The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship concluded over the weekend at the 2019 Ironman National, where Adam Cianciarulo and Dylan Ferrandis battled it out for the 250 title, with Cianciarulo carrying in a 30-point lead.
Adam Cianciarulo – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
When all was said and done, Cianciarulo made life easy on himself by clinching his first professional title at the conclusion of the opening moto, with Dylan Ferrandis sweeping the round with a 1-1 result for the overall win.
Cianciarulo’s championship campaign was highlighted by his consistency, in which he finished on the overall podium at all 12 rounds. That’s the first time a champion has accomplished such a feat since Eli Tomac won the title during the 2013 season.
Adam Cianciarulo – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Cianciarulo becomes the 31st different champion in the 250 Class, and also ends a six-year drought for his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki squad, the team with the most wins in class history with 11 championships.
Adam Cianciarulo
“It’s been a journey, for sure. Like I’ve said, when I was a kid I knew I’d be here [winning championships], but then things got taken from me and I didn’t know if I could anymore. I would have rather gone through what I went through to get to this point, because it made me a better human. I’ve learned so much about myself and I’ve had to grow. The [adversity] has catapulted me into doing something I didn’t think I could do, which is win this outdoor title. I’ll hold onto this forever. No one can ever take this from me.”
Adam Cianciarulo – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Cianciarulo ended the season with a 20-point margin over Ferrandis, while Cooper completed the championship podium in third, 58 points out from the lead.
In the 450s Eli Tomac claimed top honours at the Ironman National with a 3-1 result to Ken Roczen’s 2-3, while Zach Osborne was third (5-2). The final tally saw Eli Tomac on 521-points to Ken Roczen (463), with Marvin Musquin third on 451.
Eli Tomac – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Aussie Hunter Lawrence injured himself in training, sharing on social media that it appears to be a torn ACL, meniscus and mild sprain to the MCL, with a focus on rehabilitation and getting back to 100 per cent for next season.
His brother Jett Lawrence brought home a 12th place result in Race 1, with a 14th place in Race 2, for 13th overall.
Jett Lawrence – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
450 Race 1
The first 450 Class moto saw Ken Roczen and Joey Savatgy battle side-by-side coming to the holeshot, with Savatgy just narrowly getting the advantage. However, Roczen pushed his Honda into the lead immediately and looked to open a gap on the field. Behind the lead pair, newly crowned champion Eli Tomac slotted into third aboard his Kawasaki, while Marvin Musquin gave chase from fourth.
Ken Roczen – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
The Kawasaki teammates engaged in a battle for second for a couple laps and kept Roczen within reach throughout. Eventually, Tomac made the move around Savatgy, which allowed him to settle into a rhythm to try and close in on the lead. A couple laps later Musquin got by Savatgy for third and began his quest to track down his primary rivals up front.
The leaders found themselves mired in lapped traffic early on, which ultimately played a significant role as the moto continued. Tomac successfully closed in on Roczen and applied heavy pressure for the lead, but lapped riders put some distance between them and also allowed Musquin to close in from third.
Eli Tomac – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Throughout the second half of the moto the top three sat within mere bike lengths of one another in what became the most competitive moto of the entire season. Lapped traffic continued to alter the pace of all three riders, which saw the distance between each of them fluctuate each and every lap.
With mere minutes left in the moto, Musquin was able to take advantage of Tomac’s pass on a lapper to dive to the inside and steal second. He then chased Roczen for a lap before making another impressive pass as they came to take the 2-lap board. Once by, Musquin was able to establish a bit of a gap on Roczen, but the German battled back on the final lap.
Marvin Musquin – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
He attempted to make a pass on the final turn, but Musquin prevailed with an impressive moto win that saw him move from third to first in a matter of two laps. Roczen finished second, seven tenths back, while Tomac followed in third. Savatgy earned a career-best moto finish in fourth, with Zach Osborne fifth.
450 Race 2
The 24th and final moto for the 450 Class began with Savatgy once again claiming the holeshot, followed closely by Osborne and Musquin. As they battled for the position behind Savatgy, Osborne and Musquin came together which caused Musquin to crash. He was unable to return to the race, ending both his hopes of victory and securing the runner-up spot in the final championship standings.
Joey Savatgy – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Savatgy carried on out front, and Tomac was able to fight his way up to second. However, all attention was on Roczen as the German stormed his way from fourth to second before the completion of the opening lap.
He continued to push and made the pass on Savatgy on the following lap. Tomac gave chase and was able to pass his teammate for second, while Osborne eventually dropped Savatgy off the podium with a pass for third.
Eli Tomac – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Much like the first moto, Tomac closed in on Roczen and the two multi-time champions traded fast laps, separated by just a handful of bike lengths. Osborne stayed close to keep the lead duo honest.
With 10 minutes left in the moto Tomac attempted to mount a challenge, trying alternate lines in his search for a way around. After a few laps Tomac’s persistence paid off and he made the move by the German.
Ken Roczen – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
That opened the door for Osborne to apply pressure on Roczen from third. The rookie 450 Class rider made the pass happen and gave chase for the lead. Tomac dropped the hammer in the closing stages of the moto and stormed to his 11th moto win of the season by 8.1 seconds over Osborne. Roczen held on to finish third.
It’s the sixth overall victory of the season for Tomac (3-1), and the 23rd of his career, which gives him sole possession of fourth on the all-time 450 Class wins list.
Eli Tomac – P1
“Even though the title was clinched it was still a fun day. We came in here with the plan to do the same thing. The mindset was to attack. The first lap [in Moto 2] was chaos with Marv [Musquin’s crash] and then Kenny [Roczen] got by. He’s just so good in the early laps. I was able to stay on him and then got by. What a day and what a year.”
Eli Tomac – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Roczen finished in the runner-up spot overall (2-3), while Osborne’s strong performance in the final moto landed him third (5-2).
Zach Osborne – P3
“It’s super nice to end on a high with the last race of the season and carry some decent momentum into the Motocross of Nations,” Osborne said. “I’m on a bike that I feel really, really good about and I think that Jason [Anderson] and I have a really good plan to go over there and continue our success from the season. All-in-all, a really good rookie 450 season.”
Zach Osborne – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Tomac ended the season with the largest championship margin of his three titles at 58 points over Roczen, who surpassed Musquin in the final standings. Musquin, who finished ninth (1-40), rounds out the championship podium in third, 70 points behind Tomac.
Justin Barcia – P5
“In the first moto, I got to a pretty good start but struggled a little bit. I just couldn’t get a good flow on the track, so I was a little bit frustrated with my ride. We made some bike changes before the second moto, and it definitely made a positive change. It showed because I charged the whole moto and nearly caught up to the podium position at the end of the race. All in all, it was a good ride. We had a good day. All that hard work started paying off at the end of the season. I’m sad that it’s over now, but we’ll just keep working on getting ready for the Monster Cup and the upcoming Supercross season.”
Justin Barcia – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Jason Anderson – P6
“I feel like it was a very mediocre day, but all-in-all I’m happy to come out of the season healthy. Now we’ll look ahead to Motocross of Nations. I’m looking forward to going over there and ripping it up!”
Jason Anderson – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Dean Wilson – P7
“Today was a good effort for me, both races I pushed to the checkered and tried my best. This a track that I struggle with, so to end the season on that note, it’s okay for me. I’m healthy and looking forward to 2020.”
Dean Wilson – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Marvin Musquin – P9
“In the first moto, I charged hard to get around [Eli] Tomac and the lap after I passed [Ken] Roczen and it was just awesome. To me, it was the best moto of the year. In the second moto, I was maybe charging too hard off the start and I came into that left-hander too hot and couldn’t slow down enough. Zach [Osborne] was ahead of me and I couldn’t avoid him and I basically landed on him in that little turn and I couldn’t avoid that. Unfortunately, I crashed and tweaked my knee so I couldn’t keep going. It was a bummer, I wanted to finish on a high note and also secure my second place in the championship, but unfortunately, I lost that. Right now, there’s nothing we can do for it but we’ve got some time off.”
Marvin Musquin – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
The LATEST News
Thunder Valley AMA MX falls to Roczen and Cianciarulo
Russell wins New York GNCC
Yamaha dominates Dutch Masters
Mees wins Lexington Red Mile
Jarvis wins Erzberg
Zmarzlik wins Slovenian FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Duffy wins Manjimup 15000
RecoveR8: Naming rights sponsor for 2019 Australian ISDE Team
Thunder Valley AMA MX falls to Roczen and Cianciarulo
Denver’s Thunder Valley National provided the setting for the third round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and it was Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen who went 1-2 to earn his second 450 Class win of the season while Adam Cianciarulo made it three in a row in the 250 class.
