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Moto News Weekly | AMA SX | Woodville GP | Italian MX

Moto News Weekly for January 28, 2020

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What happened this week

  • Roczen wins Glendale AMA SX triple-header
  • Forkner tops SX2 triple-header at Glendale Round 4
  • Mitch Evans second at Italian Motocross opener in Riola Sardo
  • Harwood & Purvis win Woodville GP
  • King of MX final qualifier confirmed for Dargle
  • Cessnock MX Club to host 2020 King of MX final
  • 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March 21
  • Dylan Walsh to race NZ MX with Ben Townley Tours/Altherm JCR Yamaha
  • Luc Ackermann wins shortened 2019 FMX World Championsip
  • Petr Pilát renews FMX contract with KTM Factory Racing
  • 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 Calendar

Roczen wins Glendale AMA SX triple-header

For the full 2020 AMA Supercross Round 4 report see:
2020 AMA Supercross Round Four – Glendale

The first SX1 Main Event saw Tomac was all over Roczen by half distance, when he started to put his Kawasaki alongside the Honda. In the final laps though Roczen proved to have Tomac’s measure and pulled clear to take victory by two-seconds. Adam Cianciarulo rounded out the podium ahead of Malcolm Stewart and Jason Anderson.  Aussie Chad Reed finished 18th.

450 Main Event 2 saw a restart following Justin Bogle going down so medical attention could be provided and from the re-start it was Ken Roczen taking the early advantage and stretching a lead by half distance. Cianciarulo and Tomac worked to close down the gap, with Cianciarulo going down, ending up in eighth when he remounted.

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Cianciarulo WebbMultiple SX PHX Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Cianciarulo WebbMultiple SX PHX Kardy

Adam Cianciarulo

Roczen was the eventual victor by seven-seconds over Tomac while Anderson rounded out the podium. Baggett got the better of Webb for fourth. Cianciarulo recovered to salvage a sixth place finish ahead of Brayton and Barcia.  Chad Reed came home in 19th position.

In 450 Main Event 3 Ken Roczen once again had a five-second lead by half-race distance, this time ahead of Jason Anderson. Cianciarulo caught Webb and challenged for second, before going over the bars in the whoops, with Webb slightly caught up, allowing Tomac to slip into third. Ken Roczen was an untroubled victor, ahead of Anderson and Tomac.

Ken Roczen thus goes 1-1-1 for the overall victory ahead of Tomac and Anderson, the German extending his championship lead to eight points over Tomac.

Ken Roczen – P1

“I can’t believe we won all three main events! I think it’s the focus that we bring. Between my team and especially my mechanic, we just have a good regimen going into all the races. Every time we go down there for a gate drop, I just want to put maximum focus, put myself in a good position and make life a lot easier—and safer as well. We had some good battles with Eli [Tomac] in the first one, but I was stoked to pull it off. I got a decent start in the second one, and then we had to do a restart unfortunately. I grabbed that holeshot and rode a super-solid race and won. The first start for race three was not good, and me and Tomac were battling in like eighth or something. Then we had another restart, and I pulled the holeshot there and just rode a super-solid race. I had a good time tonight, and I’m really happy with how the team has been excelling and making changes to the bike. We’ve been working really well together, and the team spirit is high right now. Obviously, I’m beyond stoked and want to enjoy tonight and tomorrow, but then get back to work and keep 100% focus.”

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Osborne Roczen Starts SX PHX Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Osborne Roczen Starts SX PHX Kardy

Ken Roczen piling the pressure on Zach Osborne

Eli Tomac – P2

“These Triple Crown races are already crazy and then to add the two red flags, there was just a lot going on. We technically had five starts tonight and I didn’t exactly help myself on those, but I was able to make my way to the front and remain consistent with my finishes. Consistency really was the key tonight and the team worked their tails off to help me finish up on the podium. We still have some work to do but overall, we had a successful night and I’m glad we’re close in the point standings.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“All-in-all, I had a great night. I keep getting better as the season goes on, I feel like I keep racing better and better. It’s been a good night. The team is working hard and we’re ready to start charging and make some headway.”

Cooper Webb – P4

“It was a good day. It’s kind of crazy, we had a bunch of red flags so we ended up with a lot of starts tonight. I feel like I finally figured out my starts by the end and I was up front and able to run with the lead group but I just didn’t quite have it tonight. It was a good turnaround from the first Main Event but we’ve still got some stuff to work on and we’ll keep plugging away and try to improve this week before heading into Oakland.”

Justin Barcia – P5

“It was a difficult day right off the bat. The track changed as the night went on and I struggled with turning a little bit and in the whoops, but it was the starts that really hurt me. I had to fight a lot tonight to get up to where I was able to finish, but with such short races like this, it’s difficult. The track was very one-lined, and it was very difficult to pass. Triple crowns are gnarly. Everyone’s so fast. If you don’t get a good start it’s just difficult to put yourself in a good position. There were guys flying around everywhere tonight and crashing, so I’m glad to be getting out of here healthy. I’m a smarter, more mature rider than I have been in the past, so I’ll take what I can get tonight like I did last week. It’s only round four. We’re still in a decent spot and just need to keep plugging away.”

Justin Brayton – P6

“The night went pretty good, but I had a lot of bad starts for some reason. I really struggled with track position at the beginning of the race, and I came from the back pretty much all three races. I’m a little disappointed in that because I felt like with my lap times, a better track position could have given me a top-five finish. But to end up sixth is nothing to hang our heads for at all. It was a positive night, awesome to see Kenny get the win, and the team’s just jelling really well right now; everyone’s doing an amazing job, and I keep getting better and better every weekend. I hope to keep this momentum rolling and be in the top five next week.”

SX1 Round Overall

Pos. Rider M1 M2 M3 Overall
1 Ken Roczen 1 1 1 26
2 Eli Tomac 2 2 3 23
3 Jason Anderson 5 3 2 21
4 Cooper Webb 8 5 4 19
5 Justin Barcia 6 8 7 18
6 Justin Brayton 7 7 9 17
7 Malcolm Stewart 4 14 6 16
8 Adam Cianciarulo 3 6 17 15
9 Aaron Plessinger 11 9 8 14
10 Blake Baggett 12 4 14 13
11 Martin Davalos 10 16 5 12
12 Justin Hill 9 13 10 11
13 Dean Wilson 16 10 11 10
14 Vince Friese 13 12 12 9
15 Tyler Bowers 15 15 13 8
16 Ryan Breece 19 18 15 7
17 Chris Blose 17 17 18 6
18 Zach Osborne 22 11 22 5
19 Alex Ray 20 20 16 4
20 Chad Reed 18 19 19 3
21 Justin Bogle 14 22 21 2
22 Jerry Robin 21 21 20 1

SX1 Standings

Pos Rider R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1 Ken Roczen 17 26 23 26 92
2 Eli Tomac 16 19 26 23 84
3 Justin Barcia 26 23 14 18 81
4 Jason Anderson 18 21 18 21 78
5 Cooper Webb 21 11 21 19 72
6 Adam Cianciarulo 23 16 17 15 71
7 Justin Brayton 15 15 16 17 63
8 Malcolm Stewart 14 17 15 16 62
9 Zach Osborne 9 18 19 10 56
10 Blake Baggett 19 14 9 13 55
11 Aaron Plessinger 11 13 8 14 46
12 Justin Hill 12 12 11 11 46
13 Vince Friese 13 9 12 8 42
14 Dean Wilson 10 10 13 9 42
15 Martin Davalos 8 1 10 12 31
16 Justin Bogle 7 8 7 2 24
17 Tyler Bowers 6 6 7 19
18 Chris Blose 3 5 4 5 17
19 Chad Reed 5 2 5 3 15
20 Alex Ray 4 2 4 10
21 Ryan Breece 0 3 6 9
22 Kyle Cunningham 0 7 0 7
23 Benny Bloss 6 1 7
24 Kyle Chisholm 4 4
25 James Decotis 1 3 4
26 Fredrik Noren 2 2
27 Jerry Robin 0 1 1

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Forkner tops SX2 triple-header at Glendale Round 4

The opening 250 moto of this week’s triple crown format saw Championship leader Justin Cooper drop his bike on lap one and suffer damage to his levers that put him at the back of the field. Dylan Ferrandis meanwhile got the better of Michael Mosiman later in the race to move up to second place, while Austin Forkner had a commanding five-second lead with two-minutes remaining in the moto.

