan Sipes put on a masterclass of all-around riding ability at the Buffalo Chip TT with a convincing victory in the once-stopped and restarted AFT Singles Main Event.
AFT Singles start – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
With right- and left-handers of varying radii and jumps to navigate, the TTs demand a somewhat different, expanded skillset compared to the other three AFT disciplines. It should be no surprise that the supremely versatile Sipes once again shone under the lights at the Buffalo Chip, as he showcased the talents that also made him a Supercross race winner and America’s first-ever ISDE overall winner.
Ryan Sipes – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Sipes was in dominant form all day long, and effectively secured the win at the critically important start when he hammered into the lead off the line. His combination of superior speed and inch-perfect lines provided his opponents with precious little hope of defeating the Kentucky native on this night.
Ryan Sipes
“I wanted this one really bad. All I’ve thought about since I crashed at Springfield was I should have won there, and now I have to win here. And I did it, so I feel really good about it.”
Ryan Sipes – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
AFT Singles points leader Dalton Gauthier was ecstatic to finish second. With series part-timer Sipes not in championship contention and key title rival Mikey Rush suffering another difficult outing, Gauthier’s podium performance opened up some breathing space at the top of the standings.
Defending champ Dan Bromley took over second in the championship chase with his sixth podium result of the season by finishing third. 2016 class champ Ryan Wells made an impressive charge on a track that was nearly impossible to pass on to arrive in fourth while top qualifier Chad Cose rounded out the top five.
Ryan Sipes topped the AFT Singles podium- AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Aussie Max Whale came home in the AFT Singles main event eighth on his Kawasaki KX450F, and currently sits ninth in the standings on 83-points.
Max Whale
“Had a blast at the Buffalo Chip TT. Ended the night with a solid P8. The track was unique, tight and hard to pass! Had to come from row 3. Plenty of bar bagging! Thanks to all my sponsors!”
Max Whale – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Buffalo Chip TT – AFT Singles Main Event
#
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Ryan Sipes
KTM 450 SX-F
0.000
2
Dalton Gauthier
Husqvarna FC450
2.141
3
Dan Bromley
KTM 450 SX-F
3.272
4
Ryan Wells
Yamaha YZ450F
7.56
5
Chad Cose
Honda CRF450R
8.072
6
James Rispoli
Yamaha YZ450F
8.369
7
Jesse Janisch
Yamaha YZ450F
8.509
8
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
8.86
9
Jacob Lehmann
Honda CRF450R
9.119
10
Andrew DiBrino
Husqvarna FC450
9.866
AFT Singles Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Dalton Gauthier
189
2
Dan Bromley
168
3
Mikey Rush
161
4
Jesse Janisch
150
5
Ryan Wells
126
6
Shayna Texter
108
7
Chad Cose
105
8
Morgen Mischler
90
9
Max Whale
83
10
Kevin Stollings
79
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Gajser and Prado claim victory at 2019 MXGP of Belgium
Tim Gajser claimed the MXGP of Belgium victory over the weekend, with a 2-2 result netting 44-points and extending his championship lead, with Romain Febvre runner up on 43-points thanks to a 1-4 result. Glenn Coldenhoff claimed the final overall podium position with a consistent 3-3 result for 40-points.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Following the MXGP of Belgium Gajser holds the championship lead by an all but insurmountable 187-points with four rounds to go, with second place sitting with Jeremy Seewer who took fourth overall over the weekend and now holds 439-points. That’s a 37-point lead over Gautier Paulin on 402. Arnaud Tonus is a close fourth with 396-points.
