Coming into round six of the MX2 World Championship, Jed Beaton was in great form following podium appearances and solid results in recent weeks. In Belgium, the Australian’s strong speed continued with an eighth-place finish in race one despite a small crash around the halfway stage of the moto.
Jed Beaton – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
In race two, Beaton started eighth and moved into fifth as the moto reached half distance. The 23-year-old then engaged in a battle for position with Conrad Mewse, ultimately coming out on top to claim fifth in the moto and secure his third consecutive top-five overall finish.
Jed Beaton
“Today was a little bit of a bad day, but if I can take fifth overall on a bad day then it’s not so bad. I was fortunate in race one to miss a big crash just after the start but then while sixth I crashed on my own and fell way down the field. I got back to eighth which was ok though. My start in race two wasn’t so good and by the time I got into fifth the leaders were gone. It was unfortunate but fifth was good and solid points overall so all things considered, I’m happy with today.”
Bike It MTX Kawasaki’s Wilson Todd had a tough introduction to the deep Lommel sand. A respectable thirteenth in Qualifying, the Australian charged from twenty-third to fifteenth during the first half of race one before being forced out.
Wilson Todd – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
A lightning start in race two saw him round turn one in the top six but the joy did not last long as a fall at turn three put him at the back of the field; he bravely persisted to the end to finish twenty-third despite two further falls. He is now thirteenth in the series points standings.
MX2 Race 1
In the first MX2 race, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, though it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux who led the way.
Tom Vialle – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Mattia Guadagnini had an unlucky start to the race as he crashed in the first corner and had to re-join the race way behind the rest of the pack. Eventually the Italian was able to fight back to 14th place.
Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee rider Conrad Mewse got off to a great start in the race as he was running behind Renaux, Vialle and Geerts, though by the second lap he crashed and was unable to carry on due to a bike issue.
Kay de Wolf – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf started the race down in around 10th place, while his teammate Jed Beaton was fighting sixth place. By the following lap Beaton dropped to 12th, while De Wolf was able to make a couple of nice passes to get into eighth.
Vialle also crashed in the beginning stages of the race as Renaux continued to lead Geerts who was keeping close.
Jago Geerts – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
De Wolf continued his charge up the field after making passes on F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mikkel Haarup and Mathys Boisrame, while Vialle took third from Honda 114 Motorsports rider Ruben Fernandez.
At one point, De Wolf and Vialle were the two fastest riders on the track, setting very similar lap times. By lap seven De Wolf caught onto Fernandez to take fourth and then just under three laps later he was also ahead of Vialle as he got himself into third position.
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Renaux continued to lead the race keeping Geerts at bay until lap 10. The Frenchman crashed which allowed Geerts through. Luckily, the pair was so far ahead that Renaux was still able to finish the race second, as Geerts took the win and De Wolf finished third. Jed Beaton finished eighth.
MX2 Race 2
In race two, it was De Wolf who was flying into the first corner and took the second Fox Holeshot of the races. He led the race immediately with Geerts and Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, Renaux and Mewse just behind.
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Geerts then got Benistant for second as Renaux struggled for a few laps to do the same. Meanwhile, Vialle started the race in sixth place though crashed lap two and dropped down to 10th.
After making several attempts, Renaux was finally able to get Benistant for third at lap five, by which point De Wolf and Geerts were already quite far ahead as the two leaders kept a steady gap, setting very similar lap times.
T Benistant – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
At one point, Mewse started to close in on Renaux and Benistant as it looked like the Brit was going to push for higher positions, though he started to fade a little towards the end of the race to eventually finish in sixth position. Beaton was one of the riders who passed Mewse in the closing stages, as the Aussie made his way from eighth to fifth in the race.
De Wolf’s gap to Geerts remained at around three seconds for most of the race, though with two laps to go Geerts put on a late charge to get onto the back of the Husqvarna rider.
Jago Geerts – MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
The battle for the win was close and continued right until the chequered flag, but it was De Wolf who came out on top to win his first ever MX2 race, while Geerts finished second and Renaux in a distant third.
With a win and a second, Jago Geerts was the overall winner at his home track, while Kay De Wolf stood on the second step of the podium after some very strong races and Maxime Renaux joined the pair, to stand on the third step of the podium and extend his championship lead to 26 points over Mattia Guadagnini who only managed 12th overall today. Fernandez remains third in the standings, while Geerts is fourth just two points from second.
MX2 Podium – de Wolf, Geerts, Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Jed Beaton finished fifth, to claim fifth overall for the weekend, while Wilson Todd was 23rd.
Jago Geerts
“I’m really happy to win here in Lommel. Last year I think everyone expected that I would win at least one of the three GP’s but it didn’t happen. In the second race Kay was riding really good and at the end I tried to go for the pass, but I couldn’t make it happen. It’s nice to head in the right direction but the season is still long and I’m not really thinking about the championship that much, I just want to go out every weekend, do my best and collect as many points as possible.”
Jago Geerts – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Kay De Wolf – P2
“The fight in race two already started with two laps to go. I enjoyed racing. It’s an amazing feeling to win a race. It’s going really well this season so far, so we’ll keep on fighting and keep up with the hard work.”
Kay de Wolf – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Maxime Renaux – P3
“The first race, I took a good start, well actually the start was better in race two but I went wide in the first corner because Kay was really close, so I went wide. The first race I made a good start and was feeling great on the track and took a little gap to Jago. I was just feeling really good and made a silly mistake passing a lapped rider, I got cross rutted and went down. That was a shame but finishing second was really good for the points for the championship. The second race I had a good start, I didn’t push too hard as the guys were pretty quick and were so far in front that it was almost impossible to get them, so I finished the race third. Third overall is good, good for the championship so I’m happy. I’ve only won one race since the beginning of the year and I’m not happy with that, I want to win more races. When you win races and put 25 points you can get a bigger gap to your opponent, so yeah, I try to be as consistent as I can and will try to win races, take good starts, which I think is very important this year and hopefully it will pay off.”
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Thibault Benistant – P6
“My day was quite good overall because I finished fourth with 34-points. This is only 1-point less than my best ever finish this year, with my best weekend being 35-points. When you look at it like this, it is quite good. I had a bit of bad luck in the first race. Another rider hit my lever and I had no front brake for the whole race, but in the end of the race I was feeling really good and was one of the fastest guys on track at the end of the moto. In the second race, the feeling was not there, so I did not want to go over the limit and make a mistake for nothing; fourth overall in Lommel is not a bad result.”