Fourth placed Craig chased Mosiman hard in the closing stages of the race and put a pass on the Husqvarna rider as they started the final lap, stealing third place which he then carried all the way to the flag.  Forkner was the race winner over Ferrandis. Aaron Tanti was the highest finishing Aussie in ninth place while countrymen Luke Clout and Jay Wilson were 13th and 14th respectively.

In the second SX2 Main event Cooper looked on course to hold the lead, before losing the front and going down, with Drake inheriting the lead and Forkner up into second. Forkner then claimed the lead, with Ferrandis moving past Mosiman into third.

Forkner was the clear winner with a 3.5-second advantage over Ferrandis at the flag while Drake kept Mosiman at bay in order to clinch the final step on the rostrum.

Luke Clout looked set for a top ten finish but a fall on the final lap cost him that chance, he remounted to salvage 12th.  Jay Wilson the top finishing Aussie in tenth while Aaron Tanti carded a 17th place finish.

The final SX2 Main Event saw Luke Clout as high as sixth but overhauled by Mosiman and Oldenburg in the closing laps to eventually finish eighth ahead of Alex Martin. Justin Cooper was the race winner from Dylan Ferrandis, while Austin Forkner was a distant third. That third place though was enough for Forkner to claim the round win over Ferrandis with Mosiman rounding out the overall podium.

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Podium SX PHX Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Podium SX PHX Kardy

Glendale 250 Podium – Forkner 1st – Ferrandis 2nd – Mosiman 3rd

Austin Forkner – P1

“I’ve been working on the whoops with the team all week because I’ve really been struggling there, so I was ready to race tonight. I’ve had to dig myself out of a hole after last weekend and now 10 points down isn’t too bad. I’ll just keep grinding, chipping away at those points and continue to dig out of this hole. Overall, it was a great night for the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and we’re looking to keep it rolling.”

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Forkner SX PHX Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Forkner SX PHX Kardy

Austin Forkner

Dylan Ferrandis – P2

“I can’t say it was a bad day because it could’ve been much worse. I’m a little disappointed to miss the win. I feel like the bad starts cost me the win tonight, but the speed was there and I made a lot of passes. I was really stoked with my physical feeling because I was not tired at any point, my riding was really good and the bike was awesome. We just need to improve on the starts. I don’t understand why I’m struggling with the starts right now, but we are working with the team and have made some changes. Now we are three points from first place in the championship – that’s the big goal.”

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Ferrandis SX PHX Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Ferrandis SX PHX Kardy

Dylan Ferrandis

Mitchell Oldenburg – P6

“I got bad starts tonight and it hurt my overall chances. We have a lot of work ahead of us, I am still not 100 per cent following my crash at A1 but I am feeling stronger and I can’t wait to throw everything I have at it. I am excited to work with Buddy.”

Justin Cooper – P9

“It was a roller coaster night in Glendale. The track conditions were really tricky and traction was very hard to maintain. I was able to come back with the win in the third Main and hold onto the points lead. We’re going take the positives and learn from the mistakes and move on to next weekend and go for the win again.”

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Cooper SX PHX Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Cooper SX PHX Kardy

Justin Cooper

Luke Clout improved throughout the night, with Glendale marking his third top 10 overall in a row and he’s now moved to ninth in the championship. The team are impressed with his gutsy ride as he broke his toe on Friday during the press call.

Luke Clout – P10

“I am bummed I crashed on Friday and broke my toe. My foot was extremely sore, I can’t say it affected my riding but I was conscious of it. Another top 10 is good but I am not happy with these overalls. I know what I need to work on and I will continue to push forward, having Buddy will make a difference and everyone on team is working towards a common goal and I appreciate them.”

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Clout SX PHX Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Glendale Clout SX PHX Kardy

Luke Clout

SX2 Round Overall

Pos Rider M1 M2 M3 Overall
1 Austin Forkner 1 1 3 26
2 Dylan Ferrandis 2 2 2 23
3 Michael Mosiman 4 4 6 21
4 Brandon Hartranft 5 6 4 19
5 Jacob Hayes 6 5 5 18
6 Mitchell Oldenburg 7 7 7 17
7 Alex Martin 8 8 9 16
8 Derek Drake 10 3 13 15
9 Justin Cooper 17 9 1 14
10 Luke Clout 13 12 8 13
11 Carson Brown 11 13 11 12
12 Robbie Wageman 16 11 12 11
13 Martin Castelo 12 14 14 10
14 Killian Auberson 15 16 10 9
15 Jay Wilson 14 10 18 8
16 Aaron Tanti 9 17 17 7
17 Christian Craig 3 22 22 6
18 Michael Leib 19 15 15 5
19 Mitchell Falk 18 18 16 4
20 Cheyenne Harmon 20 19 19 3
21 Logan Karnow 22 20 20 2
22 Ludovic Macler 21 21 21 1

SX2 Standings

Pos Rider R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1 Justin Cooper 26 23 23 14 86
2 Dylan Ferrandis 23 11 26 23 83
3 Brandon Hartranft 16 21 21 19 77
4 Austin Forkner 18 26 6 26 76
5 Alex Martin 13 19 18 16 66
6 Michael Mosiman 19 3 19 21 62
7 Jacob Hayes 12 17 15 18 62
8 Mitchell Oldenburg 7 15 16 17 55
9 Luke Clout 2 16 17 13 48
10 Derek Drake 15 13 5 15 48
11 Jett Lawrence 14 18 14 46
12 Carson Brown 8 14 11 12 45
13 Killian Auberson 9 8 13 9 39
14 Robbie Wageman 10 5 9 11 35
15 Christian Craig 21 1 1 6 29
16 Martin Castelo 12 7 10 29
17 Aaron Tanti 0 10 10 7 27
18 Jay Wilson 6 12 8 26
19 Michael Leib 11 6 5 22
20 Cameron Mcadoo 17 17
21 Logan Karnow 5 0 8 2 15
22 Derek Kelley 4 9 13
23 Mitchell Falk 1 7 4 12
24 Cheyenne Harmon 4 3 3 10
25 Ludovic Macler 0 2 4 1 7
26 Chris Howell 3 3
27 Lorenzo Camporese 0 2 2

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Mitch Evans second at Italian Motocross opener in Riola Sardo

The opening round of the Internazionali d’Italia Motocross has been held in Riola Sardo, kicking off the 2020 season with strong competition across the MX1, MX2 and Supercampione classes.