450 Start – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
450 Report
Despite the hard charging Zach Osborne earning the holeshot Roczen won the opening moto by over 30 seconds over Osborne and Cooper Webb while Jason Anderson and Eli Tomac pushing Dean Ferris from fourth to sixth in the dying laps. But the ride of the moto came from Marvin Musquin who crashed after being pushed off the track in the second turn by Justin Barcia but Marv bounced back to earn a sensational eighth place finish from dead last.
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
It is also worth noting that Tomac had to stop for new goggles when his tear off system failed while Todd Waters came from way back to a credible 14th place finish.
The final moto of the day saw Webb get the holeshot over Roczen, Blake Baggett, Musquin and Tomac with Ferris sitting in ninth and Waters just inside the top 20 but it didn’t take long before Roczen was in the lead and stretching it out.
Eli Tomac – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Tomac had his work cut out for him but he eventually got around the three KTMs of Baggett, Musquin and Webb to cement second place. It then took another 15 minutes to catch and pass Roczen for the lead and the eventual win by 9.1 seconds. Tomac took the win ahead of Roczen while Musquin, Osborne, Anderson, Barcia, Baggett, Webb, Ferris and Justin Bogle rounded out the top ten. Waters finished 14th.
Todd Waters – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen’s 1-2 effort easily gave him his second overall victory of the season while Tomac’s second-moto win vaulted him to second overall ahead of Osborne who earned his first 450 Class podium result in third.
Ken Roczen
“I tried all the way through [to the second moto finish]. [Tomac] was just quicker in the end there. The good thing was I didn’t let him get away. I almost got together with a lapper there coming to the white flag. He crashed right in front of me. It definitely got rougher in the second moto, for sure, but we did exactly what we needed to do to get the overall [win].”
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
With the win, Roczen holds a two-point lead over Tomac, while Osborne moved into third, 26 points out of the lead as the whole series takes a week off.
As for the Aussies, Ferris earned a lot of brownie points by holding down fourth place for the majority of the opening moto before backing that up with a solid ninth in the second moto for eighth overall, to also sit eighth in the points. Waters is suffering from poor starts but he continually puts his privateer Husqvarna inside the top 15 to now sit 14th in the points – hats off to both riders.
Dean Ferris – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Dean Ferris
“Big improvements for me today, I got two reasonably good starts and kind of got pulled along with the big group. We made improvements with the bike. I’m somewhat comfortable now and feel like we’re getting the train on the tracks now for the rest of the season. The conditions were demanding, the track was really rutted and rough as usual, but I liked it. I’m definitely really happy about the improvements we made and the result this weekend. It’s something to build on.”
450 Podium 1) Roczen, 2) Tomac, 3) Osborne – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
450 Overall
Ken Roczen 1-2
Eli Tomac 5-1
Zachary Osborne 2-4
Jason Anderson 4-5
Marvin Musquin 8-3
Cooper Webb 3-8
Blake Baggett 7-7
Dean Ferris 6-9
Justin Barcia 11-6
Justin Bogle 10-10
Cole Seely 9-12
Justin Hill 12-11
Fredrik Noren 15-13
Todd Waters 14-14 …32. Cody Cooper 30-29
450 Points after Round 3 of 12
Ken Roczen – 136
Eli Tomac – 134
Zach Osborne – 110
Marvin Musquin – 107
Jason Anderson – 106
Cooper Webb – 98
Justin Barcia – 77
Dean Ferris – 69
Justin Bogle – 63
Blake Baggett – 61
Cole Seely – 59
Justin Hill – 51
Fredrik Noren – 46
Todd Waters – 46
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
250 Class Report
The first 250 Class moto of the afternoon saw RJ Hampshire, Cianciarulo, Justin Cooper, Colt Nichols and Dylan Ferrandis all going toe-to-toe but there was no stopping Cooper. He blew by Cianciarulo and Hampshire to take the lead by the end of lap three but then the rain started to fall and Cianciarulo soon moved to second.
250 Start – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Cianciarulo began chipping away at his deficit to Cooper as they battled both the rain and lapped traffic but it was obvious that Cianciarulo was the fastest rider on the track before race officials were forced to bring the moto to an end due to lightning. This handed Cooper the win ahead of Cianciarulo. Ferrandis, Michael Mosiman and Hampshire while the Aussie duo of Hunter Lawrence and Wilson Todd finished 10th and 14th respectively.
Adam Cianciarulo – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Cooper earned the holeshot in moto two over Cianciarulo, Jordan Smith and Nichols but the top two soon gapped the field with Cianciarulo continually using wide lines to try and get around Cooper, which saw the championship leader briefly jump through track markers before re-joining the circuit to continue the pursuit again.
Cooper then gave up the lead after a major bobble which caused him to veer off track and onto the ground handing Cianciarulo the lead and the eventual win, well ahead of Cooper, Mossiman, Nichols and Ferrandis with Lawrence managing a credible seventh while Todd came home in 17th after a small crash mid moto.
Justin Cooper – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
With identical moto scores between them, Cianciarulo (2-1) and Cooper (1-2) ended up tied for the overall win, but by virtue of his second-moto triumph, his third straight, Cianciarulo earned the tiebreaker to capture his third consecutive overall victory. Cooper settled for his third runner-up finish in a row, while Mosiman (4-3) earned the first overall podium result of his career on a breakthrough afternoon.
Six points still separate Cianciarulo and Cooper in the 250 Class standings, while Ferrandis, who finished fourth (3-5), remains third, 33 points out of the lead.
Adam Cianciarulo
“That was a great [final] moto. Justin [Cooper] has been riding so good lately and we’re really pushing each other so much, I’m really enjoying [the battles]. It feels incredible to get three wins in a row. We’ve been putting in so much work, so to get the season start the way we have is amazing.”
Adam Cianciarulo – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Michael Mosiman
“It feels so good to have the monkey off my back, to hit the podium and carry the confidence that brings is super awesome. We are absolutely shredding out there so to be able to run the pace is super cool, to finally get the podium is super exciting, just stoked for all of my friends, family and everyone who have been backing me all this while, this is cool.”
Michael Mosiman – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Todd had his work cut out for him in the second race after starting deep in the field. A hard working ride lifted him to 17th by race end, leaving him 15th for the round the same position he now sits in the 250 series standings.
Wilson Todd – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will observe its first off weekend of the summer next weekend, before returning to action on Saturday, June 15, with the Circle K High Point National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.
250 Podium – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
250 Overall
Adam Cianciarulo 2-1
Justin Cooper 1-2
Michael Mosiman 4-3
Dylan Ferrandis 3-5
Chase Sexton 7-6
Colt Nichols 13-4
RJ Hampshire 5-11
Hunter Lawrence 10-7
Shane McElrath 8-10
10, Jordon Smith 11-8
Garrett Marchbanks 12-9
Alex Martin 9-12
Ty Masterpool 6-16
Brandon Hartranft 16-14
Wilson Todd 14-17
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Russell Wins New York GNCC
New York hosted Round 7 of the GNCC series and it was the defending champion in Kailub Russell who secured his fourth win for 2019 once again ahead of arch rival Thad Duvall and fellow KTM rider Steward Baylor while Aussie Josh Strang struggled to ninth place.
Kaileb Russell topped the Tomahawk GNCC XC1 Open Pro Podium – Image by Ken Hill
Russell continues to lead the points by 18 over Duvall with Strang maintaining his fifth position which is unfortunately over 100 points behind Russell.
In the other classes Ben Kelly earned his seventh straight XC2 class win before Nick Davis earned his first XC3 win. Thankfully Tayla Jones got her championship back on track with a win in the WMX class to reduce her points deficit to championship leader Becca Sheet to just two – fellow Aussie Mackenzie tricker finished back in eighth.
XC1 Open Pro – Bike – Class Points
Kailub K Russell – 195
Thaddeus Duvall – 177
Steward Baylor Jr – 141
Trevor Bollinger – 127
Josh V Strang – 92
Yamaha Dominated Dutch Masters
Rhenen hosted the latest round of the Dutch Masters and it was Yamaha pilots Romain Febvre and Jago Geerts who earned the MXGP and MX2 overall wins respectively but the big news was the return to racing by defending MXGP World Champion Jeffrey Herlings who finished third overall in the MXGP class with 1-4 moto results.