Tim Gajser
“I had fun today and it is weird saying that in the sand for me. I had two good races and I let Max pass because he was faster, then he made a mistake and I got him back, then he passed me again. They told me if I was second, I would have won the overall. I very happy with this GP win as I didn’t’ expect it. I expected a top five would be good and to win here is really special. We have worked in the sand in the winter and it really worked out. The track was rough, and it was easy to make a mistake. I will try and make a good start and see if I can stay with these guys, but if I can’t I will settle for the points. It is always mental, coming here in Lommel, we know the race will be tough, so deep and so bumpy and I did my best.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Romain Febvre
“I used a lot of energy for the qualifying race. I wanted a good start gate. I was first in the first corner of the first race and then Tim passed me, and I passed him again. I was feeling comfortable but it was really tough. The first race was easier, and the second race I didn’t get the start I liked.. It was tough and it was hot. I struggled at the beginning of the first race a bit, then 10 minutes before the end I lost a bit my rhythm and I was super happy to have won the first race. In second race I ended fourth for a second overall. I couldn’t pass Van Horebeek and Coldenhoff and I lost my rhythm. I am a little bit disappointed. Today I felt better than yesterday, but I didn’t have so much energy at the end.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Glenn Coldenhoff
“It is great. Two weeks ago I didn’t feel good in the sand, but the team helped with a great bike and I give it to those guys. I am happy to be back up here and I enjoy it. The sand always suits me well, and it is easier than hard pack for me. Yesterday I felt good. I went into qualification to save energy for today’s race and maybe that was wrong, because I couldn’t find my rhythm and I struggled a bit. I pushed this morning and had that good feeling again pulling also the FOX Holeshot. I have to thank my boss and the whole team. We have been through difficult time, but we are back. The team has done an amazing job to have me comfortable in the sand.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
MXGP Round Overall
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
44
2
Febvre, Romain
43
3
Coldenhoff, Glenn
40
4
Seewer, Jeremy
34
5
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
29
6
Jasikonis, Arminas
28
7
Anstie, Max
25
8
Jonass, Pauls
24
9
Monticelli, Ivo
23
10
Paulin, Gautier
23
MXGP Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
626
2
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
439
3
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
402
4
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
396
5
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
358
6
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
355
7
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
KTM
349
8
Febvre, Romain
FRA
YAM
336
9
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
329
10
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
321
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In MX2 Jorge Prado proved unstoppable with a 1-1 result and 50 championship points to the tally, with the runner up position proving a tight competition with Calvin Vlaanderen, Ben Watson and Tom Vialle all sitting on 36-points a-piece, with Vialle missing out on the podium and Vlaanderen runner up. Adam Sterry in fifth overall was a further point in arrears.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Following Belgium Prado (644) holds a 124-point lead from Thomas Kjer Olsen (520), with Tom Vialle (416) a further 104-points back in third place. Jago Geerts sits fourth in the standings on 413-points, while Henry Jacobi completes the top five with 399-points.
Jorge Prado
“Normally it is a tough race even if I had a good flow the whole race. I was enjoying it and I was mentally prepared for this. We are closing in on the championship and looking for the next round. The first race was also good, the track is very rough, and you need to be careful with your energy and have energy for the second one. The second race was good, another FOX holeshot and that was my goal. The last lap I had more than 30 seconds lead and I tried to make it bigger, but I lost my hand and fell, lucky I got up quickly. Third GP win at Lommel, so I am happy.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Calvin Vlaanderen
“It feels good to be back, this is the goal to come on the podium. First race I wasn’t happy, put it down and came back. Didn’t expect to be on the podium as I started the second race with the goal to have fun. I was stoked when I saw I was on the podium. I think in Italy I need two good starts and two good races. Maybe on the hard-pack I can put a bit more pressure on Prado and try and fight at the front.”
Calvin Vlaanderen – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Ben Watson
“I am gutted for my teammate. I come here not knowing what to expect as I decided to race just some days ago. I came here to one of the toughest Grand Prix of the year and got on the podium. I want to thank the team, my girlfriend, my family and everyone who has been a part of this. The last few weeks have been difficult, I had a lot of time to improve after Indonesia and I got a lot of physical training in as I wanted a good comeback race. I only rode Tuesday for the first time, and we decided to come, and it was a big shock to me and the whole team. My teammate Jago deserved the second spot on the podium.”
Ben Watson – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
MX2 Round Overall
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Prado, Jorge
50
2
Vlaanderen, Calvin
36
3
Watson, Ben
36
4
Vialle, Tom
36
5
Sterry, Adam
35
6
Renaux, Maxime
29
7
Genot, Cyril
22
8
Östlund, Alvin
22
9
Jacobi, Henry
22
10
Geerts, Jago
22
MX2 Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
644
2
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
520
3
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
416
4
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
413
5
Jacobi, Henry
GER
KAW
399
6
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KAW
314
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
282
8
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
271
9
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
250
10
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
HON
248
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Van De Moosdijk tops EMX at Lommel
The EMX250 and EMX125 classes continued their championships stories in Lommel at the MXGP of Belgium, and once again it was the sand masters who came out with amazing skills around one of the toughest circuits in the World.
EMX250 start at Lommel
Roan van de Moosdijk is the king of the sand in the EMX250 class, going 1-1 and taking the points’ lead in the series standings heading to the next round in Sweden. The Dutchman was a level above his competition as he clocked lap times bunch of seconds quicker than the other EMX250 riders. Kevin Horgmo was second overall and Mikkel Haarup third.
In the EMX125 class it was Simon Laengenfelder who scored 2-1 results to win the overall, ahead of series leader Mattia Guadagnini and Tom Guyon. Guadagnini continues to lead the series by 20 points over Guyon.