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Tim Gajser

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Tim Gajser

Tim Gajser

In the MX1 class Tim Gajser took a commanding lead which he held to the chequered flag, with Australian Mitch Evans the runner up in his 450 debut, posting a stellar performance, with Jeremy Seewer taking third overall.

Mitch Evans

“Good first race of the year in Riola! Always enjoy racing this track. I’m feeling at home back on the 450!”

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Mitchell Evans

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Mitchell Evans

Mitch Evans

In MX2 Jago Geerts was the top performer, leading home teammate Ben Watson, while Maxime Renaux completed the podium.

The Supercampione class combined the top twenty MX1 and MX2 riders and saw Tim Gajser take the win from Jeremy Seewer, while Arminas Jasikonis completed the top three.

Tim Gajser

“Great first race weekend of the year! We finish P1 in superfinal in a dominant fashion. Great preparation for the upcoming MXGP season.”

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Tim Gajser

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Tim Gajser

Tim Gajser won the Supercampione

MX1 Result

  1. Gajser Tim(Slo)
  2. Evans Mitchell (Aus)
  3. Seewer Jeremy (Sui)
  4. Desalle Clement (Bel)
  5. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu)

MX2 Result

  1. Geerts Jago (Bel)
  2. Watson Ben (Gbr)
  3. Renaux Maxime (Fra)
  4. Guadagnini Mattia (Ita)
  5. Edelbacher Roland (Aut)

Supercampione Result

  1. Gajser Tim (Slo)
  2. Seewer Jeremy (Sui)
  3. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu)
  4. Paulin Gautier (Fra)
  5. Geerts Jago (Bel)

MX1 Standings

  1. Gajser Tim(Slo) P.120
  2. Evans Mitchell (Aus) P. 100
  3. Seewer Jeremy (Sui) P. 80
  4. Desalle Clement (Bel) P. 65
  5. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu) P. 60

MX2 Standings

  1. Geerts Jago (Bel) P. 120
  2. Watson Ben (Gbr) P. 100
  3. Renaux Maxime (Fra) P. 80
  4. Guadagnini Mattia (Ita) P. 65
  5. Edelbacher Roland (Aut) P. 65

Supercampione Standings

  1. Gajser Tim (Slo) P. 120
  2. Seewer Jeremy (Sui) P. 100
  3. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu) P. 80
  4. Paulin Gautier (Fra) P. 65
  5. Geerts Jago (Bel) P. 60

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Harwood & Purvis win Woodville GP

New Zealand’s 2020 Woodville Motocross GP saw Hamish Harwood and Maximum Purvis claim the MX1 and MX2 wins respectively ahead of the kick-off of the 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship.

Woodville GP Max Purvis Mechanic Nabe

Woodville GP Max Purvis Mechanic Nabe

Maximus Purvis took the MX2 win

In the MX1 class it was Hamish Harwood battling it out with Australia’s Kirk Gibbs racing for Altherm JCR Yamaha, who was back racing for the first time since August and struggled with the slippery conditions at times.

A 2-2-1 result was enough to earn Gibbs the runner up position behind Harwood, while Ethan Martens completed the overall MX1 podium.

Kirk Gibbs

“In the first moto, I didn’t get off the line very well at all and had to come from pretty much dead last. I actually felt really comfortable on the bike, made some good progress on the leaders and then got into second. Then I got right onto the back of first for the last lap but just ran out of time. The track had been watered before the second race and he “struggled a little bit trying to push hard when the track was drying out. I got into second, then just as I got into the lead Hamish Harwood passed me. He could turn off a few things a little bit better than me until the track started to dry out towards the end of the race and then I got right back on him but couldn’t pass. I sat there for a little bit but started to inch up. He made a little mistake down the back and I got through and rode it home for a win. All in all, I felt very good and felt good on the bike. My starts can definitely be better and I’ve got to work on those this week and then I’ll come out swinging for round one,” Gibbs concludes.”

Woodville GP Kirk Gibbs

Woodville GP Kirk Gibbs

Kirk Gibbs

Maximus Purvis dominated in the MX2 class working his way into first position from fourth for the win, while claiming the holeshot in race two and creating a gap he held for the win. The third race saw Purvis claim third, which was enough to take the overall win from Wyatt Chase, with Josiah Natzske third overall.

MX1 Results

  1. Hamish Harwood – 72
  2. Kirk Gibbs – 69
  3. Ethan Martens – 54
  4. Cody Cooper – 51
  5. Hadleigh Knight – 48

MX2 Results

  1. Maximus Purvis – 70
  2. Wyatt Chase – 67
  3. Josiah Natzske – 56
  4. Dylan Walsh – 52
  5. James Scott – 46

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King of MX final qualifier confirmed for Dargle

The sixth and final chance to qualify for the King of MX final will be held at Dargle on May 9-10, hosted by the Oakdale Junior Motorcycle Club, with the Dargle venue regarded by many as a true motocross track due to its natural terrain layout and heritage as a venue for premiere motocross events, including Mr Motocross, through the ’70s and ’80s.

King of MX 2018

King of MX 2018

King of MX

Gavin Hunt – Oakdale Junior Motorcycle Club President

“I’m really excited that the Oakdale committee has gotten behind this, and we as a club can be a part of the 2020 King of MX series and, even more so, to be able to take it to Dargle. To a lot of us, Dargle represents motocross in its most pure form: rider and machine battling each other as they race across the incredible terrain. As the last qualifier for the King of MX final, the event will offer the last seven Golden Tickets for each of the 18 championship classes. We’ll be encouraging all our members to get out there, race it and have some fun – and hopefully make it through.”

Dave Cooke – Motorcycling NSW CEO

“We’ve obviously been working behind the scenes to include Dargle in the 2020 King of MX calendar for some time, and, although it’s a delayed announcement, I think it’s worth the wait. Dargle is iconic in NSW. The track will lead to some great racing, and it’s a fitting way to close the qualifiers before the final. Thanks to our amazing partners, we have an enormous $62,000 prize pool this year, enabling it to be distributed across all the qualifiers, as well as continuing to reward our state champions at the final, along with our Prince, Princess, King and Queen.”

Jess Moore

Jess Moore

Jess Moore – King of MX

For more details on the schedule see below.


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Cessnock MX Club to host 2020 King of MX final

Hot on the announcement of the King of MX Qualifier Six location, we’ve found out who will be hosting the King of MX final. The Cessnock Club has put in a massive amount of work over summer to rebuild large parts of their track, redesigning it, making huge improvements to the safety and fun factor for riders, and, best of all, they now have 40 gates. What better way to christen it than to bring the final of the biggest motocross event in Australia to the club!

King of MX 2018

King of MX 2018

King of MX

Dave Cooke – MNSW CEO

“It’s always exciting to see our clubs put massive amounts of time and money into redeveloping their venues, and the work Cessnock has done over summer puts them in a position to become a host club for the King of MX final. Finding host venues for the final is actually very difficult, simply due to the size of the event. The King of MX has become so successful in its first two years it has actually outgrown some of our venues as we need so much space for competitors and spectators. With the work Cessnock has put in over summer, they are now capable of pulling this off for us. It also means the final will be well located for a whole lot of riders who will want a qualifying spot for their place on the gates, so they better all get their entries in for our regional qualifiers in Bega, Narrabri, Wagga Wagga and Bathurst to try and find a path to their Golden Ticket. If they wait for the last couple of qualifiers at Lakes and Dargle, they may just miss out, because those two events will be huge as well.”