Tom Vialle – P7
“Seventh is not what we want but after the injury I have not ridden in the sand for a long time. I tried twice this week but it wasn’t going too well with my hand. In another way I’m quite happy because my hand came through the motos well. We can build from here. I was already tired at the start of the second moto and the track was really tough today. If you are not ‘bike fit’ then it is extra difficult here. I think I would have enjoyed today a lot more if I had that fitness. I know from here we will be a bit better every day. We will train hard this week and I know I will be 100% by the time we go to Turkey.”
Simon Langenfelder – P9
“I felt really good on my bike today. I was flowing in the turns and after qualifying I was really confident for some strong results. Unfortunately, in both races I had to come from the back because of avoiding a crash in race one and then in moto two, I had a really good start, but I was pushed wide and off the track. In that one I came from 25th to ninth so my speed is there, I just needed a little bit of luck to get some better results.”
Bouncing back from a disappointing performance one week ago at the GP of Estonia, 22-year-old Australian Wil Ruprecht (TM) proved himself to be the rider to beat on day one of the Airmousse GP of Sweden, Round Four of the 2021 Borilli FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Skövde.
Wil Ruprecht (TM) took the outright ahead of Josep Garcia (KTM) and Brad Freeman (Beta)
With Wil topping the overall EnduroGP results by a healthy 20 seconds, as well as winning the Enduro2 class, the Australian was joined as a class winner by Davide Guarneri (Fantic) in Enduro1, Brad Freeman (Beta) in Enduro3, Laia Sanz (GASGAS) in Enduro Women, and Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) in Enduro Junior. Albin Norrbin (Fantic) claimed a home win in Enduro Youth.
The outright top seven were all on different brands of motorcycle with Ruprecht putting TM on top.
EnduroGP – Ruprecht bounces back
Taking the win on the Friday night Akrapovic Super Test, Wil Ruprecht made his intentions clear right from the start of the Airmousse GP of Sweden. Although only winning by a slender margin, come the end of the first day’s opening lap, Wil was still pushing hard and battling against both Josep Garcia (KTM) and Brad Freeman.
With Freeman losing time on each of the three AcerbisCross Tests, the battle for the EnduroGP class lead was all about Ruprecht and Garcia.
Wil Ruprecht (TM)
With little to separate the two riders as the day neared its close, the final Champion Enduro Test would prove decisive. For Ruprecht it went well, very well, as the TM mounted rider topped the time sheets to maintain his class advantage and ultimately secure the day’s win. For Garcia, who needed to deliver his best while hoping for a mistake from Ruprecht, things didn’t work out. The Spaniard fell, but still earned a hard-fought runner-up EnduroGP result.
Brad Freeman – Beta
With Freeman rounding out the podium, fourth, fifth, and sixth positions all went to 250F mounted riders – Davide Guarneri, Samuele Bernardini (Honda), and Andrea Verona (GASGAS).
Wil Ruprecht (TM)
“Yeah, today was good,” said Wil. “The tests were nice to ride, but also a little scary in places – you certainly didn’t want to be making any big mistakes. I just rode a strong but steady pace, hit my marks, and tried not to over ride the bike. I think there’s a little more that I can give, but it was a good day.”
Wil Ruprecht (TM)
EnduroGP Stage One Results
Wil Ruprecht – E2 – TM
Josep Garcia – E2 – KTM +20.25s
Brad Freeman – E3 – Beta +37.04s
Davide Guarnoni – E1 – Fantic +1min01.51s
Samuele Bernardini – E1 – Honda +1min14.99s
Andrea Verona – E1 – Gas Gas +1min17.74s
Hamish McDonald – E2 – Sherco +1min18.74s
Jaume Betriu – E3 – KTM +1min31.98s
Jamie McCanney – E3 – Husqvarna +1min51.32s
Antoine Magain – E1 – Sherco +1min52.81s
Josep Garcia
Enduro1 – Guarneri claims day win number two
Although delivering a not-so-great time on the opening Akrapovic Super Test, Davide Guarneri hit the ground running at the start of day one, topping the opening Champion Enduro Test before winning a further three tests before the mid-way point of the day.
Davide Guarneri
“I had a really strong opening lap, which meant that I was able to open up a small advantage,” commented Italian Guarneri from the podium. “I made some mistakes, it wasn’t a perfect day from me, but I think everyone was making some mistakes. For myself and Fantic, it’s great to get this second victory of the championship. I was also a little lucky – I had a big crash in the final enduro test, but I was able to get back on my bike quickly.”
Davide Guarneri
It was a great day for Samuele Bernardini who secured his best result of the season with second. Andrea Verona dropped outside the top two for the first time, taking third. Antoine Magain (Sherco) and Mikael Persson (KTM) were fourth and fifth respectively.
Samuele Bernardini
Enduro2 – Ruprecht and Garcia lead the way
The Enduro2 class boiled down to a battle between Ruprecht and Garcia for the win. With the duo pushing the pace in the overall EnduroGP standings they pulled clear of their classmates. With Ruprecht holding firm, Garcia would be denied his third race win in a row.
Wil Ruprecht
Behind the top two it was another consistent performance from New Zealand’s Hamish MacDonald (Sherco) in third. The reigning Enduro Junior champion is growing stronger with each round and will soon look to bridge the gap to the top two.
New Zealand’s Hamish MacDonald (Sherco)
Delivering a strong performance on home soil, Sweden’s Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) was fourth with Finland’s Eero Remes (TM) fifth.
New Zealand’s Hamish MacDonald (Sherco)
Enduro3 – Seven in a row for Freeman
While admitting to not having the measure of Ruprecht and Garcia in EnduroGP, Freeman continued his win streak in Enduro3 to claim his seventh victory of the season.
Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna)
As ever the battle behind him was a much tighter affair with Jaume Betriu (KTM), Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) and Daniel McCanney (Sherco) fighting for the remainder of the podium. Betriu placed as runner-up, with Jamie getting the better of his brother Daniel for third. Antoine Basset (Beta) rounded out the top five.
