A 70-year-old female driver has been charged over hitting a NSW police motorcyclist who had stopped to pull over another car.
The crash occurred despite a new rule requiring motorists to slow to 40km/h when passing stationary or slow-moving emergency vehicles.
However, instead of charging the woman under the new rule, she was charged with negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm injury – first offence – and will appear in Macksville Local Court on 23 May 2019.
A police media spokesperson says the driver was charged with “the most appropriate offence as a result of the investigation”.
“Suffice to say the offence she has been charged with is much more serious than the (new rule) which is generally just a ticket.
The offence of not slowing to 40km/h attracts a fine of $448 and three demerit points.
The incident occurred at Warrell Creek near Nambucca Heads, NSW, on December 30 2018 when the officer pulled over a car and was hit by another car.
Only a matter of time
Motorcycle Council of NSW Chairman Steve Pearce had told us when the new rule came in that it was “just a matter of time until a serious incident occurs as a result of this rule”.
“The fact is our motorways were never constructed with emergency management considered adequately,” he says.
“Asking drivers to reduce speed from 110km/h to 40km/h without adequate warning is just a recipe for a disaster.
“In my view, the NSW Government have opened themselves to a possible damages action. A driver/rider should expect to be given adequate warning to reduce speed from 110km to 40km. The legislation as it stands does not allow for any adequate or reasonable warning structure whatsoever.”
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey says the new rule which matches rules in Victoria and Western Australia is under a 12-month review.
Victoria and Western Australia have the same rule while in South Australia traffic has to slow to 25km/h speed.
However, the Queensland Government has rejected Police Union calls for a similar road rule and the RACV says it could be difficult for motorists to see flashing emergency vehicles’ lights over a hill and have enough time to slow down to 40km/h.
The major concern with the rule is that vulnerable motorcyclists, such as the NSW police officer, are at risk.
In fact, the person the rule was meant to protect appears to be a victim in this incident.
NSW Police say the 48-year-old officer suffered a broken right leg.
Tips on emergency rule
If riders see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle, there are several things they can do to avoid a rear-ender.
Look at traffic behind you to assess the danger;
Indicate and change lanes away from the emergency vehicle, if there is a vacant lane to move into;
If not, switch on the hazard lights;
Brake as smoothly as possible, perhaps activating the brake light on and off to attract the attention of following traffic; and
Search for an escape route, possibly between lanes or on the road edge.
Confusing rule
The rule is confusing for motorists travelling interstate during holidays because of the disparities in the rule and the fact that some states do not have the rule at all.
Emergency vehicles are defined as police cars, fire engines and ambulances displaying red and blue flashing lights and/or sounding their siren.
In Victoria it includes all “escort vehicles”. In SA SES vehicles are included and in WA it extends to all emergency vehicles, including tow trucks, RAC roadside assistance patrol vehicles, and Main Roads Incident Response Vehicles removing road debris and broken-down vehicles.
The rule does not apply if the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the road where there is a median strip.
Fines also vary
In South Australia, you can cop a maximum fine up to $1007 and some motorists have been disqualified for six months.
Victoria’s fine is $272.05, but there is a maximum court penalty of $777.30 if you unsuccessfully challenge the fine.
Difficulties continue for the British talent at round two.
Image: Supplied.
A technical problem ultimately forced Chaz Davies into early retirement during race two of Thailand’s second round of the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) on Sunday.
Davies has experienced a troubled season to date, struggling to take advantage of the all-new Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Panigale V4 R while his teammate and WorldSBK rookie Alvaro Bautista has dominated the first six races.
The British talent rebounded from a crash in race to finish 15th before winding up eighth in the Superpole race, which now sees him positioned 11th in the standings with 18 points to his name.
“I’m obviously disappointed not to have been able to finish the race and see the true potential that we had today especially after the progress we made this morning,” Davies commented. “Regarding the technical problem, after feeling something was a little bit amiss when I lost some speed, I decided to save the engine and think about the season ahead.
“It was disappointing not to capitalise on our improvement, because today I had a good race pace and the feeling with the bike was much better. We’ve got some clear ideas on the direction to take and there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. Now we have the test at Aragon before the race, which is a good opportunity for us to make some more gains.”
The WorldSBK now heads to Aragon in Spain for round three of the series, scheduled for 5-7 April.
Privateers rise in challenging rain-soaked encounter at Appin.
Image: Foremost Media.
Jesse Dobson has been left surprised with his top five finish in a shortened opening round of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals at Appin in New South Wales.
The Queenslander, who didn’t even know if he would be racing round one just a week prior to the opener, rose in the brutally muddy conditions, qualifying in P3 before recording a fifth place finish in the sole six-lap MX1 outing.
It marks a strong comeback to the MX Nationals for Dobson, who completed just one round in 2018 after injuries significantly hindered his campaign.
“I feel like I always ride good in those type of conditions, and it kind went into my favour a bit because I’ve only been on the bike for a week,” said Dobson when contacted by MotoOnline.com.au. “Fitness doesn’t really play a massive part, it’s more of good riding and skill. I got out there and had no expectations, so it worked out good. I’m pretty happy with the end the result.
“I wouldn’t mind if there were two races, either way I think I would’ve had a good result in the mud. But, if it wasn’t muddy and there was the traditional format, I think I would’ve struggled a bit more. With everything coming together so late, I haven’t had the pre-season that all the other guys have had.
“I’m glad I got through the weekend and had a solid start – I surprised myself with the result because I had no expectations. Now I have time to build and catch up – I don’t think you’ll see the best of me until the second half of the season.”
The number 14 was just one of many privateers who stood at out Appin, with Tomas Ravenhorst (KTM) and Joben Baldwin (Yamaha) putting in strong performances with seventh and ninth place finishes respectively.