Febvre went 3-1 for the overall with Arminas Jasikonis going 2–2 for second overall ahead of Herlings, Pauls Jonass and Glen Coldenhoff while Geerts continued his red-hot form to go 1-1 to earn the MX2 overall ahead of teammate Ben Watson while Roan Van De Moosdijk rounded out the podium.
MXGP Overall
Romain Febvre
Arminas Jasikonis
Jeffrey Herlings
Pauls Jonass
Glenn Coldenhoff
Petar Petrov
Lars Van Berkel
Sven Van De Mierden
Jeffrey Dewulf
Luca Nijenhuis
MX2 Overall
Jago Geerts
Ben Watson
Roan Van De Moosdijk
Henry Jacobi
Bas Vaessen
Brent Van Donick
Raivo Dankers
Adam Steery
Tom Vialle
Freek Van Der Vlist
Mees Wins Lexington Red Mile
Lexington Red Mile – American Flat Track 2019
Lexington hosted the Lexington Red Mile last weekend and it was the defending AFT champion Jared Mees who finally got his first main event win for 2019 despite being badgered by current points leader and Indian teammate Briar Bauman all of the way to the flag. Mees has now won eight of the last 12 Miles dating back to 2017’s Red Mile.
Jared Mees
“I started to get a little worried about tires. When we had that red flag, it looked like we were buzzing the tires down pretty good, so I wanted to slow the pace down a little bit and try to ease it off in the corners and keep it inline. I knew if I did that (Briar) was going to catch me. But the Indian Motorcycle has worked so good all day… it’s been so good here the last three years.”
Jared Mees – Lexington Red Mile – American Flat Track 2019
Bauman extended his perfect run of podium results in 2019.
Briar Bauman
“I can’t even put this into words. We’re leading the championship, but at the same time, I’m probably more excited than Jared is right now. This is actually my first Mile podium, and I was able to reel him in and make a race of it for the fans who stuck out the weather. I’m really excited.”
Bryan Smith managed to score the final step on the podium just ahead of Stephen Vanderkuur while Henry Wiles completed the top five.
AFT Twins Main Event Podium 1) Jared Mees, 2) Briar Bauman, 3) Bryan Smith – Red Mile 2019
Bauman continues to dominate the AFT Twins points standings at 122, but Mees now trails by only 19 points, while Brandon Robinson retains the third position with a total of 95.
AFT Twins Main Event – The Red Mile 2019
Jared Mees 25 Laps
Briar Bauman +0.056
Bryan Smith +1.143
Stephen Vanderkuur +1.329
Henry Wiles +4.086
Davis Fisher +7.250
Bronson Bauman +10.124
Robert Pearson +10.233
Jake Johnson +10.541
Jeffrey Carver Jr. +13.031
AFT Twins Standings
Briar Bauman 122
Jared Mees 103
Brandon Robinson 95
Jarod Vanderkooi 70
Henry Wiles 67
Sammy Halbert 63
Bronson Bauman 62
Jeffrey Carver Jr. 60
Robert Pearson 56
Jake Johnson 53
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
AFT Singles Report
Mikey Rush scored his first victory since joining the AFT Singles after a race long duel with Shayna Texter while Kevin Stollings earned the final podium position ahead of Dalton Gauthier, Ryan Wells, Tristen Avery and Aussie Max Whale.
Michael Rush celebrating the AFT Singles win – Red Mile 2019
The big news was championship leader Jesse Janisch who finished back in 11th which tightened up the points race considerably with Janisch still leading on 119 points, three ahead of Rush while Gautier sits on 111 points – Whale sits on 49 points and is in tenth position outright.
Mikey Rush
“I feel great, I was really, really hungry for this win; I was getting tired of second. My team worked their tails off for me. It’s a great group of people and we’re having a great time doing this. And when you’re having a great time, you’re going to win races.”
Shayna Texter
“I’m bummed. Honestly, I felt I had Mikey set up really good on that last lap, but I got a little spun up and Mikey got a killer drive. Congrats to him and his team.”
AFT Singles Main Event Podium – Red Mile 2019
AFT Singles Main Event – The Red Mile 2019
Mikey Rush 15 Laps
Shayna Texter +0.102
Kevin Stollings +2.318
Dalton Gauthier +2.331
Ryan Wells +2.349
Tristan Avery +2.400
Max Whale +3.367
Tanner Dean +3.428
Dan Bromley +3.473
Morgen Mischler +3.612
AFT Singles Standings
Jesse Janisch 119
Mikey Rush 116
Dalton Gauthier 111
Dan Bromley 100
Ryan Wells 78
Shayna Texter 66
Morgen Mischler 61
Chad Cose 61
Michael Inderbitzin
Max Whale 49
Jarvis Wins Erzberg
In what has been described as one of the toughest races in years, veteran Graham Jarvis has won the Erzberg Rodeo for the fifth time this time ahead of Manuel Lettenbichler and Mario Roman while Alfredo Gomez and Wade Young rounded out the top five. Jarvis finished with a time of 2:26:45 and Lettenbichler was just 2:09 behind.
2019 Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble
Graham Jarvis
“This feels amazing. I think this could be the most important Erzberg victory of my career. A lot of people were talking about my age, and at 44 I did have some doubts about my fitness for the full race. But I just kept my focus and kept pushing. I knew I would have work to do from the start, but the faster sections of the race, early on, never really suit me. Once I got to Carl’s Diner I started to make up time. It was different to when I walked it, and I was feeling it physically, but it went really well. I managed to lead going into Green Hell, but it was close there with Manni. I just had to keep pushing after that. It’s amazing to be a five-time Erzberg rodeo winner.”
Graham Jarvis claims victory at the 2019 Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble
Manuel Lettenbichler
“That was a tough race, but I’m super happy to finish second. I got a great start and was third behind Garcia and Walker and followed those guys into the forest. I made a small mistake, but I arrived first at Carl’s Dinner. I knew Graham was close, so I just ride as hard as I could. It was really tough in there. When Graham passed me, I did all I could to stay with him and got right onto his rear wheel in Green Hell. If I’d have got ahead of him there, well, who knows what might have happened. From there to the finish I gave everything, but I couldn’t catch Graham. I had a great race and to finish second to someone like Graham is amazing. The 25th Erzberg has been incredible, I’m so pleased to be on the podium.”
Manuel Littenbichler – 2019 Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble
Mario Roman
“So many riders crashed in front of me on the first climb after the start, so I just tried to be calm and not make any crazy mistakes. After that I started to find my rhythm, passing riders one-by-one. To finish third is a great result, I’m very happy. In Carl’s Dinner I tried to push hard there and passed Billy, Alfredo, Jonny and Wade. I knew there was still a long way to go so I rode as smart as I could. It’s amazing to be on the podium.”
Mario Roman – 2019 Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble
Taddy Blazusiak crashed early but bounced back to finish sixth ahead of Billy Bolt, Jonny Walker, Pol Tarres Roca and Travis Teasdale to round out the top ten.
Interestingly, there were three riders from Great Britain in the top ten which matched Spain while South African had two riders with Poland and Germany one each.
16 riders completed this year’s race – 2019 Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble
Red Bull Erzberg Rodeo Results 2019
Graham Jarvis, Husqvarna, Great Britain.
Manuel Lettenbichler, KTM, Germany.
Mario Roman, Sherco, Spain.
Alfredo Gomez, Husqvarna, Spain.
Wade Young, Sherco, South Africa.
Taddy Blazusiak, KTM, Poland.
Billy Bolt, Husqvarna, Great Britain.
Jonny Walker, KTM, Great Britain.
Pol Tarres Roca, Husqvarna, Spain.
Travis Teasdale, KTM, South Africa.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Zmarzlik Wins Slovenian FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Bartosz Zmarzlik has not only won the Slovenian FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Krsko last weekend he has also earned the lead in the championship, albeit tied on points with Patrick Dudack.
Zmarzlik dropped just two points on his way to a 13-point haul from his five heats before earning second in his semi final then dominating the final to earn 18 points.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“I’m very happy, this place has been a little unlucky for me before. But I can leave here and head home very happy. Today was a different day for me. I’m starting with a different setup, and my starts are not bad. But this result is now history, and I’m looking forward to the next round in Prague. All the time I was looking at Martin Vaculik and thinking where he is likely to go. I wanted to make sure the bike was that little bit faster on the straight. Everything worked, and I’m very happy to pick up the win.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik
Zmarzlik’s win has promoted him to the top of the World Championship standings, while Slovenian FIM Speedway Grand Prix runner up Martin Vaculik moved up to fourth after registering 17 points in Krsko.