EMX250
Kevin Horgmo was quickly into the lead in the opening EMX250 race, followed by Isak Gifting, Kay Ebben and Roan van de Moosdijk. Mikkel Haarup moved past van de Moosdijk on lap two, and championship front runners, Rene Hofer was back in seventh, Stephen Rubini was ninth and Alberto Forato way back in 14th. Van de Moosdijk moved into second place on lap three.
Alberto Forato
Van de Moosdijk moved into the lead on the fourth lap while Rubini was up to sixth position. After six laps the lead was 12 seconds between van de Moosdijk and Horgmo. Haarup moved into second on lap 10 and Rubini moved into fifth place. Van de Moosdijk won the Saturday’s race 1 from Haarup and Horgmo.
In the second EMX250 race it was Van De Moosdijk who led early from Horgmo, Raivo Dankers, Bastian Boegh Damm and Rene Hofer. Rubini was down in seventh place. After just one lap the lead was already more than five seconds as the Dutchman was showing off his sand skills. A lap later the lead was nearly 10 seconds.
Forato moved into second place when he passed Horgmo, and Rubini crashed and dropped to 10th place. Not a lot changed with Van De Moosdijk moved to 30 seconds ahead of Forato on lap eight, then came Horgmo, Dankers and Boegh. Rubini remained in 10th place.
With a 32 second lead Van de Moosdijk slipped over in a corner, but still had an easy lead when he got up and just to make matters even better for the leader, Rubini dropped out of the top ten and was in 13th.
Van De Moosdijk won race 2 from Forato and Horgmo and getting is double race win of the season and the Red Plate for the first time in his career. The Dutch rider got in the Belgian round in thirst position in the series and will head to Switzerland leading the series with 11 point over Rubini.
Roan Van De Moosdijk
“I didn’t know I had the points lead until the end of the race. The start today was good, and I controlled the races even if at the end I got tired. It’s been always a dream to have a red plate and now I have it, and close to home with all my family and friends here to see it. I want to thank my team and my trainer.”
Roan Van De Moosdijk
EMX250 – Overall Top Ten
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 50 points
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 40
Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 35
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 34
Ken Bengtson (SWE, HUS), 31
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 28
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 26
Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 23
Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, YAM), 20
EMX250 – Championship Top Ten
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 288 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 277
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 275
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 195
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 137
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 133
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 131
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 127
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 99
Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 97
EMX125
Joel Rizzi took the holeshot in the opening EMX 125 race but it was Mattia Guadagnini who took the lead quickly and just walked away from the field. Second was Simon Laengenfelder, and third Tom Guyon. Mike Gwerder finished in fifth and lost ground on the two front guys in the points race.
EMX125 start
The second EMX125 presented by FMF Racing race proved a surprise as Laengenfelder took the lead on Guadagnini and Guyon on lap 3. After five laps the lead was five seconds as the German rider showed amazing sand skills.
Rizzi was also looking good in fourth position ahead of fifth placed Kay De Wolf. Laengenfelder rode brilliant to remain in control and winning from Guadagnini and Guyon.
EMX125 podium
Simon Laengenfelder won his first EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing round of his career with his 2-1 and he stands third in the championship while Mattia Guadagnini keeps the red plate.
Simon Laengenfelder
“I had the holeshot and Guadagnini passed me then I passed him back. I am so happy with the victory. I want to thank my team. This is unbelievable.”
Simon Laengenfelder
EMX125 – Overall Top Ten
Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 47 points
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 47
Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 40
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 34
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30
Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 26
Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 25
Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 24
Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 23
Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), 23
EMX125 – Championship Top Ten
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 265 points
Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 245
Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 175
Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 174
Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 165
Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 156
Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 155
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 123
Guillem Farres (ESP, KTM), 101
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 95
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Husqvarna’s Waters & Todd claim titles at Coolum MX Nationals
DPH Husqvarna Factory Racing team racers Todd Waters and Wilson Todd dominated the final two rounds of the MX Nationals in Coolum, to win both the MX1 450cc and MX2 250cc National Motocross Championships, and become the only team to win both the MX1 and MX2 titles in the one MX Nationals season.
Todd Waters – Image by iKapture
Todd Waters quickly secured the MX1 Superpole on Saturday, before going on to win all three MX1 races, while Wilson Todd took both MX2 wins and secured a dominant round nine display for DPH.
With Sunday hosting the tenth and final round of the MX Nationals on the very same track, Todd Waters once more secured Superpole before going on to win both 16-lap MX1 races and securing the MX1 Championship.