In the MX2 category, Isaac Ferguson (KTM) was the highest placed privateer with an impressive fourth place finish, as Riley Dukes (Husqvarna), Cooper Pozniak (KTM) and Wyatt Chase (Honda) all earned spots inside the top 10, finishing in positions five, seven and nine.
British motorcycle legend 10th in TT Cup at Sydney event.
Image: Foremost Media.
The second most successful rider of the Isle of Man TT John McGuinness has described the Team Winfield-prepared, Harris-framed Yamaha F1 contender as an ‘impressive bit of kit’ after sampling it at Sydney Motorsport Park’s International Festival of Speed (IFos) over the weekend.
McGuinness, who has piloted Team Winfield machinery to Classic TT victories in the past, faced a mechanical issue in the opening encounter of the TT Cup before bouncing back for 6-4 results, granting him 10th overall.
Ongoing rain prompted event organisers to abandon the final two races on Sunday, denying the British motorcycle racing legend of moving up in the classification.
“I’ve ridden for Roger for quite a few years now, he owns Paton that I won the Classic IoM TT on a couple a times,” McGuinness explained to CycleOnline.com.au. “Roger is just enthusiastic – he loves it and puts his heart and soul into it. The bikes are prepared lovely.
“At the end of the day, it’s a 1980s touring bike engine – they were designed to go into south of France with your wife on the back – they weren’t designed for racing those engines.
“I think it’s testament to them – it’s a Harris chassis, and you look at it and you think it looks heavy, but I tell you what, to be doing the laps we’re doing here on a 1984 engine – I know they have good breaks and tyres – but they’re still an impressive bit of kit to ride.”
Piloting a DMR Motorsport prepared Suzuki XR 69, Paul Bryne went onto lodge a 2-5-1 scorecard throughout the three races hosted during Friday and Saturday to claim TT Cup honours, edging former British champion Glen Richards by two points for the top spot.
Former World Superbike and grand prix racer Michael Rutter completed the podium in third ahead of grand prix winner Jeremy McWilliams and Aaron Morris.
Over 15 months, Heather travelled 42,000km through 19 countries.
The book is still on the Amazon best-seller list and includes an endorsement from Ted Simon author of Jupiter’s Travels which inspired Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor and Cheryl Strayed author of Wild.
Second book
Her second book, Timeless On The Silk Road: An Odyssey From London to Hanoi, is an extension of the African tour on the same Yamaha dirt bike.
After her African trek, Heather was diagnosed with HIV in London at the age of 30 and given five years to live. It was 1995 when death from AIDS is inevitable.
Instead of giving up, Heather rides along the fabled Silk Roads of antiquity to Australia, thinking it would be her last adventure.
From Chapter 15: A Moment of Madness, Uzbekistan to Tajikistan, while Heather was travelling with three Frenchmen from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan.
Together, the four of us walked into the Tajik border post, a small tin shack where it was standing room only. In the cramped confines, the heat was oppressive; none of the Frenchmen wore deodorant. A middle-aged man in a sweat-stained grey military uniform, the buttons straining across his round belly, sat behind the desk. Two other younger men in the same grey fatigues stood beside him. The only other item of furniture was a tall wooden cabinet. Behind the official was an open window, which framed a spindly tree. A small bird sat on a branch tilting its head inquisitively.
‘Passeports,’ he demanded, the sweat beading on his brow framed by a stock of thick greasy black hair.
‘You no cross. Pay one hundred dollar!’ he boomed.
‘We are transiting to Kyrgyzstan,’ Fabrice replied while Patrick and Frédéric vocalised their objection in French with a few phaws.
An evil smirk spread across the guard’s face that dropped as a series of folded bristly jowls onto his collar. ‘You pay. No cross.’
Fabrice stood his ground. Hands on hips. ‘We have permission to transit. We have a Russian visa.’ As if anything to do with Russia was still held in high esteem in this backwater of the former Soviet Union.
I kicked his foot and leaned close to whisper: ‘We must pretend we don’t understand.’
At this point, a vehicle pulled up outside in a cloud of dust. The Tajik border official and his two off-siders pushed Fabrice aside as they headed towards the door. We filed out behind them. The vehicle was a four-wheel drive with UNHCR emblazoned across its side. A huge man unfolded from the vehicle. He stretched to well over six foot and was enormous both in height and body width. Not obese, but his sheer size demanded instant respect. Proclaiming his support for refugees, he wore a black T-shirt printed with the words in white, ‘Einstein was a refugee’.
‘Where you from?’ he asked. We pointed to our motorcycles parked opposite saying France and Australia. ‘Long journey,’ he said nodding to me when I said I’d ridden through Africa. ‘I was in Rwanda. Very bad what happened there,’ he added and told us he was from Bosnia and stationed at Osh in Kyrgyzstan.
Since Soviet independence, Tajikistan had been gripped by civil war from infighting amongst its various clan groups, but foreigners were allowed to transit the stretch between Bekobod and Kulundu, a distance of about fifty kilometres. But we were not at this ‘official crossing’ for foreigners. Instead, we’d ridden over a narrow bridge to cross the Syr Darya and across a semi-arid plain; it was as if a finger of the Karakum desert had followed me all the way from Turkmenistan. I’d read that nearly 50,000 Tajik villagers had died from the fighting between the clan groups, leaving more than half a million refugees. Russia had stepped in, and around 25,000 of its troops were stationed in Tajikistan, effectively making it a Russian protectorate. This peacekeeping force also made it safe to transit into Kyrgyzstan as long as we kept away from the Afghan border where there were still skirmishes between the faction groups.