Jaume Betriu
Enduro Women – Laia by a mile
Starting as she meant to continue, Laia Sanz comfortably topped the event opening Akrapovic Super Test before firing out of the blocks early on day one with what would be the first of three wins. Unbeaten on any special test during lap one, and having extended a healthy lead in the process, Laia topped just one of the final lap’s three special tests – the Acerbis Cross Test – yet still ended the day on the top step of the podium and close to 50-seconds ahead of her closest challenger.
Second on day one went to Britain’s Jane Daniels (Fantic) who put together a largely mistake free day, beating Laia on one of the day’s special tests. The only other rider to take a test win off Sanz was Mirea Badia (GASGAS). Like Daniels, Badia wasn’t really able to challenge Laia, placing third overall and 13 seconds down on Daniels. With Britain’s Rosie Rowett (KTM) fourth and Norway’s Marie Vilde Holt (GASGAS) fifth, the best placed home rider was Linnea Akesson (Husqvarna) in sixth.
Mirea Badia (GASGAS)
“I felt like the special tests didn’t really suit me too well, but I’m really happy to have got the win,” explained Sanz at the end of the day. “The day was quite relaxed, no stress, so that was good. I’m sure tomorrow will be tougher, but I hope that I can match this result and not struggle on the second day as I have at some events recently.”
Enduro Junior – Macoritto takes it
As has been the case so far this year, the battle for top honours in Enduro Junior was played out between Lorenzo Macoritto and teammate Matteo Pavoni (TM). Spurred on by his day two win last week in Estonia, Macoritto held off Pavoni by 12 seconds to get the job done. With home support on his side, Sweden’s Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) wasn’t too far away, just 19 seconds behind Pavoni, for third. He’ll look to go better on day two. A strong ride by Fantic’s Jed Etchells saw him beat Ruy Barbosa (Honda) by five seconds for fourth.
Matteo Pavoni (TM)
Enduro Youth – Home win for Norrbin
Following his win in Italy and double in Estonia, Albin Norrbin is now the rider to beat in Enduro Youth having won today in Sweden. The Swede was a class act taking eight test wins from 10. Kevin Cristino and Harry Edmondson made it a Fantic 1-2-3 in Skövde. Samuli Puhakainen (TM) and Albert Fontova (KTM) completed the top five.
Albin Norrbin
After a physically demanding opening day in Skövde, the Airmousse GP of Sweden concludes on Saturday July 24.
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2021 EnduroGP of Estonia – Day 2 Report
Brad Freeman (Beta) has fought back to win day two of the Airmousse GP of Sweden, round four of the Borilli FIM EnduroGP World Championship, in Skövde. After finishing third on day one, a determined effort from the Brit saw him fend off Italy’s Andrea Verona (GASGAS) by four seconds, with Davide Guarneri (Fantic) placing third overall in EnduroGP.
Brad Freeman (Beta) extended his EnduroGP outright and E3 category points lead
It was double delight for Spain’s Laia Sanz as she secured a day two win in the Enduro Women’s category, while Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) and Albin Norrbin (Fantic) also ended their time in Sweden with double wins in the Enduro Junior and Enduro Youth classes respectively.
EnduroGP class – Four-way battle upfront
The fight for top honours in EnduroGP was a hard-fought one on day two of the Airmousse GP of Sweden with the top four riders separated by just 14 seconds after more than one-hour of timed special test racing. Frustrated by his mistakes on day one, Freeman began day two on a mission, sweeping the first three tests to grab an early lead. But the pace was frantic at the top as Verona, Guarneri and Josep Garcia (KTM) all came to the boil early on lap two. Garcia won the second Champion Enduro Test, while Verona topped the Acerbis Cross Test.
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS
Opening up a slender advantage on lap three, Freeman held some breathing room entering the final test of the weekend, the Acerbis Cross Test. Behind him Guarneri provisionally held second with Garcia one tenth of a second adrift in third. But a blisteringly fast time from Verona leapfrogged him past both riders and into second, finishing just four seconds behind Freeman.
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM
With second slipping from his grasp on the final test, Guarneri held of Garcia by less than one-second for third. Although starting the day strongly, Will Ruprecht (TM) – day one winner – couldn’t maintain that pace and slipped down the order to fifth.
“It’s amazing to get the win, but for me the biggest thing was to turn things around from yesterday,” said Freeman. “I started strong and was able to lead all day. Hats off to Andrea on that final test though, I’m glad I had some breathing room going into it!”
Brad Freeman (Beta)
Freeman now leads the EnduroGP standings entering the summer break with the final two rounds of the championship remaining in October.
EnduroGP Stage Two Results
Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta,
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, +4.33s
Davide Guarneri (ITA), Fantic, +13.64s
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, +14.52s
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM, +45.70s
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco +1m29.62s
Albin Elowson (SWE), Husqvarna +1min47.08s
Jaime Betriu (ESP), KTM, +1min48.37s
Joe Wootton (GBR), Husqvarna +1min54.41s
Anton Lundgren (SWE), Husqvarna +1min58.27s
Sweden EnduroGP Stage Two Results 1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, +4.33s 3. Davide Guarneri (ITA), Fantic, +13.64s
EnduroGP Championship Standings
Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 146 points
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 124 pts
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM, 120 pts
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 102 pts
Davide Guarneri (ITA), Fantic, 92 pts
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 74 pts
Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 72 pts
Jaime Betriu (ESP), KTM, 67 pts
Samuele Bernardini (ITA), Honda, 37 pts
Daniel McCanney (GBR), Sherco, 37 pts
Enduro1 – Verona steals the show
Fresh from his Enduro1 clean sweep last weekend in Estonia, Andrea Verona arrived in Sweden focused on delivering more winning rides. Perhaps a little too eager to continue from where he left off, the Italian frustratingly hit the deck multiple times early on during day one. Relying upon his impressive pace to bring him back up to the sharp end of the results by the end of the day, Andrea would ultimately claim third in E1.
Davide Guarneri (Fantic)
Hitting the reset button ahead the second day of racing, Verona was back to his best. On pace with his rivals from the start, more importantly he kept things rubber side down with the 22-year-old engaged in a day-long battle with countryman Davide Guarneri for overall victory. With the outcome of day two coming down to the results of the final test of the weekend, Verona dug deep to take the win and top the Enduro1 class by just over nine seconds. In doing so he also claimed a runner-up EnduroGP result.