Wilson Todd took a 1-2 finish in the back-to-back format and a third in the final moto to also secure the MX2 overall and the 2019 MX2 Championship.
Wilson Todd – Image by iKapture
Todd Waters – 2019 Thor MX1 Champion
“I’ve wanted this for so long, and I’m pumped to be able to do it with such a great group around me. From personal sponsors that have been with me through my whole career, to new supporters, and the team at DPH, my family, and especially my Dad Steve. Having him behind me at every gate drop has been unreal and really helped to take the pressure off and just enjoy racing my bike. I’ve said it a lot this season, but I really love riding the FC450. DPH builds a family atmosphere where it’s easy to relax, focus and get the job done and that’s exactly what we did this weekend. I was confident coming into the weekend that I could wrap up the season, but I never expected to have a perfect finish with two superpoles and five race wins!”
Todd Waters – Image by iKapture
Wilson Todd – 2019 MX2 Champion
“Everything came together for me this weekend. I’ve been comfortable leading the championship, but with such a small gap, and a double header weekend, anything could’ve happened. I didn’t get a great lap in qualifying, but I got out of the gates strong and was able to ride at a strong pace to take both race wins and increase my lead for the final day of racing. For Sunday, I wanted to win, but not at the sake of the championship, so I used my head, raced hard and took opportunities when they were there, without risking too much. I’m now a two-time MX2 champion, and really glad I could help DPH make history by taking both championships in the one season. Thank you to everyone that supports me and the whole team.”
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CDR Yamaha’s Luke Clout MX1 runner-up
Heading into the final two rounds over the weekend the premier MX1 championship rolled into Coolum on a knife’s edge with just two points separating the top two riders and with four points scoring motos on a track known to wreak havoc, where anything could have happened.
Luke Clout – Image by iKapture
But, fight as he may, Luke Clout wasn’t able to overcome rival Todd Waters and had to settle for fourth place in each round which more than secured second place in the championship on board his Yamaha YZ450F.
Clout stuck to his guns all weekend and went down swinging. He wanted to take the challenge right up to Waters but a crash proved costly and he was unable to make any headway into the championship lead.
Luke Clout
“I did everything I could all weekend and the boys in the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team really put in the hard yards but I wasn’t good enough today and Todd deserved his victory. I felt pretty good on the bike most of the weekend but I had a decent crash in the final race on Saturday afternoon which left me and my bike pretty battered. The team worked through the night to get it back into perfect shape and we gave it our all, but just couldn’t get it done. Congratulations to Todd and his team this year. I know he has wanted this for a long-time and he has been great to race with all season. For me it was a better result than last season which is good, and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team have been amazing to work with. Finishing second has given me more motivation to work harder for next years championship and I will be back to give it 100%. Thank you to my team, my family and my girlfriend for their support this season, also to WEM and the series sponsors in making the MX Nationals happen. Time now for a few days off and then its back into it for Supercross and I can’t wait to get back in the stadiums again.”
Luke Clout – Image by iKapture
Strong Coolum result for Kawasaki’s Dylan Long
Dylan Long finished off the 2019 MX Nationals championship in spectacular fashion at Coolum, scoring dual MX1 podium results in the double-header series finals.
Saturday’s Round 9 marked Long’s first overall podium of the year after he qualified in sixth position and then powered to 3-7 results in the opening MX1 sprint races for a combined moto score of fourth. In the final outing, he charged to third, granting him a deserved third overall for round nine.
Round 10 was even more impressive for the popular Victorian talent, transferring through Super Pole to qualify in third. The first moto saw him one again ride to a top-three result in third place, before backing that form up with second in moto two. Those results saw him achieve back-to-back overall podiums, this time in P2 for round 10 to cap-off the series.
Dylan Long
“I’m really stoked for myself and the Empire Kawasaki team to finish the season with these podium finishes,” beamed an elated Long. “The goal was to get better and better at every round once I came back from injury and we did that. After finishing third yesterday, I knew I would have to back it up today and we managed to finish second, so we’re really happy. The track was gruelling this weekend and especially today, but Empire Kawasaki had my KX450 working so good in these conditions and I can’t thank them enough!”
Dylan Long – Image by iKapture
2019 MX1 Championship Final Points
Todd Waters 568
Luke Clout 530
Hayden Mellross 462
Kirk Gibbs 435
Brett Metcalfe 432
Justin Rodbell 373
Richie Evans 372
Jesse Dobson 360
Dylan Long 325
Jayden Rykers 300
2019 MX2 Championship Final Points
Wilson Todd 562
Kyle Webster 536
Jay Wilson 523
Nathan Crawford 492
Aaron Tanti 460
Dylan Wills 394
Bailey Malkiewicz 387
Ricky Latimer 360
Cooper Pozniak 345
Morgan Fogarty 327
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Bartosz Zmarzlik wins Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
World No.2 Bartosz Zmarzlik raced to Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland glory on Saturday night and declared the epic event “the best GP in history.”