It made little sense as to why Stalin, back in the 1920s, had so unreasonably carved up the borders where three Central Asian nations met: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. I could only assume it was to ensure the countries remained linked like the entwined fingers of lovers so they would forever retain a close and loyal bond.
‘Is there problem?’ the UN official asked the Tajik border guards.
‘Nyet. Nyet problem,’ the man in charge replied meekly.
‘It’s alright guys. You can cross.’ The Bosnian climbed back into his vehicle and with a wave, was gone just as suddenly as he had appeared. We all watched speechless as the vehicle disappeared in a trail of dust.
‘You pay,’ the lead official boomed from behind us. Then the three officials marched back to the tin shack. We followed.
‘Can you stamp our passports please,’ I asked in demure politeness pointing to our passports stacked on the desk.
‘No. You must pay five dollar.’
‘Okay,’ I said. At least the Bosnian’s arrival had saved us each US$95. The Frenchmen nodded, and we filed out of the hut to retrieve the money from our money belts so their prying eyes would not see our booty, especially Frédéric. He had told me he carried US$5000 in cash strapped to his belly. Fabrice and Patrick, I imagined, carried the same. ‘Aren’t you worried you’ll get robbed?’ I asked in disbelief when he’d told me. ‘This never leaves me,’ Frédéric had said patting his round stomach, his money belt hidden under his T-shirt with it all held in place by a wide kidney belt. It not only protected his kidneys and vulnerable insides should he crash, but also gave no indication that he carried a small fortune in a country where the annual salary was US$600.
Knowing you are going to die does strange things to your way of thinking, namely in the risks that you’d otherwise never consider taking. In the weeks that followed my HIV diagnosis, I rode around London with no regard for speed limits, road rules and consideration of other road users. Perhaps those vodka-infused days in Turkmenistan where I’d nearly come to grief several times while riding inebriated were also part of this disregard for my own safety. This wasn’t a conscious decision. It was just what happened. I was beyond thinking I might get hurt or I might die. What happened next at that Tajik border post, I can only think, had something to do with this unconscious death wish that occasionally took control of my behaviour.
But it was also a desire to seek approval, seek forgiveness from my father. The offer of a gift that would please him. A parting gift that was so significant that it may even go so far as to nullify the perceived shame I’d brought on my family. These were my distorted thoughts on that day.
When I’d walked into the hut, a grey Russian army cap lay on the desk. I’d picked it up, saying, ‘I give you ten dollar.’ The official sitting at the desk snatched it from me and threw it behind the cabinet. When he’d gone outside as the UN vehicle pulled up, I’d quickly retrieved it and stuffed it under my kidney belt and zipped up my jacket.
We paid our five dollars and with our passports stamped, were about to file out the hut, when the border official in charge pulled out his revolver and pointed it at Fabrice’s head. I held my breath thinking he’d thought Fabrice had stolen the cap. Patrick and Frédéric stood motionless beside me. Fabrice turned white. The two other guards smiled as if they shared a private joke. The Tajik with the gun flashed a demented grin, his finger on the trigger. Then he turned and fired the gun through the open window at a small bird sitting on the branch. It looked like the same bird as before. Unbelievably, it did not fly away. Like us, I expect, it was too shocked to move. The Tajik fired off another four shots, deafening us all in the tin shack, and still, the bird did not move. Only when it was quiet, and the Tajik had returned the gun to its holster, did the bird fly away. Without a word, we slowly filed out of the hut then ran towards our bikes.
Just as I was about to hoist my leg over the TT, the Tajik in charge stormed out of the hut, pointing to his head, his two assistants closely behind. I knew exactly what he meant, but the Frenchmen looked at him dumbfounded. I rushed back inside the hut, the Tajiks following close behind, but I reached the doorway first and knelt down near the cabinet and pulled the cap from under my kidney belt dropping it on the floor. The Tajik in charge grabbed my arm lifting me off the ground and shoved me against the wall.
‘Your cap. There it is. Remember, you threw it behind the cabinet.’
‘Duzd, Duzd,’ he repeated his face contorted in anger as he squeezed my arm. I assumed this was Tajik for thief.
‘Fuck off, you bastards!’ I screamed pulling my arm away and pushing past the three men like a deranged woman. ‘Go! Go!’ I yelled at the Frenchmen who sat astride their idling motorcycles.
The TT fired first kick. Pumped with adrenalin, I dropped the clutch and opened the throttle. The bike launched itself and me to freedom leaving the three Tajiks standing in a cloud of dust. I fully expected a bullet to lodge into my back, but no shot was fired, and yet again I’d escaped a respectable death. As I followed the Frenchmen, I realised I risked pulling them down with me. For their own safety, it was time I moved on.
Jason O’Halloran saved his best until last on the final day of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship official test at Portimao, posting the fastest time of the test with his final run of the day in the closing ten minutes to push Scott Redding back into second by 0.127s.
The final day started with OMG Racing Suzuki holding the top three positions with Tommy Bridewell on the Oxford Racing Ducati, who also had a spell at the top, splitting Josh Elliot and Luke Mossey before Xavi Forés moved to the top of the times after the first hour.
Xavi Forés
Forés and Redding then locked out the leading two positions, as the pair prepare for their debut season in Bennetts BSB, but as the chequered flag went out to end the morning session it was the Be Wiser Ducati rider who had edged ahead by 0.339s.
When the test resumed this afternoon Bridewell was back on track for a longer run and he was able to move to within 0.177s of Redding and Forés with Elliot and Andrew Irwin completing the top five.
Scott Redding
O’Halloran meanwhile had taken the second McAMS Yamaha of Tarran Mackenzie for a run whilst his team-mate sat out the final afternoon after completing his workload and still feeling sore from his crash earlier in the week.