Martin Vaculik
“Congratulations to Bartosz Zmarzlik, he was unbelievably fast tonight. I’m happy with how many points I registered, and I’m happy with second place too. I’m now looking forward to the next round and making sure that I deliver my best. Keeping focused is important to me.”
Tai Woffinden scored nine points to move up to eighth in the standings with 15 points – level with British compatriot Robert Lambert while Aussie Jason Doyle once again struggled to earn 6 points after five rides.
The series now moves onto its third round in two weeks’ time as Prague’s Marketa Stadium hosts the ANLAS Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix.
FIM Slovenian Speedway Grand Prix Result
Bartosz Zmarzlik 18
Martin Vaculik 17
Leon Madsen 13
Patryk Dudek 12
Emil Sayfutdinov 13
Tai Woffinden 9
Artem Laguta 9
Robert Lambert 7
Niels-Kristian Iversen 7
Janusz Kolodziej 7
Jason Doyle 6
Matej Zagar 6
Fredrik Lindgren 5
Maciej Janowski 4
Antonio Lindback 3
Matic Ivacic 2
Nick Skorja 0
SGP World Championship Standings
Bartosz Zmarzlik 28
Patryk Dudek 28
Leon Madsen 26
Martin Vaculik 24
Niels-Kristian Iversen 21
Fredrik Lindgren 20
Emil Sayfutdinov 19
Tai Woffinden 15
Robert Lambert 15
Artem Laguta 13
Matej Zagar 13
Antonio Lindback 13
Jason Doyle 11
Janusz Kolodziej 11
Bartosz Smektala 10
Maciej Janowski 4
Max Fricke 3
Matic Ivacic 2
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Duffy Wins Manjimup 15000
Local gun Regan Duffy has won the 2019 Manjimup 15000 which was held at the iconic circuit last weekend and in doing so has put his name among some of the legends of the sport.
Kirk Gibbs – 2019 Manjimup 15000
Duffy spectacularly won the opening moto from Kyle Webster, Hayden Mellross, Luke Clout and Kirk Gibbs but then back it up with a second place behind Gibbs in moto two then a third in moto three behind Gibbs and Webster.
Luke Clout – 2019 Manjimup 15000
Duffy’s 1-2-3 moto score put him one point ahead of Gibbs’ 5-1-1 score while Webster earned the final podium spot with 2-6-2 moto finishes – American Kyle Cunningham was fourth ahead of Mellross.
Kirk Gibbs
“It was another good day here at Manjimup and I always love coming here as it’s a great place to race. The first race fifth was the down fall for me as over coming that point gap in a three race format is tough when the other riders were pretty consistent. Still, it was pleasing to be able to race at a good level so quickly after my shoulder injury and it still feels good at the end of the day on a demanding track. A huge thanks to the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team for making this happen as its never easy to race on the other side of the country and also to the Manjimup club and event organisers as this event is always a highlight for me and I love racing here in front of such an enthusiastic crowd.”
RecoveR8 has earned the naming rights to the 2019 Australian ISDE Team and the new Australian owned sport supplement is set to make its mark on the Australian motorsport scene.
With RecoveR8 officially making its global launch at the Tatts Finke Desert Race Pit Party this Friday the 7th June, Motorcycling Australia (MA) is thrilled to confirm the all new RecoveR8 partnership.
RecoveR8 announced as 2019 Australian ISDE team naming sponsor
The RecoveR8 Australian ISDE Team will jet off to Portimao, Portugal for the 42nd edition of the ISDE later this year, with Day One of racing commencing on 11th November. Over six days, our 10 Australian competitors will go head to head with riders from over 30 nations, traversing 1,500 kilometres in pursuit of yet another impressive result.
Kevin Williams – RecoveR8 General Manager
“We’ve seen the success of the Australian ISDE team over a number of years. When the opportunity came up to be the naming sponsor for the team, we jumped at it. Team Australia have to back it up six days in a row, and this product is designed for recovering and rejuvenating, so the match was certainly made in heaven.”
2019 Australian World Trophy team member, Daniel Milner, who is also a Recover8 international brand ambassador, says “RecoveR8 is a part of my everyday program. It’s helped eliminate 95% of my arm pump and I’m always feeling good, and able to back it up the second day.
Daniel Milner
MA’s Operations Director, Martin Port, is thrilled with the partnership with RecoveR8. “This new partnership between MA and RecoveR8 demonstrates our commitment to developing and supporting Australia’s Off-Road motorcycling community. The addition of RecoveR8 to the Australian ISDE family will help raise the profile of our talented riders, whilst also encouraging emerging competitors, male and female, to participate in events such as the Australian Off-Road Championship.”
RecoveR8’s website will be launched this Friday 7th June, during their official launch at the Tatts Finke Desert Race.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Ken Roczen has taken top honours at Round 3 of the AMA Pro Motocross and in doing so claimed the lead from Eli Tomac. In the 250 class it was Adam Cianciarulo who took the win from Justin Cooper, with each taking a win and a second place, but with Cianciarulo coming out on top to continue his winning streak, and holding onto the 250 standings lead.
2019 Thunder Valley National MX
The mile-high altitude of the greater Denver area provided the setting for Round 3 of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, and was also the landmark 15th running of the Thunder Valley National at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park. The highest professional motocross track in the world, at an elevation of 6108 feet, provides a unique challenge to the world’s best riders.
Dean Ferris – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Dean Ferris lead the Aussies in the 450 class with a 6-9 result for eighth overall, while Todd Waters was 14th, with the same result in both motos. New Zealand’s Cody Cooper was 32nd with a 30-29 result. Dean Ferris currently sits eighth in the standings.
Hunter Lawrence – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
In the 250s Hunter Lawrence recorded a 10-7 for eighth overall, while Wilson Todd was 15th with a 14-17. Hunter Lawrence is now ninth in the standings.
450 Class
The opening 450 Class moto followed a brief thunderstorm at the track and it presented riders with a much different racing surface than what they’d previously been competing on. When the gate dropped rookie Zach Osborne grabbed his first holeshot over Roczen and Cooper Webb.
450 Start – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
As Osborne looked to assert himself in the lead for the first time in his 450 Class career he came under fire from Roczen, who let it fly on the track’s biggest and longest downhill descent to surge into the top spot. With the clear track, Roczen upped his pace and was able to establish a multi-second gap over field at the completion of the opening lap.
Behind this battle, entering point leader and reigning back-to-back champion Eli Tomac was forced to fight his way from outside the top 10 aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki. The Colorado native was in the mix in the top five off the start, but a crash by Marvin Musquin briefly held Tomac up and forced him to lose valuable track position.
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen was able to continue to add to his advantage, which left Osborne and Webb to settle into second and third, respectively. Without much action up front, the focus turned to Tomac and his quest to climb up the running order. He successfully broke into the top 10, but then encountered an issue with his goggles, which slowed his pace and saw him lose a position.
Tomac elected to make quick pit stop in the mechanics area to get new goggles and returned to the track in the thick off the battle for 10th place. He easily cleared Musquin and Justin Hill and made a push to gain more positions in the waning moments of the moto.
Eli Tomac – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen rode to a dominant and uneventful moto victory, his second of the season, by 35.4 seconds over Osborne. Webb rode to his best moto result of the season in third, with Anderson fourth and Tomac able to salvage a hard-fought fifth.
450 Start – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
The deciding 450 Class moto saw Webb edge out Blake Baggett for the holeshot and surge out to the early lead. Roczen, who started third, was able to get around Baggett and quickly attacked Webb for the lead. Webb withstood the initial pass attempt and carried on to lead the opening lap.
Behind them Musquin engaged in a fierce battle with Baggett for third, with the two riders swapping the position. The Frenchman gained the upper hand as they started the next lap, while their battle allowed Tomac to close in from fifth.
Marvin Musquin & Eli Tomac – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen stalked Webb throughout the next lap and eventually made the pass happen. Just like in the first moto, Roczen took full advantage of the clear track to establish a multi-second lead. Tomac began a determined charge from fifth that carried him around Baggett, then around Musquin into third.
He was able to close in on Webb for second and made the pass for the position in the exact same spot where Roczen took the lead. Once Tomac found his way into the runner-up spot he and Roczen were separated by about four seconds. Webb continued to lose ground and gave up third to his teammate Musquin, and later dropped another spot to a hard-charging Osborne.
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Tomac continued to chip away at the gap to Roczen, and a battle for the lead began with about 10 minutes left in the moto. Tomac easily got within a bike length of Roczen, but found it difficult to make the pass.