2019 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
The Polish icon raced to his second win of 2019 and the second of his career on home soil – five years on from his unforgettable 2014 Gorzow SGP triumph as a wild card, which saw him become the youngest SGP winner of all time at the age of 19.
Zmarzlik topped the podium ahead of Martin Vaculik and Leon Madsen, and now leads the World Championship standings on 61 points – level with Emil Sayfutdinov and Madsen, but ahead of his rivals by virtue of his FIM ranking.
It was an incredible night of action which saw passing aplenty as Wroclaw staged its first SGP event in 12 years in a sold-out Olympic Stadium.
Zmarzlik was delighted to take the win a huge 17-point haul, but admits he had to fight for it.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“I think that was the best GP in history because there were so many riders changing places all night. It was nice speedway. I’m very happy because this is my first win in Poland away from my home track Gorzow. I am very happy because I scored good points and it was a good meeting. It was good work today. It wasn’t so easy at the start, but the last heats were the best.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik – Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
Zmarzlik is nicely placed in his quest to become Poland’s third world champion, following in the footsteps of his former Gorzow team mate and mentor Tomasz Gollob in 2010.
But he’s not taking anything for granted at the championship’s halfway stage, with five rounds still to race.
Next up is the Scandinavian SGP at Malilla’s G&B Arena on August 17. Zmarzlik triumphed there in 2016 and has been in extraordinary form in the Swedish Elitserien this season, leading the average charts on 2.900 per race – from a maximum of 3.000.
Vaculik was pleased to pick up his third SGP second place of the season and 15 valuable points. He’s now just two off top spot with 59, occupying fourth place. But the Slovak admits he’s determined to convert his next final appearance into a victory.
Third-placed Madsen produced a show reel of epic rides on his way to the final. While he admits his starts forced him to go on the offensive, he was pleased to have the pace to pull off some big moves to stay among the championship frontrunners.
Bartosz Zmarzlik tops the 2019 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland podium
Speedway GP World Championship Standings
Bartosz Zmarzlik 61
Emil Sayfutdinov 61
Leon Madsen 61
Martin Vaculik 59
Patryk Dudek 55
Fredrik Lindgren 47
Janusz Kolodziej 44
Maciej Janowski 36
Jason Doyle 35
Artem Laguta 34
Betard Wroclaw SGP Scores
Bartosz Zmarzlik 17
Martin Vaculik 15
Leon Madsen 14
Janusz Kolodziej 15
Emil Sayfutdinov 14
Maciej Janowski 12
Patryk Dudek 8
Antonio Lindback 7
Artem Laguta 7
Tai Woffinden 6
Jason Doyle 5
Fredrik Lindgren 5
Maksym Drabik 4
Max Fricke 4
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Dan Reardon joins CDR Yamaha for 2019 Australian SX
Former multi-time Australian Supercross champion, Dan Reardon, will re-unite with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team for the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship starting on October 12 in Brisbane.
Dan Reardon on the podium for the SX1 Overall at the Aus-X Open in 2018 Jason Anderon 75 Dean Wilson 62 Daniel Reardon 60
Reardon, who finished third in the 2018 championship on board a YZ450F, has joined forces with the most powerful team in Australian motocross and supercross and already deep into his preparations for the coming season.
In a deal that sees Reardon combine the championship winning formula of the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team, he has also been able to bring his own sponsors to the effort to create a unique and powerful team.
Dan Reardon
“It’s awesome to be back with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team and working with a great group of guys. We won the championship together in 2015 and I have built a close bond to CDR and Yamaha over the years. Last year I did my own program together with the help of Yamaha but the logistics of managing that and also preparing to race become more time consuming than I anticipated. It’s great to be back with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team again as I know that all the background work is taken care of and my sole focus is to win races and get the job done with no distractions. Craig has been great to work with in putting this deal together and we have been able to put together a deal that allows me to keep my global deals in place with companies like Fasthouse, DR Homes, Bell, Go Pro and Boost, but also take on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team sponsors, infrastructure and support. I’m excited to go racing again and really looking forward to a successful year and a great championship battle in 2019.”
Dan Reardon – Image by TBG
The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team were on the look out for another rider for the 2019 supercross season as Kirk Gibbs is contracted for the MX Nationals only. After assessing all options, team owner Craig Dack, felt Reardon was the right man for the job and with previous success, Dack hopes to build on the already proven platform.
Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha Team Owner
“Dan is obviously a talented, highly skilled and well credentialled supercross rider who has had a long term relationship with Yamaha here in Australia and the US. On limited budget in 2018, he was able to put together an impressive season and now with the extra support and infrastructure the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team can provide, we hope to take it to the next level with Dan in 2019. He is already comfortable with the Yamaha YZ450F and well under way in his preparation for the series. We are happy to put this deal together with Dan and some of his partners that have been behind him in recent years and feel we have the riders and the team to challenge for the 2019 SX1 supercross championship.”
CDR Yamaha’s Craig Dack
The opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship gets under way on Saturday October 12 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre before travelling through Adelaide, Wollongong and Auckland before the grand final at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on November 30.
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Cole Seely announces retirement
Team Honda HRC rider Cole Seely announced his retirement from professional racing after over a decade competing at the highest level in both the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross series. Seely has dedicated nearly his entire professional career to the Honda brand, riding for a Honda satellite team throughout most of his 250 tenure before spending five years aboard a factory CRF450R.
At 29, Seely has accomplished a number of milestones. After turning pro in 2009, he signed with the then-Honda-backed Troy Lee Designs team in 2010. During his five-year stint with that team, Seely captured five 250SX victories and finished runner-up in the 2014 250SX West title chase.
In 2015, he was awarded 450SX Rookie of the Year honors after finishing third overall in the AMA Supercross series, highlighted by his first 450cc victory, at the Houston Supercross. Seely also represented Team USA at the 2017 Motocross of Nations.
Cole Seely – Image by Hoppenworld
Over the past few seasons, Seely has been plagued by injuries, which contributed to his decision to retire.
Cole Seely
“These past two years have been very difficult. Last year’s injury was severe and very tough on me both mentally and physically. I fought hard to return this season, but it was much more challenging than I anticipated. Now with this recent shoulder injury, it’s just another setback. This decision definitely wasn’t easy, but I think it’s the right choice. I’m grateful for having been given the opportunity to do something I’ve loved since I was a kid and to make it into my career. I’m grateful for the support from my fans and many sponsors throughout the years. I’d especially like to thank Honda, who has been behind me for my entire career, supporting me through the ups and downs. I’m grateful to have been partnered with such a great brand. I’m looking forward to this next chapter and to seeing where the future takes me.”
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Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
The MXGP of Belgium hosted the presentation of the Belgian team for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Presentation was held at the public area of the Lommel GP in front of a huge crowd of Belgian fans.
Team Belgium Manager Johan Boonen presented the 2019 Line up representing the Belgian colors in Assen on September the 28thand 29th.
Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
Jeremy van Horebeek will lead the team riding the MXGP class, while Jago Geerts will compete the MX2 class and veteran Kevin Strijbos rounded up the Squad representing Belgium in the Open class.
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In the opening MXGP race it was Glenn Coldenhoff who took the FOX holeshot from Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser. Arminas Jasikonis was down in last after a crash in the first corner as well as Max Anstie who crashed in the first corner and struggled to get going again. Gajser moved into the lead while Jeremy Van Horebeek moved into the top ten.
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
After a lap the lead was a little more than a couple of bike lengths as Gajser continued to shine in the Belgian sand until Febvre moved into the lead on lap two.
Five laps in and Febvre had just two seconds over Gajser while Coldenhoff was closing up on the Slovenian. The top three remained close, but not close enough for any passing.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Jasikonis moved into eight position and dropped Gautier Paulin to ninth position. After nine laps the lead of Febvre was two seconds with Coldenhoff in third a further two seconds behind, Seewer was fourth and Jonass fifth.
Arnaud Tonus made a pass inside on Pauls Jonass for fifth while Van Horebeek closed up on those two. Febvre was starting to get away from Gajser on lap 10 with four seconds between himself and Gajser.
Jeremy Van Horebeek – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Gajser put in a quick lap time and close the lead to just two seconds and looked like he was going after Febvre, but then just as quickly Febvre put in a good lap and got the lead back to five seconds.
Febvre was pushing hard and the lead was seven seconds on lap 14 while Gajser had a four second lead over Coldenhoff. It was a kind of lonely race for the top three.
MXGP Race 2
In the second MXGP race it was Tim Gajser in the lead from Van Horebeek, Anstie, Coldenhoff, Koch, Tonus, Jonass, Strijbos, Monticelli and Tixier in 10th. Febvre started in 11th place. Anstie quickly moved into second place while Febvre was quickly into sixth position.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
One lap in and Gajser was just ahead of Anstie, with Van Horebeek a further seven seconds back in third place. Jonass had trouble with the bike and had to drop in 14th while Febvre, Jasikonis and Seewer moved past. Anstie moved into the lead on lap four and after four laps it was Anstie, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Coldenhoff and Febvre to round out the top five.