Josh Brookes had been working through various changes on the second Be Wiser Ducati, before a run later this afternoon which put him fourth fastest on the times and the Australian ended his day early as he now prepares for the next official test at Silverstone.
Josh Brookes
As the final 30 minutes of the day arrived Redding, Forés and Brookes had the advantage at the top of the times, with the majority completing their test before the closing stages, however after moving into seventh O’Halloran returned to the garage and then went for one final time attack.
The McAMS Yamaha rider went for one final exit and was able to better his time to move to the top of the times, pushing Redding into second and Forés into third.
Jason O’Halloran
“That was exactly what we needed to end this test. We had a difficult end to Monteblanco because although we were fast, we had a few issues with the bike. We changed the frame there and it became really aggressive so we persevered with it here. I went out on Taz’s bike and his was completely different. I sat out a bit this afternoon whilst the boys changed the frame for me and when I went back out it felt immediately better. I did a run on old tyres and did my best time on the used tyres and then I came in and we put some new tyres in and I went out to have a bit of a go. It got me up front and I am feeling confident now heading to Silverstone and being up the sharp end.”
O’Halloran Yamaha YZF-R1
Bridewell held fourth as the Oxford Racing Ducati team continued their programme with the new Ducati V4 R, remaining ahead of Brookes and Elliot with Danny Buchan climbing to seventh in the final stages of the day.
Glenn Irwin was the leading Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki in eighth, making progress with the 2019 specification bike, narrowly edging out his brother Andrew and Mossey completing the top ten.
Alastair Seeley was also testing in Portugal, the Ulsterman will ride a Be Wiser Ducati V4R at the North West 200 this season. He was a little over two-seconds off the pace but learned valuable lessons about the new Ducati.
South Australian Billy McConnell was the fastest of the Superstock riders present.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
The LATEST News
Musquin and Forkner victorious in Indianapolis SX
Waters and Roberts Win at Appin mudfest
Russell fights back at Georgia GNCC
Bauman wins Daytona TT
Janisch wins Daytona TT AFT Singles – Max Whale fifth
Ferris replaces Febvre in MXGP
Ryan brothers shine at Canberra Long Track
Courtney Duncan joins Bike It DRT Kawasaki for WMX
Musquin and Forkner Victorious at Indy SX
Indianapolis has hosted the latest round of the AMA Supercross Championships and on a predominantly one lined, rut infested layout it was KTM’s Marvin Musquin who won the 450 main event for the second year in a row while Austin Forkner slaughtered the 250 East class by winning the main by over six seconds.
Baggett, Tomac, Webb
450SX
Musquin entered Indianapolis 19 points back from his teammate Cooper Webb, and by lap 18 it was a four rider freight train with Musquin, Baggett, Webb and Tomac all within a few seconds of each other but no matter how hard each rider tried.
Cooper Webb
That is how they finished while Justin Barcia’s first ride back from concussion earned the veteran a sensational fifth ahead of Savatgy, Zach Osborne, Ken Roczen, Dean Wilson, Justin Brayton and Chad Reed who passed 11 riders to earn solid points and stay seventh in the championship.
Eli Tomac
As far as the championship goes Webb leads by 14 points over Musquin who in turn has a seven-point gap back to Tomac while the biggest looser on the night was former red plate holder Roczen who just couldn’t get his shit together to end up 27 points back from Webb with six rounds remaining.
Marvin Musquin
“It was a long main event and I knew they were charging behind me so I just wanted to stay smooth, my whoops were pretty clean, I didn’t know if it was the best way but towards the end I was able to get it all clean and it feels good to get it done. Tonight I was very confident on the starting gate and to get a holeshot tonight was super important so yeh, it was time (for the win).”
Marvin Musquin
450SX Main Event Results
Marvin Musquin
Blake Baggett
Cooper Webb
Eli Tomac
Justin Barcia
Joey Savatgy
Zach Osborne
Ken Roczen
Dean Wilson
Justin Brayton
Chad Reed
450SX Main Event Results
Marvin Musquin
Blake Baggett +02.449
Cooper Webb +05.298
450SX Points after 11 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 243
Marvin Musquin – 229
Eli Tomac – 222
Ken Roczen – 216
Blake Baggett – 184
Dean Wilson – 163
Chad Reed – 149
Joey Savatgy – 141
Justin Brayton – 140
Justin Barcia – 138
250 East Coast Report
Unfortunately for the fans of close racing when Austin Forkner gets the holeshot in the East Coast series it is game over, with his Ryan Villopoto like style racking up the best lap times over and over which left long time arch rival Chase Sexton to reluctantly settle for second place all of the way to flag while Justin Cooper had to make his way from tenth to third to land on the podium.
250 Start
Austin Forkner
“Justin (Cooper) was beside me in the heat race and I didn’t want to let off until he did, went in way too deep, jumped into the tuff block and got run over by a couple of guys so that sucked but in the main I ended up with a decent gate two inside the box and got a good start in the main and that helped.”
Austin Forkner
250 East Coast Main Event Results
Austin Forkner
Chase Sexton
Justin Cooper
Mitchell Oldenburg
Martin Davalos
Kyle Peters
Kyle Cunningham
oshua Osby
Alex Martin
Jordan Bailey
250 East Coast Main Event Results
Austin Forkner
Chase Sexton +06.289
Justin Cooper +09.098
250 East Coast Points after 6 of 9 Rounds
Austin Forkner – 151
Chase Sexton – 125
Justin Cooper – 123
Alex Martin – 92
Martin Davalos – 89
Mitchell Oldenburg – 88
Brandon Hartranft – 82
Kyle Cunningham – 81
Kyle Peters – 79
Jordon Smith – 70
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Waters and Roberts Win at Appin Mudfest
In what has been a massive disappointment to everyone who is involved with or a fan of the Australian MX Nationals, the opening round of the 2019 championships ended up being a mudfest of the highest calibre and it was Todd Waters and Jy Roberts who won the premier MX1 and MX2 classes respectively while Kiwi Max Purvis won the MXD class.