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS
Andrea Verona
“I’m super happy with how my weekend ended. On day one I had too many crashes but despite that, I still wasn’t too far from the win. To turn it around on the second day and take the win, this was really huge for me to bounce back like that. With it going down to the last test, I had nothing to lose and I gave it full gas. I gave it everything and to take the day win after a close battle all day feels amazing. My speed put me on the podium in EnduroGP as well, so for me this second day was really special after a difficult opening day.”
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS
Behind the top two, Honda’s Samuele Bernardini took third, albeit over two minutes behind the leaders. Sweden’s Mikael Persson (KTM) finished fourth, with Canada’s Kade Tinkler (KTM) fifth.
Samuele Bernardini (Honda)
Enduro1 Stage Two Results
Andrea Verona (GASGAS)
Davide Guarneri (Fantic) +9.31s
Samuele Bernardini (Honda) +2min13.24s
Mikael Persson (KTM) +2min23.51s
Kade Tinkler (KTM) +2min43.57s
Sweden Enduro1 Stage Two Results 1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 2. Davide Guarneri (Fantic) +9.31s 3. Samuele Bernardini (Honda) +2min13.24s
Enduro1 Championship Standings
Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 152
Davide Guarneri (Fantic) 142
Samuele Bernardini (Honda) 109
Antoine Magan (Sherco) 99
Davide Soreca (Husqvarna) 85
Enduro2 – Garcia ahead of Ruprecht
The second of two back-to-back rounds held in the north of Europe, the EnduroGP of Sweden gave riders very little in terms of rest between events due to its Thursday-to-Saturday schedule. Delivering a mixture of terrain, including forest tracks, open grass tests, and dusty hardpack, one thing that remained constant was the weather – hot, dry conditions punished the riders even further, with fitness and endurance proving key to a strong result, especially on the second day.
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM
Following an intense two-rider fight for the win that raged throughout day one, Garcia went into the ninth and final test of the day trailing leader Wil Ruprecht by just over 11 seconds. Giving his all, Josep looked like he might be able to claw back the time needed, but a small mistake mid-test cost the Spaniard the seconds he required, and he was forced to settle for second overall on day one behind the Aussie.
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM
On day two the fight was contested by a number of riders, with the top five separated by just over 20-seconds after eight of the nine special tests. Josep secured the Enduro2 class win, but missed out on the EnduroGP podium by just 0.88 seconds. His results over the two days were enough for him to successfully maintain his second place in the outright EnduroGP standings and close in on Ruprecth for the points lead in Enduro2, where the KTM 350 EXC-F rider now trails TM’s Ruprecht by just five points.
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco
Another third place for Kiwi Hamish MacDonald (Sherco) on day two, while Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) and Joe Wootton (Husqvarna) were fourth and fifth respectively.
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco
Josep Garcia
“It’s been an excellent event here in Sweden, but of course another tough one. Day one went well, I was fighting with Wil (Ruprecht) the whole day and in the end, it came down to the final test. I gave it my all, but a small mistake just lost me too much time, but it was good to finish second in EnduroGP. Day two went well for me, I had a crash on the second Cross Test and that cost some seconds, but I was still in the fight for the win. In the last lap we were all together, really close on time. I pushed as always but I just missed out on the EnduroGP podium by a tiny amount. I’m happy with the E2 class result, but in the overall I know it could be better, but this is racing, and I know I did my best.”
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM
Wil Ruprecht
“That’s a wrap from Sweden! Solid riding both days with some fast company. Happy with the outright speed going into the summer break but it’s clear I’m coming up a little bit short late Sunday. As with all challenges I’ve faced this year I will dedicated all of my energy towards cleaning up this area and hopefully have something to show for it come the back half of the season. A big thanks to the team for a big 2 weeks of support.“
Enduro3 – Freeman extends championship lead with win
While Freeman ran away with proceedings in Enduro3, there was plenty of battles behind him for the podium. Jaume Betriu got the better of the McCanney brothers for second, while Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) edged out his brother Daniel McCanney (Sherco) for third. Antoine Basset (Beta) took fifth.
It was a weekend of fast and frantic action at round four of the 2021 FIM EnduroGP World Championship, with Laia Sanz topping the Women’s class on both days of racing. In dominant form throughout the entire weekend, the Spanish ace enjoyed a maximum points haul, heading home to Spain with the Women’s class lead.
Jane Daniels (Fantic)
Arriving at the EnduroGP of Sweden tied on points at the top of the Women’s championship standings, Laia Sanz had only one thing on her mind – leave Skovde with a firm hold of the Women’s title chase. After topping the timesheets on Thursday night’s Super Test (the race ran from Thursday to Saturday!), Laia was in full control throughout the opening day of racing, claiming a convincing victory.
For day two, the Spanish ace frustratingly lacked the energy needed to push forward, opting for a consistent pace in order to secure another strong result. Nevertheless, Laia won three of the six tests to claim a second day win in Sweden and now sits on top of the series standings with a comfortable eight-point lead.
Laia Sanz
“It’s been another good weekend for me and overall I’m really happy with my results. I would have liked for some of the tests to be a little slower and more technical, especially the extreme tests, but it was the same for everyone. Like the first round, my fitness isn’t quite where it needed to be in order to be able to push on the second day, so I had to maintain a strong but steady pace. In terms of my championship, it’s been a great weekend and now I have a nice gap at the top of the standings with one round to go in France.”
Laia Sanz (GASGAS)
Fastest on the Acerbis Cross Test, Mireia Badia (GASGAS) claimed the runner-up result with Jane Daniels (Fantic) third. Rosie Rowett (KTM) and Marie Holt (GASGAS) rounded out the top five.
EnduroGP Women Two Results
Laia Sanz (GASGAS)
Mireia Badia (GASGAS) +29.69s
Jane Daniels (Fantic) +42.89s
Rosie Rowett (KTM) +2min47.84s
Marie Vilde Holt (GasGas) +3min36.95s
EnduroGP Women Championship Standings
Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 75
Mireia Badia (GASGAS) 67
Jane Daniels (Fantic) 66
Rosie Rowett (KTM) 45
Joana Goncalves (Husqvarna) 39
Enduro Junior – Last gasp effort for Macoritto pays off
Delivering more great battles, both Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) and Matteo Pavoni (TM) again fought it out for the Enduro Junior victory. Entering the final test it was Pavoni who held the upper hand by nearly two seconds, but a flyer from Macoritto saw him collect his second win of the weekend.