With all seven event venues now announced, get in quick to secure your entry, earn a Golden Ticket and join us in Cessnock. For more information on the 2020 King of MX, head to www.kingofmx.com.au.

2020 King of MX Calendar

  • Qualifier 1 – February 15-16, Bega – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 2 – February 29-1 March, Narrabri – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 3 – March 14-15, Bathurst – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 4 – March 28-29, Wagga Wagga – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 5 – April 18-19, Lake Macquarie -Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 6 – May 9-10, Dargle – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Final – June 6-8, Cessnock

2020 Kings of MX Championship Classes

  • Nippers 4-u/7 years – Demonstration at Qualifiers Only
  • 50cc Division 2 – 7-u/9 years
  • 65cc 7-u/10 years
  • 65cc 10-u/12 years
  • 85cc 2st/150cc 4st 9-u/12 years {standard wheel}
  • 85cc 2st /150cc 4st 12-u/14 years {standard & big wheel}
  • 85cc 2st/150cc 4st 14-u/16 years {standard & big wheel}
  • 85cc 2st/150cc 4st 12-u/16 years All Female {standard & big wheel}
  • 100cc-150cc 2st & 200cc- 250cc 4st 13-u/16 years All Female (Princess of MX)
  • 100cc-125cc 2st 13-u/16 years
  • 128cc-150cc 2st & 200cc-250cc 4st 13-u/16 years (Prince of MX)
  • MXW All Powers
  • MX1 A-Grade 255cc-450cc 2st/4st
  • MX1 B-Grade 255cc-450cc 2st/4st
  • C Grade Open
  • MX2 A-Grade up to 250cc 2st/4st
  • MX2 B-Grade up to 250cc 2st/4st
  • C Grade Lites
  • +35 Vets All Powers

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2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March 21

The Oceania regions best sidecar talent will descend on Gillman Speedway March 21 and roar into life for the 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship, with MA CEO and FIM Oceania Vice President Peter Doyle announcing the event and also opening expressions of interest until 4.45pm Thursday, February 20, 2020.

Doyle said there was a very strong supporter base of speedway sidecars in Australia and he expected the competition to see the best of the best on display.

Peter Doyle

“We have a very strong history in Australia of producing some of the best sidecar talent in the world including 11-time Australian champion Darrin Treloar and rival Warren Monson. This Australian rivalry and the best of the best in the Oceania region will make the 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship at Gillman Speedway a must see.”

The Championship is open to holders of current Motorcycling Australia Senior National Competition licence holders, and holders of an appropriate FIM International Licence, Insurance and Start Permission for their Federation.

FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March Sidecars Treloar

FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March Sidecars Treloar

2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March 21

The event will be run over 20 heats and two finals with four riders in each heat and final
over four laps. Fans wanting to get along to the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship on March 21, at Gillman Speedway, can do so when gates open at 4pm, practice at 5.30pm, and racing commences at 7.30pm.


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Dylan Walsh to race NZ MX with Ben Townley Tours/Altherm JCR Yamaha

Two of New Zealand’s motocross superpowers have joined forces to make a 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship programme happen for top Kiwi rider Dylan Walsh.

Former international star Ben Townley will run Walsh in the four-round series through his Ben Townley Tours (BTT) business, with support from his equally-successful compatriot Josh Coppins, via his Altherm JCR Yamaha team.

Dylan Walsh signs with BTT and Altherm JCR Yamaha

Dylan Walsh signs with BTT and Altherm JCR Yamaha

Dylan Walsh to race NZ MX with Ben Townley Tours/Altherm JCR Yamaha

After his stand-out performance winning the 2019 British MX2 Championship, the collective New Zealand motocross community hoped Walsh would continue on the world stage flying the nation’s flag, who unfortunately didn’t get an opportunity to continue in the 2020 MX2 World Championship.

Ben Townley

“When Josh asked if I’d help him out, I jumped at it to be honest. I really believe that I can help Dylan tick a few boxes and get his entire package as a racer ready, so he can tackle an international racing programme again, as soon as next year. I’m really looking forward to the challenge!”

Josh Coppins – Yamaha Motor New Zealand’s Motorsport Manager

“I rate Dylan as a top 10 rider in MXGP for 2020 but when it finally became clear that an international ride wasn’t going to eventuate for him this season, unfortunately our Altherm JCR Yamaha team structure was complete. So, Ben and I pulled together to make this deal work. Dylan is fortunate to get this help from Ben, who is a world class coach and my Altherm JCR Yamaha team riders are also able to tap into his wealth of knowledge, so it’s a great opportunity all-round.”

Walsh debuted in his new team this weekend at the Woodville NZ GP where BTT will provide the race structure for him and he competes as a satellite rider to Altherm JCR Yamaha. He will strengthen Yamaha’s programme as he races alongside Altherm JCR Yamaha’s current MX2 rider Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis. Walsh will then contest the New Zealand Motocross Championship, which begins in Balclutha on February 1.

Having signed a deal with Serco Yamaha in Australia, Walsh will go on to race across the Tasman in both the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships in MX2, after the New Zealand season.

Dylan Walsh

“I am super thankful that Josh and Ben put this programme together for me to race for Yamaha in New Zealand over the summer. I couldn’t have any two better people backing me and I’m just really excited to get it under way. I also really appreciate Ben and his family opening the door of their home for me to come and stay with them while I’m in New Zealand. Our goal is to definitely win the NZ MX2 championship and learn as much as I can from Ben and Josh, while building as a rider. Plus it’s a perfect preparation for the Australian championships.”

Dylan Walsh of the Woodville GP

“It was a rough start to the New Zealand racing, although it was good to learn the bike all weekend and make changes. The best race I had was the last moto, despite having a fall. I’ve got to take the positives from it and the fact I’ve got the bike set-up a lot better for next weekend.”

Dylan Walsh signs with BTT and Altherm JCR Yamaha

Dylan Walsh signs with BTT and Altherm JCR Yamaha

Dylan Walsh

Australian Kirk Gibbs returned to the Altherm JCR Yamaha team for the second consecutive year and will be looking to repeat his 2018 MX1 win in the 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship. He joins the team’s Hamilton-based rider Kayne Lamont, who will also race in the top-tier motocross class.

2020 Altherm JCR Yamaha Race Schedule

  • Woodville NZ Grand Prix 2020 – 25th & 26th January

2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

  • Round One – Balclutha, 1st February 2020
  • Round Two – Rotorua, 23rd February 2020
  • Round Three – Hawkes Bay, 1st March 2020
  • Round Four – Taupo, 15th March 2020

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Luc Ackermann wins shortened 2019 FMX World Championsip

Following the cancellation of the final round of the 2019 campaign, Luc Ackermann has been crowned the FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Champion in 2019, ending a run of five years of dominance for his great rival Maikel Melero in forceful fashion.

FMX Filip Podmol Luc Ackermann Adam Jones IMGOliverFranke

FMX Filip Podmol Luc Ackermann Adam Jones IMGOliverFranke

2020 FMX podium – Filip Podmol, Luc Ackermann, Adam Jones – Image by Oliver Franke

After taking the silver medal last year, the German leapfrogged the Spaniard in the ‘Night of the Jumps’ rankings by winning all but one round this time, and with the riders’ lowest score of the season written off from their final total he effectively ended the campaign with a maximum points-haul.