MX Nationals 2019 – Round 1, Appin
A massive low across a large part of the East Coast of Australia caused torrential rain fall in Sydney and the surrounding areas so due to safety concerns WEM, the series promoter, reduced each championship class to one moto.
MX1 Report
Little known American Justin Rodebell grabbed the holeshot in the lone MX1 moto and led for the best part of the opening lap before Hayden Mellross made his way to the lead. Todd Waters was making his way from dead last after getting tangled with a track side sprinkler going into the first corner.
ISDE winner Daniel Milner was also a victim of multiple first corner incidents while pre-race favourites Kirk Gibbs and Brett Metcalfe also got less than ideal starts but both managed to edge their way through the treacherous conditions to move by Rodebell, Luke Clout and Jesse Dobson to slot into third and fourth.
After six laps that took almost 17 minutes, Hayden Mellross greeted the chequered flag ahead of Waters, Gibbs, Metcalfe and Dobson but thanks to a couple of incidents where it was deemed that Mellross rode outside the track barriers Waters was gifted maximum points ahead of Mellross.
Todd Waters
“It’s kind of strange, I didn’t think I won it. It was quite good for me because when I get excited, I go full gas and make big mistakes. I had no goggles and thought this is a bit of a write off. I just rode smooth and tried my best to just stay on the track.”
Todd Waters
Rodbell, Tomas Ravenhorst, Luke Clout, Joben Baldwin and Cody Dyce rounded out the top 10 while the likes of Richie Evans, Jayden Rykers, Caleb Ward ended the moto far from where they would have like but they fared better than Dylan long and Milner who didn’t get to finish the race.
Richie Evans
“The result today wasn’t what I was after, but the conditions threw up all sorts of challenges. It was hard work out there today. I went all out at the start and got the track position I needed but that crash just made things so hard to ride and grip the bike that I had to swap gloves and goggles to even continue. But despite the result, I know my preparation has been good and I have done the work over the off season so I’m not going to let this affect me. I will learn from todays round and improve myself in these conditions and I’m ready to get things back on track at round two regardless of what we are faced with.”
MX Nationals 2019 – Round 1, Appin
Thor MX1 – Moto Result and Overall
Todd Waters
Hayden Mellross
Kirk Gibbs
Brett Metcalfe
Jesse Dobson
Justin Rodbell
Tomas Ravenhorst
Luke Clout
Joben Baldwin
Cody Dyce
Charlie Creech
Joel Wightman
Levi McManus
Richie Evans
Jayden Rykers
Brandon Gray
John Prutti
Caleb Ward
Zak Small
Izak Maule
MX2 Report
Jay Wilson scored the holeshot and for most of the moto the Yamaha rider looked like a shoe-in for the win until a mistake near the end allowed Jy Roberts to come through to claim the win ahead of Wilson and third placed defending champion Wilson Todd. Todd ended the race ahead of Issac Ferguson, Riley Dukes, Nathan Crawford, Cooper Pozniak, Dylan Wills and Wyatt Chase.
Pirelli MX2 – Moto 1 – Appin Results – Top 15
Jy Roberts
Jay Wilson +15.866
Wilson Todd +1:03.716
Jy Roberts
“It was brutal, every line just crisscrossed and there where holes you couldn’t see. I had to throw my goggles on the second lap, so I was just getting roosted by lappers, but I ended up getting it done by just pulling off consistent laps. I made it work, so I am happy with that.”
Jy Roberts
Jay Wilson
“It was a strange set of circumstances that lead to us finishing second and as a team, everyone was a little disappointed in the outcome given we have such as good lead. But, we will move on from here, learn from what happened and ensure we aren’t in that situation again. We had a chat about it and its no-one’s fault, just the way it played out but from now on, we have decided we are just going to be ruthless if we are ever in the situation again. The team did a great job today on the bike and keeping it running smoothly. It’s tough because the track was so hard on the bikes. They get so hot, you have to keep off the clutch and stay away from the deep water, ruts and mud but the bike was awesome and for me, I’m happy with the start we have made for the championship and ready to go the full ten rounds.”
Aaron Tanti was up front in the early going but thanks to a series of mistakes the hard charger ended up tenth ahead of talented enduro rider Lyndon Snodgrass who in turn got the nod over some of the best MX2 riders in Australia including Morgan Fogarty, Kyle Webster, Bailey Malkiewicz and Joel Evans.
Kyle Webster
“It was a bloody tough day to say the least; the track was so next-level wet to state the obvious. I actually made a good start in the MX2 race and was running fourth or fifth after a couple of laps when I got completely and utterly bogged. I was stuck for almost a lap! Luckily another rider stopped to help me, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten the bike out. That incident dropped me back to about 28th place, and from there I just clawed my way up to 15th by the finish of the race. It certainly wasn’t an ideal day, but I’m just super-lucky and thankfully I managed to keep going and it wasn’t a DNF result.”