Anstie was on fire up front as he pulled to more than four seconds ahead of Gajser, with Van Horebeek 17 seconds back, and Coldenhoff and Febvre right on him for third place. On lap eight Jonass again stalled on the track and tried to get his bike running.
Max Anstie – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Anstie pushed hard in the mid stages as he made the gap between himself and Gajser more than nine seconds and Van Horebeek 20 seconds behind the leader. Jasikonis passed Febvre and the Frenchman’s chances of a GP victory slipped away. Febvre did fight back and re-passed Jasikonis and around the same time Anstie went down and Gajser moved into the lead.
Things got interesting with Anstie, Van Horebeek, Coldenhoff and Febvre all right behind the Slovenian rider. Van Horebeek tried to get past Anstie, and it all helped Gajser who was suddenly more than six seconds in the lead.
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Van Horebeek fell down after handing Coldenhoff third place and the Belgian also let Febvre into fourth position, but up front Gajser was in complete control. Anstie pulled back the lead by Gajser and passed the HRC rider on lap 14. Gajser though was too strong over the two races and won the overall with 2-2 scores.
Max Anstie won his first race of the 2019 Season and the first ever in top class ahead of Gajser and Coldenhoff while Tim Gajser won the GP with 2-2, for the Slovenian is the first Belgian GP win ever and it marked the first win for Honda in the premier class in Lommel. Romain Febvre missed the GP win for 1 point shy as for Glenn Coldenhoff was the first podium appearance of the season.
Tim Gajser topped the podium from Febvre and Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Tim Gajser 2-2
“It was a great weekend, finishing two-two for first overall in Lommel. My riding was good, especially because in the past I’ve struggled here but we’ve worked hard this year with the team and it really paid off. We’ve prepared a lot better for these tough conditions and it was certainly helped by two good starts, just like we have done so often this year. I wasn’t able to win a moto but I rode smoothly and smart and I minimised any mistakes. I’m just so happy to win here in Lommel, because it is a special GP and a good test and just shows how much I’ve progressed as a rider.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Romain Febvre 1-4
“This weekend was good. I took the holeshot in the first moto which made life easy, and I won that race, so I am happy about that. My speed was good. I didn’t get a good start in the second race and had to work hard to fight back which cost a lot of energy. I knew I was close to winning the GP, but I could not make it, so I am pleased with second overall.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Glenn Coldenhoff 3-3
“It is great. Two weeks ago I didn’t feel good in the sand, but the team helped with a great bike and I give it to those guys. I am happy to be back up here and I enjoy it. The sand always suits me well, and it is easier than hard pack for me. Yesterday I felt good. I went into qualification to save energy for today’s race and maybe that was wrong, because I couldn’t find my rhythm and I struggled a bit. I pushed this morning and had that good feeling again pulling also the FOX Holeshot. I have to thank my boss and the whole team. We have been through difficult time, but we are back. The team has done an amazing job to have me comfortable in the sand.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Jeremy Seewer 4-5
“The first moto was one of the toughest races I have had all season. I slept really bad last night, and I think I was still sleeping on the starts today. I was catching up on sleep in both races on the gate. They kept the gate really long and a lot of guys kept trying to jump it. I worked hard to get into the top-five. I happy with my consistency. This is always the goal. Overall, fourth place in Lommel is really good because it is easy to crash here. Now I look forward to a few days rest before we go again.”
Round 12 of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place over the weekend at the MXGP of Asia in Indonesia, heralding the second Indonesian round, this time in Semarang, where Tim Gajser topped the MXGP class for Honda, on the back of a perfect 1-1 result, further extending his considerable championship lead.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
The move makes Tim Gajser the most successful Honda MXGP racer in history for wins in a row, after taking seven consecutive wins in the MXGP class.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
In the MX2 KTM’s Jorge Prado also proved unstoppable, claiming the 1-1 result to clinch yet another round win, from fellow KTM rider Tom Vialle once again. Aussie Jed Beaton closed out the weekend in seventh following a 4-11 result, just falling outside the top 10 in Race 2, and holds 10th overall in the standings.
MXGP
Tim Gajser’s performances were nothing less than amazing – the Slovenian was looking confident as he led the MXGP field into the opening lap of MXGP first race taking his sixth FOX Holeshot of the season. Then came Pauls Jonass, Jeremy Seewer, Romain Febvre, and Arminas Jasikonis in fifth.