Just as they had done last season, Ackermann and Melero fought fiercely throughout the year, although this time the young German had added consistency to his impressive range of skills. After spectacular victories in front of vociferous home crowds in Berlin and Munich, Ackermann endured a disastrous first ever visit for the series to Lake Zurich, Switzerland, when he crashed heavily and missed out on the final.

Impressive Australian Paterson Bowden put together a strong challenge for the win in his breakout season but Melero’s experience told in the final and a first victory of the year kept him in title contention.

The decisive ‘Night of the Jumps’ came in August in Daqing, the fifth different Chinese city to be visited by the series in the past eight years.

FMX Luc Ackermann FIM FreeStyle World Champion IMGOliverFranke

FMX Luc Ackermann FIM FreeStyle World Champion IMGOliverFranke

Luc Ackermann – Image by Oliver Franke

Whilst Bowden unfortunately could not compete due to visa issues, Ackermann returned to his best with a sensational run despite dewy ramps in the final – landing his Front Flip, Flair, 360 Nac Nac and Surfer Tsunami Flip and finishing with a Double Backflip to secure the gold medal in style.

Pos Rider Nat. Man. Points
1 Luc ACKERMANN GER Husqvarna 120
2 Maikel MELERO ESP KTM 108
3 Paterson BOWDEN AUS Yamaha 74
4 Adam JONES USA Yamaha 68
5 Filip PODMOL CZE Yamaha 61
6 Kai HAASE GER Suzuki 53
7 Libor PODMOL CZE Husqvarna 42
8 Javier VILLEGAS CHI Suzuki 41
9 Robert ADELBERG AUS Yamaha 40
10 Hannes ACKERMANN GER KTM 38

Petr Pilát renews FMX contract with KTM Factory Racing

KTM Factory Racing will continue their association with leading Freestyle athlete Petr Pilát and will support the Czech rider for a fifteenth consecutive year for his 2020 campaign of events and appearances. The 29 year old will again benefit from latest spec two-stroke and four-stroke machinery from the factory for his training regime and calendar of international shows and competitions this season.

Pilát, who is one of the principal FMX names from the Czech Republic and is known for his style, determination and initiatives such as the Petr Pilát Junior Academy, will jump with 250 SX motorcycles and will maintain a link with KTM that began back in 2005.

Among a busy schedule, Pilát can be seen in the Arenacross series in the UK, Night of the Jumps, Masters of Dirt, Night of Freestyle, Goodwood Festival and appearances at the Austrian MotoGP round at Red Bull Ring and the MXGP Grand Prix of Czech Republic later in the summer.

Petr Pilát

“Another year of an epic association with KTM and I’m super-happy because I love the brand and the people at the factory. I’ve never had an issue with the bikes and they are perfect for what I need. 2019 wasn’t the best year for me even though I was really motivated. I had been working on two new tricks but then managed to break my foot and needed surgery. Unfortunately, I had an infection and a lot of pain. It meant another operation and four months of antibiotics, so I missed a lot of riding but managed to get back by the end of the year and finished 4th in the last round of the FIM World Championship in Bulgaria. Not a great result but after all I had been through it was a positive end. I’m fit and excited about 2020 and will start at the UK Arenacross series. Again, a big thanks to KTM and I’m really proud to be riding those orange bikes.”

FMX KTM Factory Racing Petr Pilat

FMX KTM Factory Racing Petr Pilat

Petr Pilát – Image KTM Racing
Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News | SX | MX | SuperEnduro | EnduroGP | AORC

Moto News Wrap for January 29, 2019 by Darren Smart

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Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Moto News Latest

  • Cooper and Cianciarulo Win in Oakland AMA SX
  • Cairoli and Prado Win in Italy
  • Haaker Wins SuperEnduro in Madrid
  • Gibbs Second at Woodville GP
  • Herlings Injured
  • Anderson Injured
  • Wil Ruprecht to EnduroGP
  • 2019 Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix Abandoned
  • 2019 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 relocated to Toowoomba

Cooper and Cianciarulo Win in Oakland AMA SX

On a rut infested layout Cooper Webb and Adam Cianciarulo have won 450SX and 250SX classes respectively at the fourth round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship which was held in Oakland last weekend.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Starts J K
AMA Supercross 2019
Round Four – Oakland Coliseum

450SX Report

KTM started the 450 main event 1-2-3 with Webb leading Marvin Musquin and Justin Bogle and after 20 minutes of action packed racing KTM ended the round with 1-2-3 finishes with Webb taking his second win over a fast finishing Musquin and the tireless Blake Baggett.

Cooper Webb

“Oakland was a great day for me. It was a perfect race – I was able to lead from start to finish. I had some pressure from Marvin at the end but I held on and was able to get a win, so I’m stoked. Two-in-a-row and the first time I’ve had the red plate in my career is pretty amazing, so hopefully we can keep it going. We’ve got a long season ahead but it’s been a great two weekends so we’ll get back to work on Monday. Thank you to the Red Bull KTM Team for believing in me and getting me back here. It was awesome to see KTM dominate tonight with 1-2-3 finishes and 1-2 for me and Marv the last two weekends.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Webb J K Cover
Cooper Webb

With Webb’s win and Roczen back in 5th, Webb jumped to the top of the points standings, with a slender two-point lead over Roczen who now sits on 81 points, followed by Tomac on 80 points and Musquin on 79.

Marvin Musquin

“It was super intense and physically it’s tough out there, I’m definitely getting better. This week I was able to ride all week so I’m getting better and better. That track was definitely difficult for everyone and especially those whoops but I figured it out in the Main and I was able to pass some guys. It’s frustrating, I rode really well, I’m really happy but it could have been mine tonight but it happens, no excuses. I went down but I was the fastest and I was able to pass those guys and be a little more consistent. I’m a little bit bummed, finishing right behind cooper is not fun but it’s good, I’m making progress. Second place is good, it’s a lot of points but I want to win for sure.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Musquin J K
Marvin Musquin

Blake Baggett didn’t get the best start but battled his way around a stack of riders including Roczen and Tomac to earn the final podium spot.

Blake Baggett

“I am wrapped to be on the podium because I was buried off the start, got a really bad start and didn’t think I was even going to get to fifth so I pulled through from that.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Blake Baggett J K
Blake Baggett

Eli Tomac charged into contention after a poor start but the Kawasaki rider struggled to get his rhythm going and had to settle for fourth.

Eli Tomac

“We’re in a good position, not only in the point standings but also for the season. I’m healthy and consistently finishing in the top five. I’ll get back to work with the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki crew and continue to improve each week. It’s all a process and I feel good about this season.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac JK
Eli Tomac

Like Tomac, Roczen was in a prime position to land on the podium but as he admits below that he struggled when the whoops became rutted which forced the Honda start to drop back to 5th and lose the red plate.

Ken Roczen

“Oakland started off pretty good. I felt super good in practice and was super-happy with the bike. I was confident going into the night show and happy to have first gate pick. We had a decent heat race, finishing in second. We had to do some little bike adjustments, just as the track changed. I didn’t have a great start at all but fought my way up to second for a bit. I was struggling in the whoops and started feeling uncomfortable and unfortunately, I went back to fifth. That’s not ideal but we’re leaving healthy. We lost the points lead but only by a couple points; it’s a long season, so if we can take this as our worst race, that’s pretty good. It’s time to regroup and hopefully get back on the podium in San Diego.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Ken Roczen J K
Ken Roczen

Justin Barcia managed a bruised tail bone to bring his Yamaha home in credible seventh place to keep himself in the championship hunt to sit just 11 points behind Webb.