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Pirelli MX2 – Moto Result and Overall
Jy Roberts
Jay Wilson
Wilson Todd
Issac Ferguson
Riley Dukes
Nathan Crawford
Cooper Pozniak
Dylan Wills
Wyatt Chase
Aaron Tanti
Lyndon Snodgrass
Jai Constantinou
Morgan Fogarty
Chandler Burns
Kyle Webster
Jye Dickson
Ricky Latimer
Sam Pelz
Riley Stephens
Jesse Bishop
MXD Report
Leading riders Rhys Budd and Regan Duffy were back and forth for several laps before Budd looked to have the race in the bag but a small over on the last lap gave Kiwi flyer Max Purvis the win over Budd, Michael Murphy, Hugh Roach and Caleb Clifton.
Rhys Budd
“What a day! I got out in front in Qualifying and put down one heater lap to get the fastest time, which gave me first gate pick for the race, which just helped make things a little easier. I got a great start in the race and got the holeshot and pretty much tried my best to keep it up on two wheels. I had the lead with one lap to go and unfortunately, I put it down, but I managed to get up in second place and hold it to the end. It was a really challenging race and I have never raced in mud that bad before. But I just tried to make the most of it and tried to have fun, which is all you can really do in situations like that.”
Motul MXD – Moto Result and Overall
Maximus Purvis
Rhys Budd
Micheal Murphy
Hugh Roache
Caleb Clifton
Liam Walsh
Regan Duffy
Jayce Cosford
Dale Lyons
Liam Andrews
Jack Kukas
James Beston
Tye Jones
Lochie Smith
Mason Rowe
Noah Ferguson
Aaron Mason
Jake Barron
Mason Semmens
Denzel Woulfe
Russell Fights back at Georgia GNCC
Washington, Georgia hosted the second round of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series with the 15th Annual Specialized General GNCC and it was defending champion Kailub Russell who bounced back from last weekend’s defeat to take the win and garner the championship lead.
Kailub Russell claimed top honours – Image by Ken Hill
XC1 Report
On his new Kawasaki KX450F Josh Strang grabbed the holeshot but it was Kailub Russell who pushed his way to the front of the pack as they came through timing on the opening lap. But it wasn’t a runaway victory for Russell who had Trevor Bollinger and Thad Duvall not only holding pace but also at times looking for a way around the defending champ.
Josh Strang took the holeshot – Image by Ken Hill
Bollinger would in fact make the pass on Russell, holding the lead spot as they came through scoring on the second and fourth laps but when it mattered Russell crossed the finish line in the lead ahead of Bollinger, Duvall and last week’s winner Steward Baylor Jr.
Baylor Jr. found himself running in fourth overall for the majority of the race to now sit second, just seven points behind Russell in the National Championship points standings.
Strang would battle throughout the day to stay inside the top five ahead of Josh Toth, Jordan Ashburn, Andrew Delong, Cory Buttrick and Christopher Venditti.
XC1 Pro Event Results
Kailub Russell (KTM)
Trevor Bollinger (HQV)
Thad Duvall (HQV)
Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
Josh Strang (KAW)
Josh Toth (KTM)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Andrew Delong (HON)
Cory Buttrick (YAM)
Christopher Venditti (KAW)
Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (55)
Steward Baylor Jr. (48)
Thad Duvall (42)
Trevor Bollinger (41)
Ben Kelley (32)
Josh Strang (30)
Josh Toth (30)
Andrew Delong (23)
Jonathan Girroir (23)
Jordan Ashburn (22)
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XC2 Report
Beta’s Michael Witkowski grabbed the holeshot but it wouldn’t take long for Ben Kelley to take over the lead and proceed to gap the rest of the field by 2 minutes and 23 seconds at the chequered flag while Evan Smith, Jonathan Girroir, Witkowski and KTM’s Ryder Lafferty rounded out the top five.
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Evan Smith (HQV)
Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
Michael Witkowski (BET)
Ryder Lafferty (KTM)
Tegan Temple (KTM)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Austin Lee (HON)
Zack Hayes (KTM)
Jesse Groemm (KTM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Benjamin Kelley (60)
Jonathan Girroir (46)
Evan Smith (43)
Michael Witkowski (39)
Tegan Temple (31)
XC3 Report
In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class, it was Jason Thomas who held the lead position throughout the first lap but Cody Barnes would make the move around Thomas for the lead on the second lap and the Beta rider would not look back after taking the lead. Barnes ultimately finished five minutes ahead of Thomas who was followed by Yamaha’s Jason Raines, while defending Champion Jesse Ansley would find himself only completing four of the six laps after spending a lot of time in his pit area trying to figure out what looks to be a carby issue.
Becca Sheets – Image by Ken Hill
WXC Report
Tayla Jones held the lead in the WXC class but as the women headed out on on lap three Becca Sheets would make her move to take over the lead, with Mackenzie Tricker following her as she moved into the second place. Sheets would hold onto the lead, taking the chequered flag ahead of Tricker, Jones, Rachel Gutish and New Zealand’s Rachael Archer rounding out the top five.
Bauman Wins Daytona TT
AFT Twins prepare at the Daytona TT – Image by Scott Hunter
The annual Daytona TT kicked off the 2019 American Flat Track season and it was Indian factory rider Briar Bauman who kicked off his championship campaign with a 5.149-second margin ahead of fellow Indian rider Henry Wiles and Yamaha’s Jake Johnson.
Briar Bauman – Image by Scott Hunter
Briar Bauman
“To hop out there in the front — it’s all about trying to put in a gap in the beginning. I’ve been training hard this offseason. I tried to throw down as much as I could and get a little bit of a gap and maintain the rest of the race.”
Bryan Smith – Image by Scott Hunter
Bauman’s triumph also brings defending champion Jared Mees’ Daytona TT win streak to a halt at two after Mees retired with a mechanical issue in the Main while running fifth.