Lorenzo Macoritto (TM)
Never too far away from the TM mounted pairing, Leo le Quere (Sherco) ended his day in third. Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) was fourth with Luc Fargier (GASGAS) fifth.
Matteo Pavoni (TM)
Enduro Junior Stage Two Results
Lorenzo Macoritto (TM)
Matteo Pavoni (TM) +1.71s
Leo Le Quere (Sherco) +37.00s
Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) +48.23s
Luc Fargier (GasGas) +1min28.15s
Enduro Junior Championship Standings
Matteo Pavoni (TM) 148
Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) 142
Leo Le Quere (Sherco) 99
Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) 84
Sergio Huertas Navarro (GasGas) 69
After a busy fortnight of racing, the Borilli FIM EnduroGP World Championship takes a well-earned summer break before returning for the final two rounds of the championship in early October.
Before that many riders in the field will contest the 2021 International Six Days Enduro, held in Italy from August 30 – September 4.
Eli Tomac arrived in Georgia off the back of a fairly dominant performance in Texas. The Kawasaki rider started on the front foot overnight in Atlanta by recording the fastest lap in qualifying and then also won his Heat race ahead of the 450 Main.
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen was second fastest in qualifying and had won the other Heat ahead of Jason Anderson and Justin Brayton. The 450 Main looked likely to be shaping up as a Tomac versus Roczen showdown…
Roczen scored the holeshot aheead of Davalos and Friese while a slow-starting Tomac was in seventh place sandwiched between Wilson and Brayton.
Jason Anderson and Justin Barcia then both demoted Tomac further down the field over the first couple of laps. The move by Barcia seemed to light a fire under Tomac who then upped his aggression in response.
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
A lap later though Tomac got caught up with Baggett in a left-hander. The Kawasaki man made a move up the inside that Baggett was not expecting, the two got tangled up and both hit the deck, Tomac rejoining the race way down in 14th place.
As the race approached the half-way mark Roczen was nine-minutes clear of second placed Davalos who in turn had two-seconds on Justin Hill. Friese was fourth, Barcia fifth and Anderson sixth. Tomac was working his way back up the field and working on taking tenth spot from Justin Brayton.
Tomac got Brayton then pushed past Stewart, Friese and Plessinger to move up to seventh place behind Cooper Webb with four-minutes remaining. Both Webb and Tomac passed Justin Hill to move up to fourth and fifth respectively.
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia had worked his way past Tomac earlier on and streaked his way through the field to a hard fought second place finish
Justin Barcia had worked hard to force his way through the field during the middle part of the race and on the run to the flag had a three-second buffer over third placed Davalos. That second place somewhat of a triumph for Barcia.
Up front though it was Ken Roczen all on his lonesome. Taking the chequered flag 13-seconds ahead of Barcia, despite backing off considerably on the last two laps and just cruising home.
Ken Rozcen – Image by Hoppenworld
Webb and Tomac fought hard over fourth place all the way to the flag but it was the Kawasaki man that won that battle to score 19-points that sees Tomac tied with Roczen at the head of the points table ahead of Monster Energy AMA Supercross Round Ten at Daytona Beach next weekend.
Chad Reed scored a 15th place finish to add eight-points to his season tally which now stands at 39-points, and ranks him 17th in the standings.
The win for Roczen made it a double for Honda in Atlanta as Sexton had won the earlier 250 SX East Main.
Ken Roczen – P1
“These wins just keep getting sweeter and more fun each time! I’m so happy with how tonight went and stoked to have the red plate again. The last couple weekends have been tough but I’ve managed to minimize the damage, which was huge for us because it put us in a good position for a situation like today. With all the chaos, we made up seven points in one night and now are tied for the points lead again. The battle continues for the championship.”
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia – P2
“What a crazy race. I started middle of the pack and made lots of passes in the beginning. I kind of got into a groove in the middle and was behind a couple guys waiting for some mistakes to capitalize on something. They started falling apart a little and I was able to move into second towards the end and just rode really solid. The track broke down a lot. It was the roughest supercross I’ve ridden in a while, but all in all, I felt really good and the bike was solid. I can’t thank the whole team enough for making good changes on the bike all day and always believing in me.”
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb – P3
“That was probably the hardest race I’ve ever had. I was way back and just put my head down and tried to do the best I can. I got a few gifts from the guys ahead of me but man, it was painful. I knew it wasn’t going to be fun or easy, but that’s racing. It’s a long way out but the only thing keeping me going is this championship, so we’ll do whatever we can.”
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac – P4
“The main event didn’t go as planned, but the good news is we live to fight another day and line back up next weekend at one of my favorite tracks, Daytona. There are still positives to take away from today; we were fastest qualifier, won our heat race, and we never gave up in the main event, and battled hard all the way to the very end to salvage as many points as possible. We are going to put this race behind us and be ready to rock next week in Daytona!”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Eli Tomac
200
2
Ken Roczen
200
3
Justin Barcia
177
4
Cooper Webb
176
5
Jason Anderson
151
6
Malcolm Stewart
137
7
Adam Cianciarulo
128
8
Justin Hill
127
9
Justin Brayton
116
10
Dean Wilson
113
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Chase Sexton claims the Atlanta SX win and lead
RJ Hampshire scored the holeshot from Chase Sexton and Shane McElrath when the third round of the 250 East AMA Supercross Championship got underway on Saturday night in Atlanta.
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
McElrath and Sexton started tussling for position after a few laps and their battle allowed Hampshire a little breathing space. After the first few thrusts from McElrath, Sexton then stepped his pace up a gear to stretch away and close on to the tail of McElrath once again.
Jeremy Martin, Garrett Marchbanks and Jordon Smith were fourth, fifth and sixth with ten-minutes remaining. Sexton finally made a move past Hampshire with eight-minutes left on the shot clock. Hampshire is well known for making hard passes and taking no prisoners, Sexton returned the favour with a very fair but forceful pass for the lead when Hampshire opened the door.
Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
The leaders were now encountering a lot of lapped traffic and at this point of the race it was working somewhat in the favour of Sexton. Jeremy Martin went down out of fourth place and was relegated back to tenth place by the time he was up and running again.
Sexton continued to pull away from Hampshire, the Husqvarna man then lost touch with Sexton and was getting pressured by McElrath in the latter stages of the race. Hampshire held on for that second place though with McElrath finishing in third place at the flag.
Sexton the clear victor and extends his 250 SX East Championship lead to five-points over McElrath.
Chase Sexton
“HOTlanta was a good one! Honda Racing US sweep with Ken Roczen and I taking both heat and main wins! I’m super thankful to be apart of a great team and to have the people behind me that I do! Fans were awesome all night as well! You guys are great.”
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld
RJ Hampshire – P2
“Each week we’re going to continue to get better. Getting those holeshots felt good and we had a good flow out there. I want to win but I also want to be in this thing [championship] a few weeks from now, so we’re going to continue to fight week in and week out.”
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
Shane McElrath – P3
“I felt really good during the day, even in the Heat race. We made a few bike changes for the Main that we thought was going to be good, which was kind of my call. I was struggling with the track quite a bit, but I’m learning a lot. It was tough to get third. I felt like I should have been able to win, but I was struggling with a lot of things. So we’ll work on those this week and we won’t make those same mistakes twice.”
Shane McElrath – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordan Smith – P4
“Honestly, I am happy with today’s performance. I would have liked to be closer to those front three guys battling for a podium position at the end, but after last week’s rough ride I am just happy to be back up towards the front of the pack where I belong. I just need to work on cleaning up a few things and we’ll be right where I expect us to be. The last time I raced Daytona was in 2018 and I won at the iconic track, so I am excited to get back down there and try to do it again.”
Joradn Smith chases Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX East Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Chase Sexton
75
2
Shane McElrath
70
3
RJ Hampshire
61
4
Garrett Marchbanks
53
5
Jordon Smith
47
6
Jeremy Martin
44
7
Jo Shimoda
44
8
Josh Hill
41
9
Enzo Lopes
36
10
Joey Crown
31
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Strong Aussie showing at MXGP opener in Great Britain
The first round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) season has concluded at Matterley Basin, with Jeffrey Herlings and Jago Geerts taking the overall victories in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively, as sunny weather on Sunday set the stage for a fantastic day.
Aussie Mitch Evans kicked off the season on form, claiming third in Race 1, while a more challenging Race 2 still saw him in the top ten, with seventh. This leaves Evans in fifth overall heading to Round 2.
Mitch Evans
“It was a good weekend, excluding the start of that second moto. Everything else went really well. In the first moto I had a good start, avoiding some of the early race carnage and made my way into second for a little bit. Unfortunately, I struggled with my breathing a bit because of my chest infection and finished third. I felt a lot better in the second moto although I had to push throughout the race because of the bad start. I used a lot of energy to get around guys as fast as I could and I hit a bit of a wall with eight minutes to go. Overall it was a good weekend though, I’m happy with my MXGP debut and now I get ready for Valkenswaard next weekend.”
Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
In MX2 top Australian was Jed Beaton in fourth overall, with second in Race 1, and sixth in Race 2. Fellow Aussies Nathan Crawford and Wilson Todd took 14th and 17th overall respectively, at the season opener.
Jed Beaton
“It was a good weekend for me. Fourth overall is a great result for the first Grand Prix, although I’m a little disappointed to miss the podium because of a small crash in the second race. In the first moto I had a good start, found some nice lines and came from eighth to second, which was great. I felt good and, yeah, it was good to get that result in the books. Second moto, it took a while to settle into a rhythm and then I just washed the front wheel out in a corner, losing a few places and I finished the race in sixth. For the upcoming rounds I just need to be a little more patient. Overall, it’s been a great day and there are plenty of positives to take into round two next weekend.”
Jed Beaton
Nathan Crawford
“Qualifying was a really challenge – especially for me coming from Australia. I’ve never race in condition that cold, windy and rainy. It was definitely something that I hadn’t been through before, so it was quite a shock. We tried to prepare for it and did our best in the tough conditions. In race one I got a mid-pack start, but made some good passes on lap one. I was hovering around 10th position and then had a big crash and after that I was just surviving and trying to get through the race. In race two it was an OK start, but not great – so I set about battling my way through and ended the race in 10th place. The second trace was definitely better for me and that gives me something to build on.”
2020 MXGP Standings after Round 1
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
47
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
38
3
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
38
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
35
5
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
34
6
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
32
7
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
32
8
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
30
9
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
23
10
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
21
11
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
13
12
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
13
13
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
13
14
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
13
15
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
12
16
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
11
17
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
11
18
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
9
19
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
6
20
Guillod, V.
SUI
HON
5
21
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
2
22
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
2
23
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
2
MX2 Standings after Round 1
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
43
2
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
40
3
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
40
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
37
5
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
35
6
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
28
7
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
26
8
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
22
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
22
10
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
21
11
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
21
12
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
15
13
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
15
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
14
15
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
14
16
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
11
17
Todd, Wilson
AUS
KAW
8
18
Harrison, M.
USA
KAW
7
19
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
6
20
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
5
21
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
4
22
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
3
23
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
2
24
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
2
25
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
1
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Courtney Duncan opens 2020 WMX campaign with double wins
Defending Women’s World Motocross Champion (WMX) flying Kiwi Courtney Duncan has begun her 2020 campaign with a double victory this weekend – demonstrating to her rivals that she is a returning force to be reckoned with.
Courtney Duncan
Battling through deep mud and ruts at the season-opening MXGP Great Britain at the popular British circuit of Matterley Basin, 24-year-old Otago motocross queen Duncan bagged the maximum 50 points on offer over the two races on her 2020 Kawasaki KX250. Riding for the England-based Kawasaki Dixon Race Team, she was the first to admit she took some time to warm into her winning ways.
Courtney Duncan
“I’m happy to go 1-1 here at the opener. I felt a little bit rusty. A little bit off the pace but that’s a given, since I haven’t raced in six months. I’m very happy to walk away with the full 50 points and I think we can be proud of that especially given the conditions – they weren’t easy. They were pretty difficult out there with a lot of mud. I’m stoked to get the first round win, I couldn’t ask for more. I can only go up from here. My goal is to just continue to improve and I think I can do that. The more bike time I get on the race bike with testing, I can up the pace. I look at improving each day and each race as it comes.”