Tim Gajser took the Race 1 holeshot – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
After a lap the lead by the HRC rider was more than a second and riders were swapping positions throughout the field. Jeremy Van Horebeek moved into seventh, then back to 11th, and Gautier Paulin dropped from seventh to 10th.
After four laps it was Gajser with a two second lead, then Jonass, Seewer, Jasikonis and Arnaud Tonus fifth. Febvre went down hard while battling with his teammate Seewer and was forced to go out of the race after bending his front end. Jonass closed up on Gajser, but then Gajser quickened his pace and was two seconds up after six laps.
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Gajser continued to control the race up front and on lap nine he was still around two seconds ahead of Jonass, with Seewer third, Jasikonis fourth and Tonus fifth while Max Anstie had moved past his team-mate Ivo Monticelli for eighth position.
Jonass went down hard and dropped out of the top ten with an eventual race 1 disqualification result as he re-joined the race after leaving the track for ‘outside assistance’ while Tonus managed to pass Jasikonis for third.
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
After 13 laps the lead by Gajser was more than six seconds over Seewer, with Tonus third, Jasikonis fourth and Glenn Coldenhoff fifth. Seewer crashed up the hill on lap 14 and handed Tonus the second place. Seewer then found himself in third place while Coldenhoff closed in on Jasikonis, until he succeeded to overtake. Gajser would win the opening MXGP race from Tonus and Seewer.
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
In the second MXGP race, it was Seewer who took the FOX Holeshot out front early ahead of Gajser, Jasikonis, Jonass and Tonus. Gajser was pushing hard to get into the lead and did just that after half a lap of the race.
Jeremy Seewer took the Race 2 holeshot – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
On lap two Jasikonis nearly crashed, but saved it, and Febvre also got sideways, but didn’t lose a position. Coldenhoff went past Jasikonis, and after three laps it was Gajser with more than two seconds over Seewer, with Tonus, Jonass, and Paulin inside the top five.
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Van Horebeek crashed and dropped back to 12th and by four laps in it was Gajser ahead of Seewer, Tonus, Jonass and Paulin. Six laps in and Gajser still held the lead, while Tonus made a mistake and Jonass moved into third place.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Tonus wasn’t about to hand third place to Jonass and fought back and was right on the back wheel of the Husqvarna rider. Jonass moved forward Seewer and so did Tonus. A great battle for second place became the feature of the last laps of race 2. At the end of Race 2 it was Gajser who won his 15th race of the season followed by Jonass and Tonus.
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Gajser has won the MXGP of Asia with another perfect performance and 1-1 results. With his seventh Grand Prix win in a row the red plate owner has become the most successful Honda rider of all time for GP wins in a row. He also extended his points lead to 173 points over Jeremy Seewer who is now second in the points.
MXGP Podium – 1) Tim Gajser 2) Arnaud Tonus 3) Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Second overall for the round was Arnaud Tonus and third was claimed by Jeremy Seewer.
Tim Gajser – P1
“I was having fun on both days this weekend. Unfortunately yesterday I had a crash in timed practice and I hurt my right ankle a little bit, but other than a bit of pain yesterday, it was certainly a great weekend again. In the first moto I had a great start, taking the holeshot and leading the whole race. In the second one, I started third and made quick pass, and then made another one a bit later in lap one before making a gap to control the race. I was really having fun out there although the track was a little slippery in some places, but I still got two moto wins so I can’t complain! I’m trying not to put pressure on myself on each weekend and I know if I can have fun, I can ride really fast and that seems to be working right now. It is also an honour to have the biggest win-streak for a Honda rider in world motocross, a lot of really talented riders have ridden on this great brand and it is amazing to have achieved this. I hope I can keep it going for as long as possible, and I must also thank Team HRC for helping me out so much and giving me all the support I need in order to do this.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Arnaud Tonus – P2
“It feels great to rebound from a tough weekend in Palembang a few days ago, and especially on this track. It was very hard to find the flow and a good feeling. It was very slippery, and it took me a while to feel good out there. I felt better today than yesterday. We changed quite a lot of things on the bike ahead of practice today and I already felt better, which helped a lot. It was important to take your time today. I really went step by step because it was too easy to make a mistake out there. Overall I am super happy.”
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Jeremy Seewer – P3
“It was a tough track. Yesterday I struggled a bit. I think the track crew did a good job on the track compared to yesterday because I know how tricky it is to prepare dirt like this. I am really happy on the podium for the second time in a row, it is really good for my confidence. Today I just wanted to go home healthy, I didn’t want to take any risks out there, so I settled for a place on the podium and I am happy with that. “
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