AFT Twins – Main Event Daytona – 2019
Briar Bauman
Henry Wiles +5.149
Jake Johnson +16.037
Jarod Vanderkooi +19.248
Bronson Bauman +22.314
Kayl Kolkman +1 Lap
Robert Pearson +0.517
Brandon Robinson +2.161
Donald Mullen II +2.200
Jeffrey Carver Jr. +6.174
2019 AFT Twins Round 1 Podium – 1) Briar Bauman, 2) Henry Wiles, 3) Jake Johnson – Image by Scott Hunter
AFT Twins Standings
Briar Bauman 25 points
Henry Wiles 20
Jake Johnson 17
Jarod Vanderkooi 15
Bronson Bauman 14
Kayl Kolkman 13
Robert Pearson 12
Brandon Robinson 11
Donald Mullen II 10
Jeffrey Carver Jr. 9
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Janisch Wins Daytona TT AFT Singles – Max Whale fifth
AFT Singles – Image by Scott Hunter
At the Daytona TT Yamaha’s Jesse Janisch battled hard all day and in particular the AFT Singles main event to take the win ahead of Dalton Gauthier (KTM), Dan Bromley (KTM), Mikey Rush (Honda) and Max Whale (Kawasaki).
Jesse Janisch
“To start off Daytona with a victory… it’s amazing. Last year, we left here with a second, and that was a great way to start off the season. Just putting in all the work over the course of the winter and leaving here with a win is amazing. The Roof Systems team has really made a home for me. We’ve really built a great program.”
Jesse Janisch – Image by Scott Hunter
After earning last year’s crown on the strength of 13 podiums in 18 races, Bromley began his title defence with a solid third-place result while neither Shayna Texter (KTM) nor Jeff Ward (Honda) qualified for the night program. Former ISDE winner Ryan Sipes (KTM) made the program and rounded out the top 10 in the Singles final after competing in the Daytona Supercross and the GNCC during the previous weekend.
Daytona TT Singles Podium – – Image by Scott Hunter
American Flat Track will be back in action for round two of the 2019 season in just over a week’s time as the series travels to Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., for the Atlanta Short Track presented by Cycle Gear on Saturday, March 23.
Jesse Janisch – Image by Scott Hunter
AFT Singles – Main Event Daytona – 2019
Jesse Janisch
Dalton Gauthier +2.577
Dan Bromley +4.665
Mikey Rush +5.179
Max Whale +6.320
Ferran Cardus +7.112
Jacob Lehmann +9.342
Jake Lewis +9.833
Oliver Brindley +10.526
Ryan Sipes +11.022
AFT Singles Standings
Jesse Janisch 25 points
Dalton Gauthier 20
Dan Bromley 17
Mikey Rush 15
Max Whale 14
Ferran Cardus 13
Jacob Lehmann 12
Jake Lewis 11
Oliver Brindley 10
Ryan Sipes 9
Ferris Replaces Febvre in MXGP
Dean Ferris is arguably the fastest Aussie on the planet right now and on the back of a text to the team manager the multiple Australian champ will join Yamaha Motor Europe into the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team as a temporary replacement for the injured Romain Febvre.
Dean Ferris joins the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team to replace Febvre temporarily
After a crash during the second moto at the opening round of the World MX Champs a few weeks ago in Argentina, Febvre underwent a successful operation on Wednesday March 13 at the University Antwerp Hospital (UZA) and it is expected to take six-weeks to heal. Therefore Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP has called upon Ferris to fill the Frenchman’s seat for the next three rounds of the MXGP World Championship.
The next three World Motocross Championship rounds are back-to-back so Ferris will make his 2019 MXGP debut this weekend at Matterley Basin, England before heading to round three in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, and round four in Pietramurata, Italy.
Dean Ferris
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity. I know the next GP is close but we still have a few days to get comfortable with the bike. I have ridden these three tracks before so I will be pulling on my experience a lot. It’s great that I can stay with Yamaha as I’ve had a great experience with them in the past few years. It’s a bummer that Romain got hurt, we never want to see that but it can happen. I will be trying my very best for these GP’s and I look forward to the experience and opportunity.”
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Ryan Brothers Shine at Canberra Long Track
Connor and Harrison Ryan have dominated the annual Stay Upright Kings and Queens of Canberra two-day long track meeting last weekend.
Since entering the senior ranks Connor Ryan has not had a problem qualifying for finals, but his victory in the Pro 450 final in Canberra ranks as his biggest success to date.
Connor took the lead early in the 6-lap final and the classy line-up could make no impact on his advantage, with David Smith, Thomas Herrick, Michael Vecchi, Jesse Davies and Kale Galeano chasing him home.
2019 Stay Upright Kings and Queens of Canberra
Earlier in the Pro Open final the same six riders finished in the top half of the field with Herrick an impressive winner ahead of Vecchi, Smith, Galeano, Davies and Ryan.
The Pro 250 class as usual produced a close tussle on points over the five rounds with Jake Farnsworth outpointing Victorian Bradley Burns and Kye Andrews.
Albury rider Jesse Davies scored a double with victory in the Slider class, after having won the exciting IDH Projects Senior Shoot-out on the Saturday afternoon.
The Canberra Motorcycle Centre Junior Shoot-out started the run of success for 15 year old Harrison Ryan who later went on to win the 2-stroke and Lites classes as well as the Feature Race. Harrison had to overcome some good starts by Victorian Max Berry with Callan Butcher always finishing in third place.
Brothers Kai and Lync Frame dominated the Dirt Track Sidecars while Lawrence Fairey was the stand-out in the racing from the old riders and old bikes.
Besides Harrison Ryan in the juniors there were good displays from Hayden Nelson from Taree, Hugh Hope-Hodgetts from Forbes, Kurtis Jackson and Alexander Codey from Sydney.