Justin Barcia

“Wow. What a day. I had to be really mentally tough. I rode through a lot of pain, but made the best of it. Coming in I knew it would be difficult, but I was pretty optimistic about what I could handle. It was a crazy race for me. It was a difficult track, pretty rough, and I just had to push through the pain. It could have been a lot worse. After last weekend’s crash, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to race but I salvaged some points tonight. I feel like I just need to keep moving forward. Hopefully this week I can work on my body and keep feeling better. We’ll be back at it next weekend in San Diego.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Pits Justin Barcia JK SX Glendale
Justin Barcia

Aaron Plessinger crashed out of fifth place in the sand pit and Joey Savatgy’s KX450F simply stopped while the rookie was in a podium position and as for Australia’s Chad Reed his ninth place came on the back of the Aussie working his way through the field after yet another poor start and getting tangled in Plessinger’s downed Yamaha.

Chad Reed

“I really liked the Oakland track layout. There were nice whoops and ruts. Unfortunately, I again struggled with one-lap speed, but I felt like I would be okay for the heat race and main event. I had a decent start in the heat race and finished fourth. I was really enjoying the main event and began to find a rhythm. I was going to try and make some moves forward. Then I landed on Plessinger’s bike when he crashed in a blind spot. I fought back to ninth. I’m entering a new week with confidence. I have the pieces, but I need to start out the day better and carry that into the night show. We’re heading to one of my favourite races of the series this weekend. San Diego has always been a solid hunting ground for me.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Reed Roczen J K
Chad Reed & Ken Roczen
Aaron Plessinger

“Oakland Supercross was a pretty tough one. I was kind of struggling all day. I felt good in the last practice even though the times didn’t really show. In the main, I got a good start but then stalled it on the wall jump. I had to jump off, then someone landed on my bike and bent it all up. I had to pull in twice to straighten it out. I’m still happy with the way I rode and the progress we made on my starts, but stuff happens. We’ll move forward. Now that I know I can run with those guys, just need to keep the pace and keep working.”

Oakland 450 Main Events Results

  1. Cooper Webb
  2. Marvin Musquin
  3. Blake Baggett
  4. Eli Tomac
  5. Ken Roczen
  6. Dean Wilson
  7. Justin Barcia
  8. Justin Brayton
  9. Chad Reed
  10. Justin Bogle
  11. Cole Seely
AMA SX Rnd Oakland Podium KTM Webb Baggett Musquin J K
Oakland AMA SX 450 Podium – Webb, Baggett, Musquin

450SX Points after 4 of 17 Rounds

  1. Cooper Webb – 83
  2. Ken Roczen – 81
  3. Eli Tomac – 80
  4. Marvin Musquin – 79
  5. Justin Barcia – 72
  6. Dean Wilson – 69
  7. Blake Baggett – 66
  8. Cole Seely – 56
  9. Justin Brayton -52
  10. Aaron Plessinger – 49
  11. Chad Reed – 47
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250SX Report

In the 250 West Class Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo became the first repeat winner of the year after he claimed a start to finish win despite getting plenty of attention championship leader Colt Nichols early in the race and Dylan Ferrandis late in the race.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Start Heat J K
Oakland AMA SX 250 Start
Adam Cianciarulo

“We got it done tonight and it feels so good. I wasn’t feeling the best throughout the day, but I was able to turn it around for the main and make it a solid night. I’m so grateful and proud of the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and we’re all looking forward to keeping this momentum going.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cianciarulo JK SX Oakland
Adam Cianciarulo

Ferrandis has proved to be one of the fastest riders on the track but the Frenchman can’t get a decent start in the finals to content for the win BUT he is only five points back from his Yamaha teammate Nichols in the championship.

Dylan Ferrandis

“The YZ250F was awesome as always this season. It was also another demanding track this weekend, but I was feeling really good, really comfortable. My speed was great, but for sure with better starts it will be easier to win. I want more than second place, and that has had me frustrated, but I had some issues this week and didn’t train a lot. So, I’m happy to be on the box here in Oakland.”

Nichols keeps the championship points lead for another week albeit a narrow one with only five points separating the top four riders.

Colt Nichols

“The track was just really rutty and really demanding. The heart rate was really high, so that’s what made it tough to do consistent laps. A solid podium though, can’t ever complain about that, but of course always want more. Once you’ve won that’s all you want to do, but I’ll take a third for tonight, that’s all I had and move on to the next weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Colt Nichols J K
Colt Nichols

Cameron McAdoo continues to impress with the Honda pilot battle throughout the final to end up in fifth position.

Cameron McAdoo

“Last night was a great step in the right direction for me, leading the heat race until the last lap, and starting and running up front in the main is exactly what I need. The track was so tough, you had to be on your toes at all times. I tightened up about lap six of the main, but with some more time up front running that pace I’m confident I can stay there!”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Pits Cameron McAdoo CRFR JK SX Glendale COVER
Cameron McAdoo

Australia’s Tomas Ravenhorst finished 10th in his heat race, missing a direct transfer by just one position then in the LCQ the Victorian was once again in contention to qualify through to the main until rear brake problems ended his night.

Oakland 250SX Main Event Results

  1. Adam Cianciarulo
  2. Dylan Ferrandis
  3. Colt Nichols
  4. Shane McElrath
  5. Jacob Hayes
  6. Cameron Mcadoo
  7. Michael Mosiman
  8. Garrett Marchbanks
  9. Chris Blose
  10. Sean Cantrell
AMA SX Rnd Oakland Podium Cianciarulo Ferrandis Nichols J K
250SX Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki 17 Laps
Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha +02.570
Colt Nichols – Yamaha +04.609

250SX Points after Round 4

  1. Colt Nichols – 91
  2. Adam Cianciarulo – 88
  3. Shane Mcelrath – 87
  4. Dylan Ferrandis – 86
  5. RJ Hampshire – 67
  6. Cameron Mcadoo – 58
  7. Chris Blose – 58
  8. Jacob Hayes – 55
  9. Michael Mosiman – 55
  10. James Decotis – 52
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Cairoli and Prado Win in Italy

Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado have kicked off their 2019 season with moto wins in the MX1 and MX2 motos respectively before finishing first and third in the Superfinal at the opening round of the Italian Motocross Championship held in Sardina last weekend.

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Romain Febvre Antonio Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Cairoli won the MX1 moto from Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre, Gautier Paulin and Arminas Jasikonis while Prado earned the MX2 moto win ahead of Mikkel Haarup and Mattia Guadagnin with the Aussie duo of Mitch Evans and Caleb Grothues coming home sixth and seventh.

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Prado Gajser action
Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

The Superfinal started with Jasikonis going down in the first corner but Cairoli snuck through taking the lead from Prado, Gajser, Paulin, Ivo Monticelli, Alessandro Lupino and Evans.

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Arminas Jasikonis
Arminas Jasikonis – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Cairoli edged away from the field while Gajser finally caught and passed Prado for second place in the final laps of the moto so it was victory for Cairoli well ahead of Gasjer and Prado who finished third and top 250 rider ahead of Paulin, Febvre, Monticelli and Evans who was the second MX2 rider on track. Gothues ended the moto in 36th.