Tomac was able to show a wheel to Roczen in a few turns, but the German was able to fend him off on numerous occasions. With the home crowd passionately cheering him on, Tomac finally found his way into the lead and quickly distanced himself from Roczen.
Jason Anderson – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Tomac carried on to his fourth moto win of the season, 9.1 seconds ahead of Roczen. Musquin followed in a distant third.
Roczen’s 1-2 effort easily gave him his second overall victory and the 16th win of his career, which puts him into a tie for eighth on the all-time list. Tomac’s second-moto win vaulted him into the runner-up spot (5-1), while Osborne earned his first 450 Class podium result in third (2-4).
Ken Roczen – P1
“I tried all the way through [to the second moto finish]. [Tomac] was just quicker in the end there. The good thing was I didn’t let him get away,” said Rozen. “I almost got together with a lapper there coming to the white flag. He crashed right in front of me. It definitely got rougher in the second moto, for sure, but we did exactly what we needed to do to get the overall [win].”
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
With the win, Roczen also reclaimed control of the points lead for the second time this season. He holds a two-point lead over Tomac, while Osborne moved into third, 26 points out of the lead.
Zach Osborne – P3
“It was a pretty solid day, to get third in qualifying and then 2-4 in the motos for third overall, I feel pretty good about it. I feel like I didn’t ride to my peak today but I’m going to work on finding a little bit more speed and continuing to move forward from here.”
Zach Osborne – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Jason Anderson – P4
“I’m happy to be leaving Colorado with 4-5 finishes, that’s the most points I’ve ever scored here. I’ll move on and try to be better for the next one at High Point.”
Jason Anderson – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Marvin Musquin – P5
“It was a rough start of the day for the motos and I gave my best to come back to eighth in the first moto. Those guys out front were fast, so to catch more than that, it was difficult. I put myself in a better position to fight for the podium and the win in the second moto. Something clicked a little bit and then my riding was better – I had better lines and better flow. We improved the bike a little bit for the second moto and that was the positive.”
Marvin Musquin – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Cody Webb – P6
“It was a tough day in Colorado. I struggled a little bit in practice so it was nice to get on the podium in Moto 1. In Moto 2, I made a bike change that wasn’t good at all and I really struggled. It was a tough day but we have two weeks now to try to get better and start the east coast nationals off on a better note.”
Cody Webb – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
The season has been one of learning and adjusting for Ferris, but he has also been eager to put his talent to the test. In the opening moto, he nearly grabbed the holeshot and was in the mix for over half of the race running in fourth. Near the end he fell back to sixth, but that still gave Ferris his best moto finish of the season. In Moto 2, it was more of an uphill battle as he pushed inside the top 10. Ferris would eventually make it up to ninth, giving him a 6-9 score for eighth overall.
Dean Ferris – P8
“Big improvements for me today. I got two reasonably good starts and kind of got pulled along with the big group. We made improvements with the bike. I’m somewhat comfortable now and feel like we’re getting the train on the tracks now for the rest of the season. The conditions were demanding, the track was really rutted and rough as usual, but I liked it. I’m definitely really happy about the improvements we made and the result this weekend. It’s something to build on.”
Dean Ferris – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Justin Barcia – P9
“It was a tough day for me. I went back to Florida this week and came down with some kind of sickness. I don’t really know what it was but I had really bad migraines all week and struggled with that. I didn’t get a lot of sleep. It was difficult. I wasn’t feeling good the first moto at all and unfortunately it showed. That was really frustrating. In the second moto I felt a little bit better, kind of regrouped, got a little energy and put it all out there. All in all, I was happy with my bike settings and stuff like that. It seems like I’ve been making some progress, but it really hasn’t shown at the moment. I just need to use this off-week coming up to do a little testing, get healthy and go to the East Coast. That’s when I plan on really moving forward and turning it on.”
Justin Barcia – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Todd Waters took 14-14 results on his Husqvarna for the same position overall, and holds 46 championship points for 14th in the standings. Cody Cooper went 30-29.
Todd Waters – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
450 Results Thunder Valley National
450 Podium 1) Ken Roczen, 2) Eli Tomac, 3) Zach Osborne – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
The LATEST News
Arizona AFT Super TT falls to JD Beach
Webb and Sexton Top the Podium at East Rutherford SX
Upton Wins Gascoyne Dash
Doyle headlines FIM Speedway of Nations Race Off 2
Murray Bridge Double Header This Weekend
Victoria, ACT and WA Host Championship Rounds
Weekly Up-Date on Our Aussies Abroad
Arizona AFT Super TT falls to JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07 rider JD Beach pulled off an improbable come-from-behind victory to claim his first-career American Flat Track premier class win in last Saturday night’s thrilling Super TT at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.
AFT Twins head to the Arizona Super TT – Image by Scott Hunter
AFT Twins Report
Throughout the day it was the points leader Briar Bauman on his Indian who logged the fastest laps around the twisting and undulating Super TT circuit and he appeared well on his way to a seemingly effortless victory deep into the 25-lap Main Event but the determined Beach slowly reeled his quarry in and finally positioned himself to attack with just two laps remaining.
2019 Arizona Super TT – AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter
Beach, a multi-time national road racing champion made his move up the inside entering Turn 2 and pulled clear from there to at last complete the long-awaited breakthrough win ahead of Bauman and the defending champion Jared Mees (Indian) whom in turn got the nod over the Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Indian) and Jake Johnson (MT-07).
2019 Arizona Super TT – AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter
JD Beach
“It’s amazing. This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. We’ve been close before but never quite got it. To ride the race that I did — to be back from Briar like that and catch him and pass him with two to go — was awesome. I’ve just got to thank the whole team. We’ve definitely had our highs and lows this year so far. They’ve worked so hard. It’s a great feeling, but we’ve still got a lot of rounds to go and a lot of work to do. We’ll have some fun tonight and get back to work tomorrow.”
JD Beach – Image by Scott Hunter
Bauman could take solace in the fact that he continued his perfect podium record on the season and extended his title lead to 18 points after four rounds.
Briar Bauman
“I had nothing for him. He came by me like I was tied to a tree… The bike was great all night. I thought I was in a pretty good position. I got the start and did everything right. The only problem is JD Beach came, so here we are in second.”
2019 Arizona Super TT – AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter
Arizona Super TT – AFT Twins Main Event
JD Beach Yamaha MT-07
Briar Bauman Indian FTR750 +2.244
Jared Mees Indian FTR750 +19.026
Jeffrey Carver Jr. Indian FTR750 +23.610
Jake Johnson Yamaha MT-07 +23.907
Bronson Bauman Indian FTR750 +35.266
Kayl Kolkman Yamaha MT-07 +35.896
Brandon Robinson Indian FTR750 +36.052
Sammy Halbert Harley-Davidson XG750R +40.515
Larry Pegram Indian FTR750 +1 Lap
2019 Arizona Super TT – AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter
AFT Twin Standings
Briar Bauman 82
Jared Mees 64
Brandon Robinson 64
Henry Wiles 51
Jarod Vanderkooi 51
Jeffrey Carver Jr. 44
Sammy Halbert 44
Jake Johnson 43
Larry Pegram 42
Bronson Bauman 37
Jared Mees – 2019 Arizona Super TT – AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter
AFT Singles Report
TT specialist Jesse Janisch and his Yamaha YZ450 upped his AFT Singles win streak to three with a wire-to-wire victory in Saturday night’s undercard Main Event over Dalton Gauthier and Ryan Wells.
Arizona Super TT – AFT Singles – Image by Scott Hunter
Janisch found himself under heavy pressure throughout the Main Event courtesy of points leader Dalton Gauthier who threw everything he had into one final strike at the chequered flag, pulling alongside Janisch as they two exited the race’s last corner and powered up the decisive jump with Janisch holding on by a scant 0.105 seconds at the line.
Arizona Super TT – AFT Singles – Image by Scott Hunter
Jesse Janisch
“This race was so much about the start. These guys were flying all day… I just tried running clean laps. Roof Systems Dallas TX got me off to a great start, and I was trying to watch the monitor and I saw Dalton right on me. But they kept going to a different battle, and I wanted to see where Dalton was at! He was really coming on that last lap.”
Jesse Janisch – Arizona Super TT – AFT Singles – Image by Scott Hunter
2016 AFT Singles champion Ryan Wells came home third ahead of Mikey Rush and Dan Bromley while Aussie Max Whale who was still feeling the effects of last weekend’s crash struggled home to 16th but he maintains a top ten position in the points.