Courtney Duncan joins Bike It DRT Kawasaki for WMX
New Zealander Courtney Duncan joins the Bike It DRT Kawasaki team to compete in the FIM Women’s World Motocross Championship which kicks off at Valkenswaard in The Netherlands later this month.
With two world titles and a further three medals in the Women’s World Championship, Kawasaki is proud to announce that talented New Zealander Courtney Duncan joins the Green family this season to compete in the high-profile five-round series.
Courtney Duncan joins Bike It DRT Kawasaki for WMX
The fast twenty-three-year-old young lady has been a major protagonist in the series since her debut three years ago, claiming an amazing seven GP victories and fourteen heat wins from just fifteen starts within that short space of time. Twice she was denied the world title through injury and lost the title by just two points on the other occasion.
More determined than ever to finally achieve her goal Courtney has made the conscious decision to join the highly-experienced British Kawasaki squad run by Steve Dixon to race a KX250 alongside male teammates Darian Sanayei from the USA and Brazilian Gustavo Pessoa in a truly international squad. Apart from the GPs Courtney, currently in Europe to prepare for the GP season, will also race in her native country with the support of Kawasaki New Zealand.
Courtney Duncan
“I’m stoked to announce my signing with the Bike It DRT Kawasaki race team. They’ve given me an awesome opportunity and I’m very motivated to put them on top in 2019. A fresh start is what I needed and I couldn’t be more excited than to do that with Kawasaki. Kawasaki New Zealand have also come on board to support me at home, for which I am also very thankful.”
Steve Dixon, DRT team owner
“It’s ten years since our team was involved in the Women’s World Championship with Tarah Gieger, when she even helped Puerto Rico to qualify for the Motocross of Nations, but we have always maintained a keen interest in the series. It was actually a friend who mentioned to me that Courtney was looking around for a competitive ride in this year’s GPs; it took some thinking about but Kawasaki were keen, especially since their previous champion Livia Lancelot retired. I confidently expect Courtney to bring Kawasaki the world title.”
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CDR Yamaha Monster Energy newcomer completes the podium at round one.
Image: Foremost Media.
Former premier class champion Kirk Gibbs says Appin’s mud-filled encounter on Sunday for round one of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals wasn’t about winning or losing, it was rather about leaving the venue in contention for the crown.
Shortened to just one moto, Gibbs, who made his CDR Yamaha Monster Energy debut, emphasised his focus was taking a conservative approach to gain strong points and avoid a costly DNF, ultimately completing the podium in the six-lap affair.
However, given the opportunity to challenge for victory, the Queensland-based talent expressed he would put aside the cautious strategy in a effort to earn the full 35 points.
“Today wasn’t about winning or losing for me, but ensuring that I’m well placed and in contention after the first round, regardless of the conditions,” Gibbs explained. “Then when you combine the weather, with the nature of the track and just how easy it was to go down or have a bike related DNF, getting good points and staying healthy was the priority and we managed to do that today.
“I know it’s a conservative approach to have and if the race was there to win, we go for the win but race management was important in situations like this and we live to fight another day.
“It was my first race with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team and it was awesome to work with such a professional group of people. They had to work hard with the mud and the rain to get the bikes turned around as well as pulling down of the truck at the end of the day, so a huge thanks to them for their efforts over the weekend.”
Trio of seconds for four-time WorldSBK champion at round two.
Image: Supplied.
Four-time defending champion Jonathan Rea admits second position was the best result he could hope for at Thailand’s second round of the 2019 FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) over the weekend.
The Kawasaki Racing Team rider was runner-up in all three occasions, unable to overcome WorldSBK newcomer Alvaro Bautista (Aruba,it Racing – Ducati), who as has so far dominated the first six races aboard the all-new Panigale V4 R.
Acknowledging there’s need for improvement in his package, Rea says he struggled with front-end stability at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram.
“The best we could hope for today was a brace of second places and we managed to achieve that, albeit with a lot of pressure from Alex in the final race,” Rea explained. “He kept really pushing, as he had in the sprint race, but I just had that little bit extra in the end of race three to go away.
“I want to thank my team for giving me a good bike this weekend and there is always some work to do to improve the package. I felt this weekend we struggled a little bit with front end stability, especially when the front was moving a little bit in that second part of the final race, in the sectors where I was strong.
“Behind my visor I was giving it 110 percent especially in those early laps to try and keep in the slipstream as long as I could. As soon as I lost that it was back to managing my own race. I am taking home 49 points again and we will try to build on that in Europe.”
Rea maintains second in the championship standings as the series heads to Aragon in Spain on 5-7 April, where he currently sits 26 points behind Bautista.
Yamalube Yamaha Racing contender 15th in maiden outing.
Image: Foremost Media.
Richie Evans has expressed dissatisfaction in the result of his premier class debut at Appin’s rain-soaked opening round of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals on Sunday.
The Queenslander is putting the unpredictable encounter behind him as takes confidence in his program towards round two of the series, scheduled for 31 March at Wonthaggi in Victoria.
“The result today wasn’t what I was after, but the conditions threw up all sorts of challenges,” said Evans. “It was hard work out there today. I went all out at the start and got the track position I needed but that crash just made things so hard to ride and grip the bike that I had to swap gloves and goggles to even continue.
“But despite the result, I know my preparation has been good and I have done the work over the off season so I’m not going to let this affect me. I will learn from todays round and improve myself in these conditions and I’m ready to get things back on track at round two regardless of what we are faced with.”
The MX1 class was ultimately won by Todd Waters (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna) on return from a year in the MXGP World Championship, being granted the win after Hayden Mellross (Raceline KTM Thor) was docked 10 seconds for making a track infringement.
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