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Febvre action
Romain Febvre – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Tony Cairoli

“It is always good to race in Riola. We spend a lot of time testing around here. I’m really happy with how the bike is working at the moment and my feeling with it. This is just the first race of the year and we have another two to prepare ourselves before we are ready. It also means we have three races in the sand so we cannot test too much on hard-pack but overall I think we have a good bike.”

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Tony Cairoli ST
Tony Cairoli – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Jorge Prado

“A very good first race and I felt great from the timed practice. We made a great bike this winter and it worked really well for me all-day; better than we expected. In the first moto I had a decent start and took seven laps to get to the front as a struggled a bit with my rhythm. Coming into the Superfinal I knew the start was super-important. I didn’t have the best jump but I made a good pass into the first corners and was second behind Tony. He was pushing a lot and I tried to keep his rhythm. With three laps to go I made a mistake through the lappers and Tim came past me. I finished third and I’m very happy. This is all good preparation for the world championship.”

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Arminas Jasikonis

“It feels good to be behind the starting gate again. This weekend in Sardinia I had a good feeling on the bike and I’m happy I showed the speed is there. In the MX1 moto I didn’t manage to get a good start but kept my head down to finish fifth. I struggled a bit with arm pump in the closing part of the race but I tried not to let that slow me down. Going into the Supercampione final I felt ready to show my speed again. Unfortunately, I went down in the first corner and that made it all harder for me. I got up and did a few more laps but I felt some pain in my right leg and had to pull out of the race. I’ll give my body some time to heal and prepare for round two of the series next weekend in Ottobiano.”

Arminas Jasikonis Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Arminas Jasikonis – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Interestingly, in the deep sand of Riola Sardo in Sardinia, Cairoli, Febvre, Gajser and Prado were all using Pirelli Scorpion MX3 Mid Soft front and the Scorpion MX Soft rear tyres and the second round of the championships at Ottobiano next weekend will have very similar conditions.

MX1 Points after Round 1 of 3

  1. CAIROLI Antonio (ITA) p.120
  2. FEBVRE Romain (FRA) p.100
  3. GAJSER Tim (SLO) p.80
  4. PAULIN Gautier (FRA) p.65
  5. JASIKONIS Arminas (LTU) p.60

MX2 Points after Round 1 of 3

  1. PRADO Jorge (SPA) p.120
  2. HAARUP Mikkel (DEN) p.100
  3. GUADAGNINI Mattia (ITA) p.80
  4. WATSON Ben (GBR) p.65
  5. CERVELLIN Michele (ITA) p.60
  6. Evans Mitch (AUS) p. 55
  7. Grothues Caleb (AUS) p. 50
MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Cairoli podium Supercampione
Supercampione Podium – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Supercampione Points after Round 1 of 3

  1. CAIROLI Antonio (ITA) p.120
  2. GAJSER Tim (SLO) p.100
  3. PRADO Jorge (SPA) p.80
  4. PAULIN Gautier (FRA) p.65
  5. FEBVRE Romain (FRA) p.60
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Haaker Wins SuperEnduro in Madrid

Colton Haaker has earned the overall victory ahead of Cody Webb and Alfredo Gomez to not only win round three of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Madrid, Spain but he also moved to the top of the series standings.

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Colton Haaker
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media

Haaker dominated the first of three finals to take the win over Taddy Blazusiak and Webb but the reverse order start for the second race caused chaos after Haaker became entangled in a multi-bike collision on the opening lap leaving him in near last place.

Haaker blitzed the technical layout and moved up to second place behind Webb but he becoming stuck on the final rocky corner which resulted in a three-way fight to the finish line where Haaker and Blazusiak tangled as they approached the finish line jump ending with both riders losing control of their machines.

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez

Haaker was lucky to walk away unscathed in third behind Webb and Pol Tarres while Blazusiak was deemed a non-finisher.

Despite being bruised a battered Haaker refocused for race three and delivered arguably his best performance of the night with a win by 26-seconds over Gomez and David Leonov while a broken chain on lap four forced Webb to stop and make trackside repairs to resolve the issue and despite his best efforts to re-join the race, he wasn’t classified as a finisher but still ended his night as the overall runner-up.

Colton Haaker

“It’s feels great to come away tonight with the overall win and also become the new point’s leader in the championship. I really wanted to push for the victory tonight and race my way back into title contention and I definitely feel like I did that out there, despite what was a very eventful night on the track. We’ve Budapest in two weeks’ time and I’m looking forward to going there with the leader’s red plate.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Colton Haaker FM
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media

For Webb he saw his championship lead vanish on the night but still has not given up by any means and remains in second, only thirteen points off the lead.

Cody Webb

“It was a tough night for me tonight, but I’m happy to take second overall. The first race went well, I struggled to get into a good rhythm but I was pleased with third and knew what I had to do to improve for race two. I got away well in the second race and was able to control the pace from the front and take a clean win. I was probably riding my best of the whole evening in race three. Colton was in front but I was confident I could match his speed and fight for the win. Unfortunately, after a reasonably hard landing, I damaged the bike. I tried my best to fix it in time but it wasn’t quite enough. It’s upsetting but this is SuperEnduro and anything can happen. I’m looking forward to the next race and will try to win back the overall lead.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Webb J K Cover
Cooper Webb

Deciding to return to racing following an elbow injury last time out in Germany, Gomez hoped for a top-five result but thanks to feeling better than expected, the Spaniard raced his way into podium contention as the evening progressed.

Alfredo Gomez

“I can’t honestly believe that I’ve managed to finish third overall tonight, two days ago I wasn’t sure if I would ride because I’m still recovering from an elbow injury that I sustained last time out in Germany. I did some training laps and decided I should try to race. I was aiming for top five at best. But this is my home race and I guess that just makes you want to deliver the best result you can. I rode safe in race one for ninth and then did better in race two for fifth. I got into a good position in race three and with other riders having problems, suddenly I was in second. After that I tried to remain calm and focused and control the position to the finish. Third overall is an amazing result and I have to thank everyone who’s helped me during these last few weeks to get to this position – behind the scenes it’s been a real team effort.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez – Image by Future7Media

For Taddy Blazusiak, the third stop of the SuperEnduro series was challenging due to a series of crashes that ended with an injury to his knee.

Taddy Blazusiak

“I collided with Colton Haaker and went down hard, I was banged and bruised pretty good, but lucky to walk away from it relatively unscathed and able to focus on the final moto. In race three I got a great start but then stalled in the rocks and accidentally put my left foot down into a hole. As I fell over, with the bike on top of me, my foot became trapped in the hole and twisted my knee. As yet I don’t know how serious things are until I see my doctor to get it checked out but I will do my best to be ready for round four in Budapest.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Taddy Blazusiak FM
Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round four in Budapest, Hungary on February 9.