Arizona Super TT – AFT Singles – Image by Scott Hunter
Arizona Super TT – AFT Singles Main Event
Jesse Janisch Yamaha YZ450F
Dalton Gauthier Husqvarna FC450 +0.105
Ryan Wells Yamaha YZ450F +3.324
Mikey Rush Honda CRF450R +5.822
Dan Bromley KTM 450 SX-F +6.227
Chad Cose Honda CRF450R +10.395
Cole Frederickson Honda CRF450R +10.922
Andrew Luker Kawasaki KX450F +11.236
Ben Lowe Honda CRF450R +13.251
Jacob Lehmann Honda CRF450R +13.829
Arizona Super TT – AFT Singles – Image by Scott Hunter
AFT Singles Standings
Dalton Gauthier 79
Jesse Janisch 72
Mikey Rush 63
Dan Bromley 58
Morgen Mischler 40
Oliver Brindley 38
Shayna Texter 35
Chad Cose 34
Ryan Wells 31
Max Whale 25
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Webb and Sexton Top the Podium at East Rutherford SX
On a jump infested and highly technical layout Cooper Webb has managed to win an action packed 450 main event to extend his championship lead, while Chase Sexton took over as the 250 East Coast class championship leader after winning his first main for the year.
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Report
While his teammate Marvin Musquin was avoiding being run over after crashing in the first corner, Webb grabbed the holeshot from Zach Osborne and Eli Tomac, but before the opening lap was complete Tomac had moved to second and was right on the rear wheel of Webb.
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by HoppenworldAMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
After a few attempts Eli was finally able to get to the lead and reminiscent to his Vegas performance in 2017 Tomac was looking to unsettle Webb as he slowed in several sections before cutting down to a tighter line through some of the corners but the Kawasaki rider finally cleared his thoughts to establish a small lead.
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
In fact, it looked like Eli would pull away for the win until he got cross rutted and went down in the whoops to drop back to fourth behind Webb, Osborne and Blake Baggett. Osborne caught up to Webb to make the pass for the lead so it this stage Zach led ahead of Webb, Baggett and a fast closing Tomac but then Baggett crashed and Osborne rode straight up a right hand berm which gave the lead back to Webb.
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
The atmosphere was electric as Tomac caught all the way up to Webb but an identical crash in the whoops dropped him back to third and that is the way they stayed to the line with Webb winning over Osborne, Tomac and Baggett.
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
With one race left, Web has a 23-point lead over Tomac while Musquin, who came into the race as the only other rider besides Tomac within striking distance of his teammate salvaged a fifth after his crash to now trails Webb by 31 points so he is no longer in championship contention.
Cooper Webb
“The win is a great momentum booster for me. Having another win for me and the team that works so hard is awesome, but anything can happen, as we saw tonight, but it is nice to come in with a bigger lead. I felt like crap all day and all week, so to be out here at all was great, the goal was a top five, so to come away with a win was incredible.”
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
Zach Osborne
“It’s been a long gruelling road to get back, I felt great in the off season, had a really good bike and one tiny mistake took me out of the first six rounds but it is finally coming back to me, we completely changed the bike in the off week and I felt a lot more comfortable in the whoops. In the main event I got off to a good start and after getting beaten up in the past I decided to just send it which I did for a couple of laps then made the pass for the lead – it was a really good race for me.”
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac
“I had to have a chuckle about it, I mean, I did the exact thing twice (crash twice in the same spot), I mean, how do you even do that? We were going triple into the whoops and I was leaning a little too far to the right, got cross rutted and then went into the same tuff block, the same tip over, it’s like a replay. I could have got away with one of those but the second one really did me in.”
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Main Event Results
Cooper Webb
Zach Osborne
Eli Tomac
Blake Baggett
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen
Joey Savatgy
Joshua Grant
Cole Seely
Justin Hill
450SX Main Event Podium – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
450SX Points after 16 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 358
Eli Tomac – 335
Marvin Musquin – 327
Ken Roczen – 300
Blake Baggett – 274
Dean Wilson – 223
Joey Savatgy – 208
Cole Seely – 194
Justin Bogle – 158
Justin Barcia – 154
Chad Reed – 151
Justin Brayton – 151
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
250 East Coast Report
After the injured championship leader Austin Forkner made his way to the main event with a far from convincing fourth place in his heat race it was Alex Martin who grabbed the early lead in the main event ahead of Martin Davalos, Sexton and Forkner.
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
Austin slammed by Sexton for third but he was soon in second behind his teammate Davalos after Martin slid out so it looked like things were going the way of Forkner BUT a flat landing before the wall jump caused him to re-aggravate his knee and take him out of the race.
When Austin pulled off, Sexton inherited second place and later he took over the lead from a struggling Davalos who would also surrender second and third to the Yamaha duo of Mitchell Oldenburg and Justin Cooper, so the win went to Sexton over Oldenburg, Cooper and Davalos.
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
With just the final East/West shootout at Las Vegas to go next weekend Sexton has inherited/earned a nine-point lead over Cooper with Forkner a further 13-points back. The 250 West Coast series is similarly placed with Adam Cianciarulo holding an 8-point lead over Dylan Ferrandis heading into Vegas so the combined final is going to be very interesting indeed.
Chase Sexton
“We have made a lot of bike changes from the beginning of the season, it is pretty crazy when you compare what I was riding back then to now, it has made a big difference and I have just been trying to put in my laps but I felt really good out there tonight, it feels awesome to be fastest qualifier, win my heat then the main, it’s been a long time and it feels great.”
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
Mitchell Oldenburg
“It has been a tough physically and mentally but everyone around me has believed in me so this feels great, I felt awesome tonight, comfortable and it’s been a long couple of years but we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Justin Cooper
“We struggled with suspension but we did our best and I felt really good in the heat where I got into second and started putting in my laps before I ended up jumping into the hay bales and it all went downhill from there because I didn’t feel myself in the main event but not taking any credit from these guys, they are riding awesome.”
AMA Supercross Round 16 – East Rutherford – Image by Hoppenworld
250 East Coast Main Event Results
Chase Sexton
Mitchell Oldenburg
Justin Cooper
Martin Davalos
Brandon Hartranft
Kyle Peters
Alex Martin
Jordan Bailey
Lorenzo Locurcio
Anthony Rodriguez …22. Austin Forkner
250SX Main Event Podium – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
250 East Coast Points after 8 of 9 Rounds
Chase Sexton – 174
Justin Cooper – 165
Austin Forkner – 152
Martin Davalos – 134
Mitchell Oldenburg – 128
Alex Martin –121
Brandon Hartranft – 118
Kyle Peters – 115
Kyle Cunningham – 108
Jordon Bailey – 91
250 West Coast Points after 9 of 10 Rounds
Adam Cianciarulo – 208
Dylan Ferrandis – 200
Colt Nichols – 163
RJ Hampshire – 145
James Decotis – 128
Michael Mosiman – 128
Cameron McAdoo – 128
Shane McElrath – 123
Chris Blose – 119
Garrett Marchbanks – 100
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Upton wins Gascoyne Dash
Easter weekend saw defending champion Cody Upton win the Gascoyne Dash which has competitors racing from the WA coastal town of Carnarvon to the outback oasis of Gascoyne Junction and back.
Cody Upton wins the 2019 Gascoyne Dash
Upton lead a field of 32 bikes and 19 quads away for the Prologue but it was KTM rider James McCarthy, stopping the clock some 13 seconds ahead of fellow KTM Rider Thomas O’Connell, with the Yamaha of Alex Moore rounding out the outright podium while the leading quad was ATV MX convert, Luke Gaisford on his Honda.
The first day of the main event saw the field race east approximately 205 kilometres from coastal Carnarvon to the outback oasis of Gascoyne Junction and it was Upton who managed to take the win. The defending champ not only faced stiff opposition from his fellow competitors and the tough terrain on the race home, he would also have to overcome a broken left hand thanks to a rock thrown from a competitor’s bike on the run to Gascoyne Junction.
Luke Gaisford took the Quad win
While not able to match the pace that he set on day one, Upton was able to do just enough to lead the Moto field home ahead of McCarthy, Moore and O’Connell while Jye Schaap, Damon Meyer, Luke Thomson, Cameron Smart, Michael Lough and Andrew Somers rounded out the top ten.
Amongst the hotly contested quad category, ATV MX specialist Luke Gaisford powered home from the Junction to win his first desert enduro. Finishing 15th outright ahead of Blake Croonen and Colin Balshaw.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Doyle headlines FIM Speedway of Nations Race Off 2
World champions Tai Woffinden and Jason Doyle lead a stellar field for the FIM Speedway of Nations Race Off 2 in Manchester on May 11 as the squads and starting line-ups are confirmed.