Courtney Duncan – Image courtesy of MXGP
During the first race, Courtney Duncan took the holeshot closely followed by Nancy Van De Ven who was flying out of the gate. Van De Ven led the race for two laps, before crashing out, allowing Duncan to run her #1 plate out front, followed by Kiara Fontanesi who made some quick moves in the first laps to move into second. Meanwhile Lynn Valk moved up to third.
The top three stayed the same for the entire race, as Van De Ven tried to fight off Larisa Papenmeier. Papenmeier was able to pass the Dutch rider with two laps to go, to secure her spot in the top four of the race, with Van De Ven finishing fifth.
Larissa Papenmeier – Image courtesy of MXGP
In race two, Duncan got off to another flyer, leading Van De Ven, Valk, Papenmeier and Amandine Verstappen. By lap 4, Papenmeier passed Van De Ven for second securing herself the second spot on the podium, as she remained in the position for the entire race.
From then on there was not much change with the leaders, as Duncan continued to lead Papenmeier, with Van De Ven, Verstappen and Valk rounding out the top 5.
Kiara Fontanesi was making her way back up the chart, following a start in the top 10 and by lap 5 was up in P6 after gradually passing riders each lap. Also doing the same was Mathilde Martinez who finished the race in seventh behind Fontanesi.
Kiara Fontanesi – Image courtesy of MXGP
The top three were Courtney Duncan securing the first overall victory of the season, followed by Larissa Papemnemier and Kiara Fontanesi.
Courtney Duncan
WMX – Race 1 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:54.805
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:11.560
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:17.018
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:31.542
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +1:20.495
WMX – Race 2 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:37.429
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:05.505
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:27.613
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:31.137
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:32.200
WMX – Overall Classification Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 50 points
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 37
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 36
Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 36
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Liam Everts tops EMX125 in Great Britain
Liam Everts secured his first overall victory in the EMX125 class over the weekend, at Round 1 of the MXGP championship held at Matterley Basin in Great Britain.
EMX125 Podium – Image courtesy of MXGP
In the opening race Everts got off to a flying start, followed by Kjell Verbruggen and Maxime Grau. By lap two Verbruggen was in second, as Grau went missing, dropping down to 13th position.
By lap 4, Verbruggen was coming under fire from Rasmus Pedersen and a crash saw the Dutch rider drop down to 35th. Pedersen then moved to third as Kevin Brumann passed for second place.
Finding good rhythm around the British circuit, Everts was able to pull away from Brumann, finishing the race with an impressive 24.122 second lead! Pedersen finished third, while Cato Nickel and Meico Vettik placed fourth and fifth. Local riders, Joel Rizzi and Eddie Jay Wade made the Brits proud with a ninth and tenth place finish.
In race two, it was Brumann who took the holeshot and led the race for four laps, before Everts was able to chase him down on lap 5, with Florian Miot and Grau in third and fourth.
Kevin Brumann – Image courtesy of MXGP
Grau moved up to third, but less than a lap later Miot passed him back to secure third. While the top three stayed the same, Haakon Osterhagen found his way past Andrea Bonacorsi.
It was Liam Everts who took the race win, overall victory and red plate, going into Round 2 as championship leader.
Liam Everts
“I wasn’t expecting when I came here, second race was a bit tough for me but I had good starts during the weekend. I’m super happy to win here after my dad (Stefan Everts) did 14 years ago. This victory is for him.”
Liam Everts – Image courtesy of MXGP
EMX125 Race 1 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 33:17.460
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:24.122
Rasmus Pedersen (DEN, KTM), +0:34.977
Cato Nickel (GER, KTM), +1:23.920
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +1:36.878
EMX125 Race 2 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30:50.463
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:10.584
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), +0:20.625
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), +0:25.385
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +0:26.749
EMX125 Overall Classification
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 50 points
Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 44
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), 35
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), 32
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 31
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Gibbs and Purvis take NZ MX lead at Hawke’s Bay
Altherm JCR Yamaha riders Kirk Gibbs and Maximus Purvis were two men on a mission, storming into the lead of their Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship classes over the weekend in Hawke’s Bay.
Riding their respective Yamahas in the series’ penultimate round at Ngaruroro Raceway, near Fernhill, the two took the upper hand in their title hunts, ahead of the championship wrapping up in Taupo, in a fortnight.
Sunshine Coast-based Gibbs was untouchable in the premier class on his YZ450 – qualifying first and winning three from three races.
Kirk Gibbs took the round win from Cody Cooper and Hamish Harwood, with Kayne Lamont fourth and Brad Groombridge fifth.
The top-notch results give him a five-point lead over defending champion Cody Copper and 29-point buffer over Hamish Harwood in third.
Kirk Gibbs
“It was a really good day for me. I’ll go home and work on some more things that Josh [Coppins – Team Manager] and BT [Ben Townley] gave me to work on. It’s so helpful to have such good people to get information from. I’ll go there with a good mindset and put a couple of good races in and try to bring it home.”
Kirk Gibbs – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis went 2-1-4, with the final race result slightly lower after the 19-year-old Mangakino flyer crashed on the last lap, while in second.
Maximus Purvis and Dylan Walsh were tied on 65-points for the round win, with James Scott third overall, Josiah Natzke fourth and Caleb Ward fifth.
Maximus Purvis
“It definitely feels good to be leading the points going into the last round. I’ve been trying to chip away at it and now I just have to finish it off with some good results at Taupo.”
Maximus Purvis – Image by Clmintiepix
Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh displayed some of the form that saw the 22-year-old crowned the British Motocross Championship’s MX2 winner last year, with a 4-2-1 results’ set on his Yamaha YZ250F.
Dylan Walsh
“Round three was a big improvement for me. We made huge changes during the week on the suspension and it paid off. I was able to get the round win and show what I was capable of.”
Dylan Walsh – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis now holds the MX2 lead on 183-points, with Josia Natzke second on 179-points, with James Scott third overall on 172. Dylan Walsh is currently fourth on 161 points, with Caleb Ward fifth.