Results: Madris – Round 3
Heat 1

  1. Colton HAAKER
  2. Taddy BLAZUSIAK
  3. Cody WEBB
  4. Diogo VIEIRA
  5. Blake GUTZEIT
  6. Xavi LEON SOLE
  7. Pol TARRES
  8. Kevin GALLAS
  9. Alfredo GOMEZ
  10. Cristobal GUERRERO

Heat 2

  1. Cody WEBB
  2. Pol TARRES
  3. Colton HAAKER
  4. Diogo VIEIRA
  5. Alfredo GOMEZ
  6. Blake GUTZEIT
  7. Xavi LEON SOLE
  8. Cristobal GUERRERO
  9. Kevin GALLAS
  10. Jose Maria JUAN BERNABEU
SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Colton Haaker FM
Colton Haaker celebrates – Image by Future7Media

Heat 3

  1. Colton HAAKER
  2. Alfredo GOMEZ
  3. David LEONOV
  4. Blake GUTZEIT
  5. Xavi LEON SOLE
  6. Pol TARRES
  7. Cristobal GUERRERO
  8. Diogo VIEIRA
  9. Jose Maria JUAN BERNABEU
  10. Kevin GALLAS

Prestige Class — Overall

  1. Colton Haaker (USA) Husqvarna – 58
  2. Cody Webb (USA) KTM – 37
  3. Alfredo Gomez (ESP) Husqvarna – 34
  4. Pol Tarres (ESP) Husqvarna – 34
  5. Blake Gutzeit (RSA) Husqvarna – 33

Provisional Standings

  1. Colton HAAKER 159pts
  2. Cody WEBB 146pts
  3. Taddy BLAZUSIAK 128pts
  4. Pol TARRES 90pts
  5. Alfredo GOMEZ 80pts
  6. Diogo VIEIRA 76pts
  7. Kevin GALLAS 76pts
  8. Blake GUTZEIT 74pts
  9. Xavi LEON SOLE 59pts
  10. Cristobal GUERRERO 55pts
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Gibbs Second at Woodville GP

The Manawatu-Orion Motorcycle Club Inc. (MOMCC) hosted the 58th annual Woodville GP which was once again recognised as an FIM Oceania event and saw 600 riders converge on the popular North Island venue.

Kirk Gibbs Woodville
Kirk Gibbs – Woodville GP 2019

The 2015 Australian MX1 motocross champion Kirk Gibbs, who joins the Altherm JCR Yamaha team for this prestigious race weekend and also to defend his title in the four-round 2019 New Zealand Motocross Championship, described it as “a very crazy day weather-wise and the worst wind I have ever ridden in.”

Kayne Lamont - Woodville GP 2019`
Kayne Lamont – Woodville GP 2019

Despite the conditions Gibbs managed to score two second place finishes behind Kiwi veteran and multi Woodville winner Cody Cooper. Gibbs says he got a great start in the first race, “which put me second around the first turn and right behind Cody Cooper. I kept him honest most of the race and got a little arm pump just from the lack of racing for me lately.”

He describes the second moto as a full mud race and although he got a great start, the conditions forced him to take it easy.

Maximus Purvis Woodville
Maximus Purvis – Woodville GP 2019
Kirk Gibbs

“I leaned back off down the straight because it was slippery and I wheeled and got sideways, so I had to back it down. I got into second behind Cody Cooper early and it was just trail riding because the track was really deep, one-lined and skatey. Sometimes in those conditions it’s better to play it smart. The aim is to win. Cody Cooper is such a great rider and knows how to win but I think I am in a good spot to do battle with him. It will be a battle every round because I know he wants that number 1 plate back over here and I don’t want to let it go. Also I know Kayne Lamont will be keen to get in the mix.”

The New Zealand Motocross Championship kicks off in Taranaki this weekend and Gibbs believes he is ready to take on Cooper and defend his 2018 crown.

2019 MNZ MX National Championship

  • Round 1 – Sunday 3rd February – Taranaki
  • Round 2 – Sunday 17th February – Rotorua
  • Round 3 – Sunday 24th February – Pukekohe
  • Round 4 – Sunday 10th March – Taupo

Herlings Injured

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings has broken his foot while testing in Spain and according to the team he immediately underwent surgery in an effort to get the injury in shape for the opening round of the 2019 World Motocross Championship in Argentina in 5 weeks’ time.

MXoN Herlings MX JK MXON
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff Kardas

Below is KTM’s brief official announcement

“Waiting time now for the #mxgp champion. Jeffrey Herlings suffered a crash yesterday (Friday) while training and underwent an operation on his right foot the same evening. Apparently there is no major damage to his ankle but more details and the expected recovery time for the injury will be known in the next 1-2 days. Get well soon #84.”


Anderson Injured

During a routine practice day leading up to the fourth round of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Oakland, Jason Anderson has broken his arm in two places, as well as a fractured rib after crashing his Husqvarna.

The injury required surgery and has an expected recovery time of at least eight weeks and at the time of writing his return to racing is yet to be determined.

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Anderson JK SX Anaheim
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson

“I am really bummed to have to say that I am out for an injury, I was struggling to find my groove but had high hopes of pushing forward to the podium in all of the upcoming rounds. I will be back stronger. Thank you for the support.”

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Wil Ruprecht to EnduroGP

Australian Wil Ruprecht will join reigning World E2 Champion Eero Remes in the new look Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team that will contest the 2019 World Enduro Championship (EnduroGP).

With Yamaha Racing officially abandoning their Outsiders Yamaha Team, which had represented the company in World Enduro, the Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team will be Yamaha’s unofficial representative for the 2019 season.

Wil Ruprecht has signed with the Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team for the World Enduro Championship
Wil Ruprecht

The multi-national team will be headlined by Finlands Eero Remes along with Aussie Ruprecht, Brit Alex Walton and Estonian Priit Biene in the Junior category while Swede Marcus Adielsson and Finn Hugo Svärd will make up the Youth team and Swede Patrik Andersson will be the teams World Cup Senior rider.

Joakim Johansson

“We are very happy and incredibly proud to be able to present Finnish triple and reigning world champion Eero Remes as a rider in the GP-class. We have not decided class yet, the tests of the various Yamaha models are on right now. By his side he will have Australian junior rider Wil Ruprecht who is a strong candidate in the junior-class. Wil was with us already at the last race in Germany in 2018, where he took a victory on his first day.”

The 2019 Enduro World Championship begins on 22-24 March in Germany.


2019 Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix Abandoned

BSI Speedway has announced that the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) will not be taking place in 2019 after ‘unforeseen circumstances’ forced PSE (Paul Sergeant Events) to pull out of staging the event.

The date and venue for the Australian event, which had been provisionally scheduled as the final round of the 2019 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series, was yet to be confirmed so the 2019 season will now culminate at the Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland on October 5.

BSI Speedway remains committed to bringing the event back to Australia, and is actively seeking a new local promoter to help stage the event in future years.

Torben Olsen – BSI Speedway Managing Director

“While we were eager to run an Australian SGP in 2019, we decided that we should only do so when we are confident we can deliver the quality experience expected by our SGP riders, fans and community. We were in dialogue with multiple venues for the 2019 event, and look to continue further discussions with Ipswich in particular with a view to hopefully bringing a fantastic SGP event back to Australia as soon as possible.”


2019 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 relocated to Toowoomba

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised all competitors and teams entered into the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) racing season that the location of Round 1 and 2 at Gympie, Queensland (QLD) will be relocated.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the opening rounds of the 2019 Championship have been relocated to Toowoomba, QLD and will be held March 9-10. To ensure the least amount of disruption to riders and teams alike, the competition has been amended to continue successfully incorporating the state of QLD into the Championship whilst also making a conscious effort to minimise the necessary distance to travel.

AORC Dungog Juniors start
AORC Dungog

Moving slightly South to Toowoomba, riders will be presented with picturesque backdrops contrasted by the challenges of the Great Dividing Range and its Western slopes. Both days will still feature continuous sprints where riders will race against the clock as they race to come out on top. Further information on the round and accommodation can be found on the competitor information page of the AORC website.

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au