2019 FIM Speedway of Nations Race Off 2
Reigning world #1 Woffinden captains the Lions on home shale in his first racing appearance in the UK since becoming the first Brit to win three world titles last October.
Meanwhile, 2017 FIM Speedway Grand Prix winner Doyle leads the Australian challenge. The Brits and Aussies are up against Denmark, USA, Latvia, France and Finland with three places up for grabs in the Monster Energy SON Finals at Russian race track Togliatti on July 20 and 21.
Every nation had the chance to name a squad of up to five riders – three seniors and two under-21s, with two seniors and a junior starting in Manchester. Each under-21 must take at least one ride.
Doyle teams up with Belle Vue skipper Max Fricke, who gets the nod ahead of 2012 world champion Chris Holder to race on his SGB Premiership home track. Aussie Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey serves as their junior rider, with Redcar rider Jordan Stewart the reserve under-21.
Jason Doyle at least year’s Melbourne Speedway GP – Image by Colin Rosewarne
The Finals field will also feature three nations who advance from Race Off 1 in Landshut, Germany on May 4, which sees Germany, Poland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Ukraine and Italy compete.
Race Off 2 Squads & Line-Ups (In Draw Order):
AUSTRALIA:
1 Jason Doyle (captain), 2 Max Fricke, U21 Jaimon Lidsey.
Also in squad: Chris Holder, Jordan Stewart (U21).
FINLAND:
1 Timo Lahti (captain), 2 Tero Aarnio, U21 Timi Salonen.
Also in squad: Jesse Mustonen, Niklas Sayrio (U21).
1 Niels-Kristian Iversen (captain), 2 Leon Madsen, U21 Frederik Jakobsen. Also in squad: Michael Jepsen Jensen, Patrick Hansen (U21).
GREAT BRITAIN:
1 Tai Woffinden (captain), 2 Craig Cook, U21 Robert Lambert.
Also in squad: Chris Harris, Daniel Bewley (U21).
FRANCE:
1 David Bellego (captain), 2 Dimitri Berge, U21 Gaetan Stella.
USA:
1 Austin Novratil, 2 Luke Becer (captain), U21 Broc Nicol.
Also in squad: Ricky Wells.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Murray Bridge double header this weekend
This weekend will see the first of the two ‘double header’ rounds of the 2019 Australian MX Nationals with Murray Bridge putting together two days of racing that could well see major changes in the MX1, MX2 and MXD championship classes.
MX Nationals head to Murray Bridge for Rounds 4 & 5
MX Nationals Series Promoter Kevin Williams today expressed his gratitude for the Rural City of Murray Bridge and explained that the venue is well equipped to have a full two days racing and the club are ready to welcome thousands of motocross fans.
Kevin Williams
“I’m very thankful to the Rural City of Murray Brdge for there commitment and partnership in making this event happen with Murray Bridge hosting the first of this years double header rounds, the South Coast Club have been working around the clock to make sure everything is up to a double standard and the track is well equipped to handle two days of gruelling racing.”
In the MX1 class Hayden Mellross holds on to the championship points lead by a slender 5-points over Luke Clout who in turn has a 2-point gap to Kirk Gibbs who has the exact same gap back to Todd Waters so that is less than 10 points from first to fourth which means this weekend at Murray Bridge could well shake this championship up…..or will it?
The likes of Jay Wilson, Aaron Tanti, Kyle Webster and Nathan Crawford need to pull their fingers out and stop Wilson Todd from running away with this championship – and that is going to be difficult with Wilson looking to be in a class of his own during the last two rounds to now have a 28 point lead over Wilson.
Wilson Todd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
MX2 – Championship Standings After Round 3
Wilson Todd – 170
Jay Wilson – 142
Aaron Tanti – 133
Kyle Webster – 126
Nathan Crawford – 122
Cooper Pozniak – 115
Dylan Wills – 113
Jye Dickson – 107
Riley Dukes – 103
Issac Ferguson – 93
The MXD class has been it’s usual action packed adventure for the youngsters and so far it has been Regan Duffy who has been the most consistent but Rhys Budd, Max Purvis and Mason Semmens have been on the winners pace while there are three or four other riders who are currently top ten in the points who have the speed to win motos.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Victoria, ACT and WA Host Championship Rounds
The Yamaha BluCru 2-Stroke Nationals was held at Fairburn Park last weekend as was the VSMX at Swan Hill in Victoria and the WAMX Championships at the Coastal Motocross facility.
Jai Walker won the premier YMI All-Power class at Fairburn Park over Jake Cobbin and Connor Whitney while Blake Fox (Yamaha 125cc Jnr Cup), Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha 85cc Cup), Ky Woods (Raceline 65cc Cup) and Steven Bowen (Hallman Retro Cup) took out the support classes.
Jayden Rykers (Pictured at MXN) – Image by Scottya
On a day that fielded many national riders Jayden Rykers won the premier All Powers class at Swan Hill over Erki Kahro and Ryan Shadbolt while Mason Semmens got the win over Max Purvis is the MX2 class then we saw Lewis Stewart (MX1A), Justin Carafa (Over 30s), Mike Reefman (Over 40s) and James Graham (Over 50s) win the support classes.
Coastal hosted the opening round of the WAMX championship and it was Regan Duffy who took out the MX1 class over Charlie Creech and Josh Adams before Duffy also took out the MX2 class over Corben Weinert and Dylan Hennessey while Chris Bosnakis (Quads), Hannah Bagnall (Womens) and Jacob Whatley (Amateur) won the support classes.
Over in the junior ranks the class winners were Brock Flynn, Kayden Minear, Seth Manuel, Dylan Walsh, Mason Brown, Jaylee Rimbas and Jodh McQuade.
Weekly Up-Date on Our Aussies Abroad
Jed Beaton – Rockstar Husqvarna
Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship Current Standing: 13th after Round 4 of 17 Notes: Thanks to some niggling injuries Jed sat out the opening round but has scored solid points in the next three rounds while still nursing a few aches and pains – the four week break from rounds 4 to 5 will do him no harm. The next round will be the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy on the 12th of May.
Jed Beaton
Mitch Evans – 114 Honda
Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship Current Standing: 8th after Round 4 of 17 Notes: Mitch sensationally started the season with a podium finish but since then it has been a bit of a roller coaster with great speed let down by two mechanical DNFs. The next round will be the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy on the 12th of May.
Mitch Evans
Tayla Jones – Rockstar/Husqvarna/Moose Racing/Shaw Wines
Championship: GNCC Current Standing: 1st after Round 4 of 13 Notes: Tayla has only lost one round so far this year and is looking as good as ever. Next round will be the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis on May 4 and 5
Tayla Jones competing the 2019 GNCC – Image by Ken Hill
Caleb Grothues – SDM Corse Yamaha
Championship: EMX250 Current Standings: 16th after Round 2 of 8 Notes: The former Australian and World Junior Motocross Champion rode well at the opening round but was forced to sit out the second round due to injury but the West Aussie should be back for the next round in France on the 26th of May.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Hunter Lawrence – Geico Honda
Championship: AMA Motocross Championship Current Standings: TBA Notes: Hunter was looking sharp heading into the supercross championship before he crashed right before the opening round so he is now healed and by all accounts 100% ready for the outdoors which kicks off at Hangtown on May 18.
Hunter Lawrence – MXoN 2018
Jett Lawrence – Geico Honda
Championship: TBA Current Standings: TBA Notes: Jett joined the Geico Honda amateur program for 2019 and to date he has raced a handful of events like the Mini-Os etc – as soon as he races and there are results it will be right here.
Jett Lawrence
Tahlia ‘TJ’ O’Hare – KTM DIGA Racing Team
Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship Current Standings: 13th after Round 1 of 5 Notes: Tahlia’s initiation into the world motocross scene was at the toughest track on the circuit in Valkenswaard but she managed to get through with a solid 13th but look for TJ to move up the points standings at the second round in Portugal on May 19.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Chad Reed – JGR Suzuki
Championship: AMA Supercross Current Standing: 11th after Round 16 of 17 Notes: Chad was part of a multi bike crash at Seattle when he was sitting 7th in the championship and if a few things go his way Chad will be on the line at the final round of the championship at Vegas this weekend.
Chad Reed – Image by Hoppenworld
Wil Ruprecht – Johansson MPE Yamaha
Championship: EnduroGP – Junior Class Current Standing: 2nd after Round 1 of 7. Notes: Wil proved his worth at the opening round in Germany with a solid weekend on the only Yamaha in the field. The next round will be at Valpaços in Portugal on the 3rd and 4th of May.
Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship Current Standings: 8th after Round 1 of 5 Notes: Meghan sat out the World Championships for four years and her first round was marred with some minor mistakes but there was no mistaking her speed so look for Meghan to have a much better round in Portugal on the 19th of May.
Championship: GNCC / AMA Enduro Current Standing: 6th after Round 4 of 13 Notes: New team for Josh and he is gaining confidence at every round – Josh sat in second place for the early part of round 4 before dropping to fifth overall. Next round will be the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis on May 4 and 5
Josh Strang – 2019 GNCC – Image by Ken Hill
Mackenzie Tricker – KTM/MEPMX/Fly Racing
Championship: GNCC Current Standing: 3rd after Round 4 of 13 Notes: Mackenzie is not far off cracking a win at the GNCC level but the pace is red hot out front between Jones and Becca Sheets. Next round will be the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis on May 4 and 5.
Mackenzie Tricker (2018 ISDE) – Image by Dario Agrati
Max Whale – Weirbach Racing Kawasaki
Championship: AFT Singles Current Standings: 10th after Round 4 of 18 Notes: Max scored a disappointing 16th at the Super TT in Arizona last weekend thanks to still feeling the effects of the previous weekend’s big crash but he still sits 10th in the points with plenty of rounds left to prove his worth.
Webb and Sexton top the podium at East Rutherford SX
Images by Hoppenworld
On a jump infested and highly technical layout Cooper Webb has managed to win an action packed 450 main event to extend his championship lead in the 450SX championship. Meanwhile Chase Sexton took over as the 250 East Coast class championship leader position after winning his first main for the year.
Cooper Webb topped the 450SX event and carries forward a 23-point advantage- AMA SX Round 16, 2019
450SX Report
While his teammate Marvin Musquin was avoiding being run over after crashing in the first corner, Webb grabbed the holeshot from Zach Osborne and Eli Tomac. But before the opening lap was complete Tomac had moved to second and was right on the rear wheel of Webb.
Cooper Webb grabbed the holeshot from Zach Osborne – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
After a few attempts Eli was finally able to get to the lead and reminiscent to his Vegas performance in 2017 Tomac was looking to unsettle Webb as he slowed in several sections before cutting down to a tighter line through some of the corners, but the Kawasaki rider finally cleared his thoughts to establish a small lead.
Eli Tomac – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
In fact, it looked like Eli would pull away for the win until he got cross rutted and went down in the whoops to drop back to fourth. This left him behind Webb, Osborne and Blake Baggett, before Osborne caught up to Webb to make the pass for the lead. At this stage Zach led ahead of Webb, Baggett and a fast closing Tomac but then Baggett crashed and Osborne rode straight up a right hand berm which gave the lead back to Webb.
Blake Baggett – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
The atmosphere was electric as Tomac caught all the way up to Webb but an identical crash in the whoops dropped him back to third. That is the way they stayed to the line with Webb winning over Osborne, Tomac and Baggett.
With one race left, Web has a 23-point lead over Tomac while Musquin, who came into the race as the only other rider besides Tomac within striking distance of his teammate salvaged a fifth after his crash to now trails Webb by 31 points so he is no longer in championship contention.
Cooper Webb
“Overall, I felt like it was a good race. I felt like I rode in a nice pace that was consistent and I’m not saying that the other guys weren’t, but the mistakes they made were definitely the difference. I’m happy, another win is incredible and we’re inching a little closer to the final goal.”
Cooper Webb – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
Zach Osborne
“It’s been a long gruelling road to get back, I felt great in the off season, had a really good bike and one tiny mistake took me out of the first six rounds but it is finally coming back to me, we completely changed the bike in the off week and I felt a lot more comfortable in the whoops. In the main event I got off to a good start and after getting beaten up in the past I decided to just send it which I did for a couple of laps then made the pass for the lead – it was a really good race for me.”
Zach Osborne – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
Eli Tomac
“I had to have a chuckle about it, I mean, I did the exact thing twice (crash twice in the same spot), I mean, how do you even do that? We were going triple into the whoops and I was leaning a little too far to the right, got cross rutted and then went into the same tuff block, the same tip over, it’s like a replay. I could have got away with one of those but the second one really did me in.”
Eli Tomac – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
Marvin Musquin
“It was a huge bummer to have that crash in the first turn, considering I was feeling great all day today. From dead last I came back to fifth-place, it’s a good race but it didn’t bring me what I wanted points-wise and I wanted to win tonight. But is what it is, it’s racing and things like that obviously happen.”
Marvin Musquin chases down Zach Osborne – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
450SX Main Event Results
Cooper Webb
Zach Osborne
Eli Tomac
Blake Baggett
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen
Joey Savatgy
Joshua Grant
Cole Seely
Justin Hill
450SX Main Event Podium 1) Cooper Webb, 2) Zach Osborne, 3) Eli Tomac – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
450SX Points after 16 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 358
Eli Tomac – 335
Marvin Musquin – 327
Ken Roczen – 300
Blake Baggett – 274
Dean Wilson – 223
Joey Savatgy – 208
Cole Seely – 194
Justin Bogle – 158
Justin Barcia – 154
Chad Reed – 151
Justin Brayton – 151
250 East Coast Report
250SX Start – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
After the injured championship leader Austin Forkner made his way to the main event with a far from convincing fourth-place in his heat race it was Alex Martin who grabbed the early lead in the main event, this was ahead of Martin Davalos, Sexton and Forkner.
Alex Martin took the holeshot with Martin Davalos in pursuit – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
Then Austin slammed by Sexton for third and he was soon in second behind his teammate Davalos after Martin slid out so it looked like things were going the way of Forkner BUT a flat landing before the wall jump caused him to re-aggravate his knee and take him out of the race.
Chase Sexton – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
When Austin pulled off, Sexton inherited second place and later he took over the lead from a struggling Davalos who would also surrender second and third to the Yamaha duo of Mitchell Oldenburg and Justin Cooper so the win went to Sexton over Oldenburg, Cooper and Davalos.
Justin Cooper – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
With just the final East/West shootout at Las Vegas to go next weekend Sexton has inherited/earned a nine-point lead over Cooper, with Forkner a further 13 points back. The 250 West Coast series is similarly placed with Adam Cianciarulo holding an eight-point lead over Dylan Ferrandis heading into Vegas so the combined final is going to be very interesting indeed.
Austin Forkner now sits third in the 250SX East standings – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
Chase Sexton
“We have made a lot of bike changes from the beginning of the season, it is pretty crazy when you compare what I was riding back then to now, it has made a big difference and I have just been trying to put in my laps but I felt really good out there tonight, it feels awesome to be fastest qualifier, win my heat then the main, it’s been a long time and it feels great.”
Chase Sexton – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
Mitchell Oldenburg
“It’s unbelievable. With all the injuries… I just didn’t know if this was for me anymore. My wife has always been behind me and this feels amazing. Everyone in my corner have been so awesome and the people around me have never stopped believing in me. It feels good to finally get this done. It feels like we finally got this monkey off our back.”
Justin Cooper
“I just struggled to find my flow. I didn’t feel good the whole race so to I can’t really complain about a podium finish. It would have been nice to get second, but I’m pumped for Mitchell. We’ll see what we can do in Las Vegas.”
Justin Cooper – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
Josh Grant made the penultimate race of the year count with his best finish of the season in eighth, as a fill-in rider for Aaron Plessinger.
Josh Grant
“I’m really stoked on how my night went. The track conditions were really difficult and made for some tough passing. All in all, I am happy with an eighth-place finish and looking forward to finishing off strong in Las Vegas.”
Josh Grant – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
250 East Coast Main Event Results
Chase Sexton
Mitchell Oldenburg
Justin Cooper
Martin Davalos
Brandon Hartranft
Kyle Peters
Alex Martin
Jordan Bailey
Lorenzo Locurcio
Anthony Rodriguez …22. Austin Forkner
250SX Main Event Podium 1) Chase Sexton, 2) Mitchell Oldenburg, 3) Justin Cooper – AMA SX Round 16, 2019
250 East Coast Points after 8 of 9 Rounds
Chase Sexton – 174
Justin Cooper – 165
Austin Forkner – 152
Martin Davalos – 134
Mitchell Oldenburg – 128
Alex Martin –121
Brandon Hartranft – 118
Kyle Peters – 115
Kyle Cunningham – 108
Jordon Bailey – 91
Chase Sexton and team celebrate – AMA SX Round 16, 2019