MX1 Round Results
Kirk Gibbs (YZ450) – 75
Cody Cooper – 64
Hamish Harwood – 62
Kayne Lamont (YZ450) – 54
Brad Groombridge – 46
MX1 Standings
Kirk Gibbs, 211 points
Cody Cooper, 206
Hamish Harwood, 182
Kayne Lamont, 149
Brad Groombridge, 138
MX2 Round Results
Dylan Walsh (YZ250F) – 65
Maximus Purvis (YZ250F) – 65
James Scott – 58
Josiah Natzke- 53
Caleb Ward – 53
MX2 Standings
Maximus Purvis, 183 points
Josiah Natzke, 179
James Scott, 172
Dylan Walsh 161
Caleb Ward, 143
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AMA Supermoto Championship kicks off in April
The 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association, kicks off 2020 in Primm, Nev., on April 4-5, with the 2020 season to feature two rounds at new venues, including one in Honolulu at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on May 2. The remainder of the schedule includes four events in the United States and Canada. The other new venue is Colorado National Speedway, which hosts Round 3 on May 30.
2020 AMA Supermoto Championship – Image by Steve Alkyer, courtesy DRT Racing
The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, round is sanctioned by the Canadian Motorcycle Association. That round, coupled with the event in Sturgis, S.D., determines the FIM North America Supermoto Championship.
Ken Saillant – AMA Track Racing Manager
“This year’s AMA Supermoto National Championship Series schedule features a great mix of proven venues and new markets for one of motorcycling’s youngest competition disciplines. We’re looking forward to another year of intense supermoto competition.”
Supermoto racing includes a mix of street-style racing and motocross. Riders compete on tracks that feature dirt and pavement sections with jumps and turns. Venues can range from football stadiums to closed-course streets or parking lots. The AMA Supermoto National Championship Series is promoted by DRT Racing.
For more information about the 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series, visit www.drtracinginc.com.
2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series
April 4-5: Primm, Nev.: Anthony Hart Memorial Race
May 2: Honolulu, Hawaii: Aloha Stadium
May 30: Dacono, Colo.: Colorado National Speedway
June 12-13: Austin, Texas: 25th Annual Republic of Texas Rally
July 31-Aug. 2: Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada: 51st Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières (CMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
Sept. 11-12: Sturgis, S.D.: 8th Annual Streets of Sturgis (AMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
Preparations are already underway for the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) that will be hosted in Rivanazzano Terme in northern Italy from 31 August to 5 September. The pre-registration phase that closes on 30 March 2020 is now opened on www.fim-isde.com.
PRE-REGISTRATION CLOSES 30 MARCH
All riders (World Trophy, Junior World Trophy, Women’s World Trophy Teams and Club Teams / riders) must contact their National Motorcycling Federation (FMN) to register. Login access will only be given to FMNs. Same procedure apply for riders wishing to compete in the Enduro Vintage Trophy (Teams and Individuals). Federations have to complete the relevant online form before the pre-registration closing date.
CONFIRMATION OF SELECTED TEAMS ON 15 APRIL
At the end of the first phase, depending on the number of pre-registrations, Club Teams will be informed about the selection of their teams by their National Motorcycling Federation. The National Motorcycling Federation must then pay the relevant 25% deposit of registration fee relating to the number of Club Teams confirmed. At this stage, each National Motorcycling Federation will be asked to fill the detailed information about the team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so.
FINAL ENTRY PHASE FROM 1 MAY TO 30 JUNE
The National Motorcycling Federation must pay the remaining 75% of the registration fee for all Teams as confirmed on 15 April. The National Motorcycling Federation must have fully completed the entry form and details about team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so, and before 30 June.
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Jeffrey Herlings signs new KTM MXGP contract
Four-times FIM Motocross World Champion Jeffrey Herlings has signed a new contract with his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and will remain ‘in orange’ for a further three years until the end of the 2023 MXGP season.
The 25-year-old Dutchman inked his deal on the eve of the British Grand Prix this weekend and the opening round of twenty in the 2020 MXGP series; his fourth in the premier class and eleventh in the FIM World Championship all with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
The association began in 2009 when Herlings was signed to make his MX2 GP debut for the 2010 season as a fifteen-year old. He claimed his first top-three race finish in just his second moto at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria at Sevlievo, celebrated his first podium at Mantova in Italy for round two and then started an incredible seven-year unbeaten streak of wins a few weeks later at his home event at Valkenswaard; scene of his very first 1-1 clean sweep.
Since that initial term in 2010 Herlings has gone on to accumulate 86 Grand Prix victories in two classes and ace titles in 2012, 2013, 2016 (all MX2) and then 2018 (MXGP) with KTM 250 SX-F and KTM 450 SX-F machinery. In that time there have been some astonishing performances – such as the first moto chequered flag in Latvia last summer, taken with a broken foot – and also some tough moments when he conceded likely titles in 2014 and 2015 due to injury. His peerless 2018 MXGP campaign saw #84 own 17 from 19 Grands Prix and classify as runner-up in the other two outings.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Herlings is already the most successful Dutch rider in the history of the sport and is third on the list for all-time Grand Prix triumphs. In 2019 he added the Motocross of Nations Chamberlain trophy to his heaving collection of silverware.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I’m very, very happy. I have been with KTM since 2009 so by the end of this next contract it will be fifteen years together. I’m excited to stay in the orange family and I have been working with Pit [Beirer] and the entire crew since the beginning and I was fourteen. I’m blessed to be able to do it for another three years; four including this one about to start. It is also good to have this done before the weekend and GP1 of 2020. KTM is where my heart is, and they are my family. I’m thankful that they trust in me, and I believe in them, the bike and all the people I work with. I’ll be racing with them until I’m 28 and I’m super-happy, hopefully there many more happy days ahead.”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director
“This contract definitely means a lot to me personally because it was back in 2009 that we gave this young kid and his family our word that we’d take good care of him and he had a great future in front of him: we wanted to be a partner in that. We went through so many ups and downs with Jeffrey and he has collected all of his wins and titles with us – just one brand. It was actually quite emotional to know he could spend his career with just one company. I’m really happy that we could agree everything so early for another three years and I wish him a healthy and strong season and hopefully an even longer association with us when he’s stopped racing.”
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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)
